Chesterton ushered in a new era Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its refurbished Town Hall.
About 100 people were on hand for a community open house and ribbon-cutting before the Town Council and Redevelopment Commission meetings.
“What we heard a lot of times about this project is, well, I’ll believe it when I see it. Well, we can all believe it,” said Town Engineer Mark O’Dell.
Chesterton spent $3.53 million on the renovation project, evenly split between the Town Hall and the neighboring Chesterton Fire Station.
Assistant Town Engineer Matt Gavelek said someone might ask why the town invested so much time in the project.
“All you had to do is see the original pictures of the Town Hall, and that’s enough motivation,” Gavelek said.
The former Town Hall meeting space was dimly lit with a matching drab color scheme and a worn-out tile floor.
Meetings literally had to stop because the racket from passing trains behind the Town Hall would engulf the proceedings.
The remodeling drastically changed the Town Hall’s appearance.
Council President Erin Collins, D-2nd, credited veteran Councilwoman Sharon Darnell, D-4th, for her long-time advocacy to do something about the Town Hall.
“Sharon has put an incredible amount of time, care and dedication into this project,” Collins said.
Collins noted that the Town Hall building is the same size, but the council chambers can actually accommodate more people – 112 compared to 80. A room that can be used by the community is now available for the public to use.
The exterior lobby has many windows that let in natural light.
There are no windows in the Town Hall chambers but the lighting is plentiful and Darnell and Collins made design choices that brighten the atmosphere.
Considerable resources were devoted to acoustics that deaden the train noise from the outside. The trains still pass, but people can carry on conversations with no disruption.
“Haven’t heard a train yet, and it’s kind of beautiful,” Collins said.
The ceremony closed with the ribbon-cutting and Collins proclaiming: “Welcome to the future of Chesterton!”
During the Redevelopment Commission meeting, Assistant Street Superintendent Dan Moy detailed one of the town’s next projects – Indian Boundary Road.
The town was unsuccessful in obtaining a state Community Crossings grant for repaving Indian Boundary Road and making other upgrades.
Moy said the town would like to proceed with 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 put in a new camera system at the Calumet Road and Indian Boundary Road intersection and to install a sidewalk and crosswalk with a signal in the area of the Plaza Drive intersection.
Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, R-5th, said that a crosswalk with a signal at Plaza Drive would enhance pedestrian safety there, particularly when tour buses come in the summer and people attempt to cross Indian Boundary Road.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
