The Northern Indiana Public Service Co. is expected to replace a substation near downtown Valparaiso this summer, according to NIPSCO officials.
The officials presented plans for the work at the March 21 Site Review Committee meeting, which also saw plans for a Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen and an expansion of Salon Diva.
The new Washington Street Substation will go across the street from the current substation and be located at 459 Washington, just north of the railroad overpass, according to the plans.
Ashley Terry, manager of Electric Project Management for NIPSCO, said the upgrade is to bring the substation up to safety standards.
The new replacement substation will also meet demand of increasing city growth and also be lower profile, said Transmission Project Engineer Kyle McKinney.
All lines from the substation to the first pole will be underground, and foliage will obscure the view of the substation, officials said.
NIPSCO has scheduled work to begin May 30.
The Popeye’s is set to be built at 2310 Morthland Drive — the section of U.S. 30 that runs through Valparaiso — in front of the Wal-Mart on the city’s south side and between Kelsey’s Steakhouse and a gas station, plans show.
Franchisee Aby Mohamed said the business would employ about 40 people, 30 of them full time, as his restaurants in Illinois do.
He plans to open this summer.
Salon Diva owner Christy Pedersen said she is expanding into a new shop after 13 years in business, adding more stations for more hairdressers.
The new 1651 Thornapple Circle address will be in the same mall off U.S. 30 that her business is in now and should open in three months, she said.
James D. Wolf Jr. is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
