Stakeholders including developers, real estate brokers and bankers got their first look at what North Street from downtown Crown Point to the Interstate 65 interchange could look like in the future.
Taghi Arshami, owner of the Arsh Group, said the city expressed interest in getting the opinions of stakeholders in the development community for the North Street Vision Plan. The next step in refining the plan will be input from the city’s residents.
“It’s an aspirational type of plan that should reflect the community’s values. It is a guide for the management of growth,” Arshami said.
North Street, which becomes 109th Avenue east of Broadway, is home to a variety of zoning and building types. Near the downtown the development is mostly older and residential. Heading east there is some retail, office and light commercial development along with the city’s Sportsplex facility. As the roadway nears I-65 the hope is to encourage more commercial and residential development and possibly attract a hotel.
The North Street Vision Plan would create an urban design overlay district that will include development and design guidelines. The plan also takes into account existing infrastructure and how that will need to change to accommodate future development. The UDO district enables the city to implement some of the ideas quicker than if it were to revise the area through a new citywide comprehensive plan.
“It’s a land use planning opportunity to enhance the community,” Arshami said.
The plan may impose some new restrictions on development, but it may also relieve some existing restrictions. Arshami said he does not expect to see the underlying zoning change, nor is the plan a way to condemn or take existing property. If the plan, when finished, is adopted by city officials it will be a tool to help the Plan Commission and City Council when it comes to projects along the roadway.
Jake Dammarell, with Butler, Fairman and Seufert, said the plan gives the city a chance to look at how the area has changed and what it can do to improve the flow of development.
The now vacant railroad tracks create an opportunity to re-establish the grid by extending streets like Madison Street through to North Street. Doing so would free up some landlocked parcels and could help with redevelopment. The vacated railroad tracks also create opportunities for the city to extend its trail system and create new connections.
Tris Miles, city engineer, said unlike the Broadway design corridor where development must reflect an unspecified Williamsburg-style design, officials would like to see this project come up with more clearly defined and implementable standards that can be used by developers when planning their projects and officials when approving them.
“We hope to be able to provide some type of incentive, too,” Miles said. The plan could help create possibilities for a redevelopment district or other similar mechanisms that can generate a financial incentive for developers.
Eman Ibrahim, planning manager with the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission, said Crown Point was one of seven communities to share roughly $400,000 in federal livable cities grant funding. The funding is intended to help cities come up with plans to help bring development back to their downtown. The study by the Arsh Group cost about $87,000 and was paid for through the grant and a 20 percent match by the city.
Arshami said the group is about three months into the process, which is expected to take about six months. Resident input will be solicited next. The final plan is expected to be presented to city officials this summer.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
