MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — Michigan City, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, and a developer have reached agreement on an $80 million mixed-use project that will include a rebuilt South Shore Line station at the site of the recently torn-down 11th Street Station.
The Times of Northwest Indiana reports the project, to be built by Indianapolis-based Flaherty & Collins, will cover a city block. It will include a 12-story high rise with 208 luxury apartments, more than 10,000 feet of commercial space, and a 558-space parking garage, as well as the station. Renderings of the project show that the terra cotta façade of the original 11th Street Station, torn down earlier this year, will be incorporated into the station building. That had been promised in previous renderings of a much smaller development at the station site.
Groundbreaking is planned for summer 2023, with the station to be open by May 2024 and the apartments complete by spring 2025.
The original 11th Street station, built in 1927 and closed since 1987, had been replaced by a bus-type shelter, but remained standing until January. South Shore trains ended stops at 11th Street in May 2021 to allow for the current double-track construction project. The next phase of that project will see the end of the city’s street running as of Monday, with trains replaced by buses for a portion of the Chicago-South Bend, Ind., route [see “Double-track construction set to end South Shore street running,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 22, 2022].
Hello George. I am addressing something completely different today. That’s okay right? I mean, we don’t ALWAYS have to talk about the tracks do we? There ARE other considerations people want to know too or, am I way off base? Geez, I probably am! I’m going to hate myself if no one wants to talk about what I want to talk about! I’ll stick my head under the porch for an hour if no one wants this info! I swear! Or, I’ll one up myself! I will JUMP OFF ….. are you sure your ready for this??? Okay here it is……MY FRONT PORCH! All THREE STEPS! .. oh, I know it’s not far, I just wanted the drama and HEY, I once fell off of them and broke my pinky! ANYWAY moving on to business I would like to discuss the commercial property that will become available…someday! And when it does what will be the terms of sale? I’m remembering how the art district properties were sold. And, quite frankly, if you believe that ALL artists are inherently by their very nature as artists
“DEAD BROKE AND STARVING “ then the sale of the properties in the art district went as they should have! That’s IF you believe. I tend to believe that the spaces in the Warren building went to some pretty amazing folks at some awesome prices (and I mean AWESOME, they were given some great deals on there work and living spaces! I sure wish I had known before they were full. I’m a goldsmith / silversmith and would have definitely tried to get one ((workspace)) if I could have) If you believe in giving folks a great start on their dreams then I would love to see this new commercial property be available to the new buyers the same way. However, I’m find myself curious, will the city hire builders to build on the properties and then sell it or do they plan on leasing it out or maybe both? I can see the beauty of leasing it but I also don’t know about someone who is looking to build their family business up in order to pass it down generation to generation.. I’m thinking that someone in that situation would probably lean more towards buying. Personally, I am interested in perhaps leasing a spot somewhere close to the station so that the riders can have access to me. What I have planned of course demands that I have access to the commuter’s or, at the very least be within walking distance to the station. These are a few of the things that I’m hoping you can look into for me if at all possible. I did notice that so much has been torn down both up and down 11th street. It now seems so very strange. Geez, so many years, in fact, since I was a little girl, I remember walking down that street talking to all of the old ladies and going to the store to buy candy. I remembered every house as I walked each day and who lived where!
I also think about the days when I was working in Chicago andi would miss my train at Carol AVE and have to RACE as fast as I could to get to 11th street to catch that train and “only” just making it! Whew! I always knew that if I missed it at 11th I could still catch it at Beverly Shores! Hee hee! The South Shore is the Slowest train in the world when it’s picking up in MC thru Gary, then it picks up speed. there are many options available.
Thank you so much!
Teri Steinborn
So am I. A Few years back, on an ERA convention, wee were told at a shop tour that the plan was to bypass downtown. WQhat now? I can only assume the powers to be will take part of a street and isolate the trains. Please someone with info please chime in. As a traction fan, will sure miss the street running; how quaint. As a kid, on a NRHS convention, saw the Little Joe,s with freight running down the street.
https://www.doubletrack-nwi.com/about/project-overview Should answer most of your questions.
George, I could not find anything in your “doubletrack” link about the 11th street station. Any other suggestions?
There’s a web page that provides some detail on what’s happening but it took some digging and link-following to find it. Sorry I don’t remember the details. The plan is to reconstruct 11th street. The North side will hold a new dedicated two-track railroad right-of-way. The South side of the street will become a “new” 11th Street parallel with the tracks with traffic moving one-way eastbound only. The site of the old 11th street station will have a new station with high-level platforms. Select cross streets will remain open and cross the railroad at grade. All other streets will terminate with a cul-de-sac at the border with the railroad.
I am confused by the rendering – it appears to show street running?
Photo Date: Feb 22, 22, Street running to end Feb 28, 22.
Thanks George, though I was referencing the conceptual rendering in the upper image, not the lower photo.