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Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Environment - Plan to Reclaim Lake Michigan Shore Moves Forward
"Lakeshore plan starts to flow: Chicago firm to head Marquette Greenway Plan study team," is the report today in the Munster Times. More:
The Marquette Greenway Plan, unveiled by U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky as a way to recapture 75 percent of the Lake Michigan shoreline in Northwest Indiana for public use, is moving forward.A Gary Post-Tribune story adds:A series of think-tank sessions begins today at the Gary/Chicago International Airport to compile data for a master plan to develop the lakefront.
Visclosky, D-Ind., envisions transformation of a shoreline with telltale Industrial Revolution-aged landmarks into a seamless recreational vista. Steel industry consolidation makes this a key time to reclaim vast tracts of land along the Lake Michigan shoreline, Visclosky said. But first, "We've got a lot of heavy lifting here," he said. * * *
"The objective is to create a document with some specific goals in mind," recognizing there are huge issues with which to contend, such as environmental cleanup, Visclosky said. "In some initial conversations, though, it appears these challenges may not be as daunting as one would think." Visclosky set Jan. 31, 2005, as the deadline for the plan.
It will be used to leverage state and federal funds from several agencies, including Coastal Management, which provides $1.2 million annually in grants, along with public and private investment. The plan is expected to list lakefront assets, including steel mills, Northern Indiana Public Service Co., the BP refinery and five casinos. Unproductive, underused land will be noted, as will costs to acquire and clean up the land for public use.
Visclosky uses Chicago's Lake Shore Drive as an example of what might happen with the Marquette Greenway Plan. Chicago's Navy Pier, museum campus, marinas, beaches and walking trails, picnic areas and parks all replicate the synergy that takes advantage of being on one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the United States, he said.
"This is not a generational thing we're embarking upon, but a fundamental, permanent change in Northwest Indiana," he said.
An Indiana Department of Natural Resources grant will pay most of the cost of the $200,000 study.Five cities along the shoreline — Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago, Gary and Portage — also contributed $8,000 each.
The Chicago office of JJR, a landscape architecture and urban design firm, is leading the study. Three other firms and a not-for-profit organization also are participating.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on June 15, 2004 07:20 AM
Posted to Environmental Issues