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BY JIM MASTERS and CHRISTINE HARVEY The Times | Sunday, May 18, 2003 | (No comments posted.)
Hammond and East Chicago have plans in the works to augment their already bustling lakefronts while Whiting is working on a plan to build a marina of its own on Lake Michigan.
With the Horseshoe and Harrah's casinos luring hundreds of thousands of people to Hammond's and East Chicago's lakefronts, the municipalities are working to feed off of the traffic and drive local development.
Slip retals in Hammond and East Chicago -- more than 1,400 of them -- go fast, a fact that has not gone unnoticed in Whiting, whose planned marina would be situated between the two near Lakefront Park.
Hammond, whose marina development was spurred during the administration of mayor Thomas McDermott Sr. in the 1980s, got a shot in the arm in 1996 when casino gambling became legal and the marina underwent a seemingly continuous makeover. More slips, a $1 million marina office building and other amenities have been added. Only old-timers in the area recall that the desolate beach area there was once called "BA beach."
In East Chicago, councilmen are calling for greater access to the public beach and other improvements to make it safer and friendlier in the Shadow of the Harrah's casino and hotel.
The biggest lure to the lakefront for many, however, has been casino gambling. Lake County could be seeing some more competition for its gaming dollars in the not-too-distant future, as legislation that would bring legal gambling to Chicago and to restaurants and bars across the state was approved by an Illinois House committee late last week.
One bill would let Chicago own a 4,000-slot riverboat casino, with another casino in Chicago's south suburbs that would lure gamblers who now go to boats in Indiana. Another bill legalizes 47,000 video poker machines at bars and restaurants statewide.
Finding ways to keep people coming to the Lake Michigan shoreline -- in Indiana -- is a goal of three communities.
Luke Weinman, communications director for the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the casinos, marinas and beaches drive county tourism.
"Any improvement to the lakefront is definitely an improvement for all of Lake County," he said. "The lakefront is our No. 1 asset for tourism."
WHITING TARGETS MARINA
Whiting, known as the "Little City by the Lake," has grand plans for marina development. Although a latecomer, Whiting has been in the preliminary developmental stage for the past year.
Whiting contracted with Skipper Marine Development of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., to conduct an environmental impact study and site survey work. The $100,000 contract is funded by a $50,000 federal matching grant.
City Planning Director Rudy Wunder said Skipper Marine is the premier developer, owner and manager of marinas in the Midwest.
He said that early the results of the feasibility study are positive, showing demand for at least 375 boat slips in Whiting.
"I think it's (the marina) going to have to be bigger than that," said Wunder, noting the potential loss of slips in Hammond due to a rumored expansion of Horseshoe Casino's dockside gaming facilities.
Whiting is considering two marina sites -- an undeveloped beach area directly east of Lakefront Park on land owned by BP's Whiting refinery, and an area at the western edge of the park adjacent to Whihala Beach. Wunder expects the city to make a site selection by mid-summer or early fall, but everything hinges upon acceptance of the plan by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers and other state agencies.
Funding is another unknown, with the project estimated to cost in the range of $10 million to $15 million. A combination of federal funding and bonding by the Whiting Redevelopment Commission are among the sources being considered.
Approximately half of the cost will be needed to construct a breakwall, Wunder said, adding that the Lake County Parks Department has expressed interest in the breakwall in that there may no longer be a need to dredge at Whihala beach, which it owns and operates.
Whihala has its own boat launch facility, which could be upgraded to accommodate larger boats once the breakwall is in place.
Improvements to Whiting's Lakefront Park would be part of the marina development, namely, a boardwalk of some type along the shoreline.
"Public access will be guaranteed," Wunder said.
He emphasized that the plans are very preliminary and tentative. But, if all goes as planned, construction could begin by 2005 with boats in the water by 2007.
"There are so many positive aspects on this thing that if it doesn't go, I'm gong to be pretty disappointed," Wunder said.
HAMMOND MARINA
The face of the lakefront is changing, with a new boat launch in place and the groundbreaking for Horseshoe Casino's new seven-story parking garage less than three weeks away.
The original launch had to be relocated to make room for the 2,000-space garage, which will occupy the eastern 25 percent of the marina's existing paved parking lot along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The groundbreaking, planned for June 3, sets in motion a plan by Horseshoe to expand casino operations, which could entail a larger boat or a floating barge, if approved by the state General Assembly, said Marina Director Robert Nelson.
In March, Horseshoe's revenue was $32.2 million, making it the casino's most profitable month ever, according to published reports. It is the state's market share leader. Monica Kasley, Horseshoe's spokeswoman, declined to provide details about the garage or the casino's plans for expansion.
The new launch is temporary. The city must obtain certification from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management before construction starts on a permanent launch, a process that could take some time.
The plans for the new launch and the garage are part of the city's $14 million development agreement with Horseshoe, which allows the casino to sublease land from the city's Redevelopment Commission that the commission leases from the Port Authority.
In addition to the ongoing construction projects along the lakefront, several city agencies inked a deal last week with EJ&E Railroad to build a gated crossing that will allow for a new parking lot and land for a new marina maintenance facility on vacant land across the tracks and toward the State Line Power plant, Nelson said.
Other upcoming plans include the purchase of a beach sanitizer machine that will remove glass, rocks and other trash from the sand and the expansion of the sailing program.
The Hammond Port Authority recently bought a 26-foot sailboat for the Sail Away program, in which people can learn to sail from certified instructors for a fee, said Chairman John Swibes. The agency also purchased 10 dinghies to start a youth sailing program, he said.
In addition, Swibes noted the planned addition of a new, 100-foot courtesy dock, which will allow boaters to park closer to the Yacht Club.
Because all of the slips at the marina have been rented for the season - and a waiting list exists - the courtesy dock might be the best shot at parking there, if only temporarily.
ROBERT A. PASTRICK MARINA
Due to a lack of available harbor space, the Robert A. Pastrick Marina won't be adding any new boat slips in the foreseeable future, but boats don't necessarily have to be moored on water.
Marina Superintendent Nick Trgovich said the Pastrick Marina is unique in its drydocking facilities and those may be expanded at some point. The marina features a drydock storage building that can accommodate 220 boats of varying sizes.
With drydocking, the marina places the boat in the water at the customer's demand and takes it back to storage when they're finished for the day.
Trgovich hopes to expand the building to accommodate more boats in the 27- to 32-foot range.
Coupled with Harrah's Casino, a variety of events such as the annual charity Poker Run for "cigarette boats" from around the U.S. and the Catholic Charities cruise are expected to bring people to the city's marina.
The Hammond Marina
701 Casino Center Drive
Hammond
Slips: 1,113
Amenities/attractions:
* Horseshoe Casino
* Lighted promenade extends a quarter-mile into Lake Michigan
* Three fishing platforms
* Winter storage for more than 200 boats
* Fueling stations for boats and personal watercraft
* Beach with lifeguards
* Some boat repair services
* 24-hour security
* Ship store with deli
* Sailing school program
For more information, call (219) 659-7678 or e-mail at Hammarina@surfnetinc.com.
Robert A. Pastrick Marina
3301 Aldis St.
East Chicago
Slips: 294
Amenities/attractions:
* Harrah's Casino
* Year-round storage
* 24-hour security
* Lake County Sheriff's marine unit
* Boat launch
* Fishing piers
* Handicapped accessible
* Floating docks
* Indiana Harbor Yacht Club
* The Boaters' Home Away from Home
* Sails Restaurant and Cafe
For more information, call (219) 391-8482
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