Chesterton welcomes future with Town Hall ribbon-cutting
Chesterton ushered in a new era Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its renovated City Hall.
About 100 people were on hand for an open house and community ribbon-cutting before city council and redevelopment commission meetings.
“What we’ve heard a lot about this project is: Well, I’ll believe it when I see it. Well, we can all believe it,” said City Engineer Mark O’Dell.
Chesterton spent $3.53 million on the renovation project, split evenly between City Hall and the nearby Chesterton Fire Station.
Deputy City Engineer Matt Gavelek said someone might wonder why the city invested so much time in the project.
“Just seeing the original photos of City Hall was enough, and that’s motivation enough,” Gavelek said.
The meeting space in the Old City Hall was dimly lit, with matching drab colors and a worn tile floor.
The meetings literally had to stop because the noise of the trains passing behind city hall would swallow up the discussions.
The renovation radically changed the appearance of the town hall.
Council President Erin Collins, D-2nd, thanked veteran Councilwoman Sharon Darnell, D-4th, for her long-standing advocacy for something for City Hall.
“Sharon has devoted a tremendous amount of time, attention and dedication to this project,” Collins said.
Collins noted that the City Hall building is the same size, but the council chambers can actually accommodate more people – 112 versus 80. A room that can be used by the community is now available to the public.
The exterior hall has many windows letting in natural light.
There are no windows in the rooms of City Hall but lighting is plentiful and Darnell and Collins have made design choices that brighten the atmosphere.
Considerable resources have been devoted to acoustics that dampen exterior train noise. Trains still pass, but people can converse without interruption.
“I haven’t heard a train yet, and it’s pretty beautiful,” Collins said.
The ceremony concluded with the ribbon cutting and Collins proclaiming, “Welcome to the future of Chesterton!” »
During the redevelopment commission meeting, Deputy Street Superintendent Dan Moy detailed one of the city’s upcoming projects: Indian Boundary Road.
The city failed to secure a state Community Crossings grant to repave Indian Boundary Road and make other improvements.
Moy said the city would like to continue some aspects of the Indian Boundary Road project and reapply for funding in July.
The Redevelopment Commission approved the proposal to spend $178,000 to install a new camera system at the intersection of Calumet Road and Indian Boundary Road and to install a sidewalk and crosswalk with a signal in the area of the Plaza Drive intersection.
Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, R-5th, said a crosswalk with a signal on Plaza Drive would improve pedestrian safety, especially when tour buses arrive in the summer and people try to cross Indian Boundary Road.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
