A designated area of downtown Chesterton will soon have signs proclaiming “Chesterton Trackside Arts and Cultural District.”
Chesterton’s Town Council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution that formalizes the creation of the arts and cultural district. The name recognizes Chesterton’s railroad heritage.
The district’s boundaries will be Grant Avenue and Indiana Avenue on the north and south sides and will stretch from Calumet Road west to South Fifth Street. There are 50 cultural assets within the district.
For months, members of the Chesterton Branding Leadership Corporation held public meetings to solicit public input. The Indiana Arts Commission awarded the town $10,000 toward work on the district. There are about 12 other designated arts and cultural districts in communities around the state.
Hannah Hammond-Hagman, executive director of the Chesterton Art Center and a branding leadership corporation member, said the next step is a request for proposal to design and fabricate signs and create sculptures for the district.
Hammond-Hagman said they will also be working on a marketing plan to promote the district.
At some point in the future, there will be an event to celebrate the new “Chesterton Trackside Arts and Cultural District.”
In other business, the town’s redevelopment commission and council approved applications for state Community Crossing grants for road projects.
The commission authorized the town engineer to apply for a $375,000 grant that would pay for repaving a section of Indian Boundary Road, Plaza Drive and County Road 1100 N from South Fifth Street to County Road 100 E. The town would provide a $375,000 match, if it’s successful in obtaining the grant.
Chesterton is also teaming up with the town of Porter to apply for a Community Crossing grant that would pay for repaving South 23rd Street. With Porter being the lead applicant, the state would fund 75% of the project.
The two communities had successfully cooperated on a similar arrangement last year for repaving Woodlawn Avenue, another boundary street between the two towns.
Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, R-5th, announced that the town is pausing its loan program for the Chesterton Economic Development Company, Inc.
Fisher said three former businesses have failed to repay low-interest loans to the town.
The town has a pending lawsuit seeking collection from the owners of Las Mamacitas, a former restaurant, in Porter County court. The owners of the former Velvet Tiki restaurant filed for bankruptcy in federal court, so the town has a claim seeking a loan repayment.
Jen’s Custom Cupcakes, which had a store on Indian Boundary Road, also closed its doors and is overdue on its loan repayment.
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Fisher said she will ask the town attorney for an opinion on how funds can be used. The Chesterton Economic Development Company, Inc. was created years ago with federal funds the town had received. The organization’s purpose was to give low-interest loans to help small businesses.
The council also set a public hearing for Oct. 27 on a request to vacate an alley on the property of the YMCA’s Healthy Living Campus, which was the old Chesterton Middle School.
Attorney Gregory Babcock explained that there is an alley — which was the old Seventh Street entrance from Morgan Avenue — that had been covered by a school building and the gym. That alley was uncovered when the gym and a section of the school building were demolished. All the land is owned by the Duneland School Corporation.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.