Hobart officials announced plans at Wednesday’s city council meeting to demolish the former Main Street Station, at 235 Main St., in the coming days.
The long-shuttered, 152-year-old building is located north of the post office and across the street from The Art Theater. Owner Jimmie Batalis and city officials fought for years over the fate of the building, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Over the summer, Hobart City Attorney Heather McCarthy issued a statement on behalf of the city, reiterating that the city held multiple talks with Batalis about renovating or rebuilding on the property because Batalis – not the city – owns it.
The city began investigating complaints that the building was unsafe in June 2022, according to that statement. In February of last year, the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety awarded a $40,631 contract to C. Lee Construction Services of Gary to complete the demolition, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Hobart resident Joseph Conn, during the meeting’s public comment, said he was saddened the building was going to be demolished in six days by the city.
Conn said he lives in a house built the same year as the former bar and he plans to continue to live in a building that dates back to when President Ulysses S. Grant was in the White House.
He said he believes the former Main Street Station could be remodeled and brought back to life.
“That building is in good shape and could be brought back,” Conn said.
The building has been at that location since 1874.
Batalis was paroled in December 2023 after serving 16.5 years of a 57-year sentence for the May 2003 murder of 28-year-old Jason Nosker. Batalis has said the property went into probate after his father and brother died while he was in prison and the unsafe building issues started during that time.
Batalis, who wasn’t at the city council meeting and couldn’t be reached for comment, has maintained the building is sound.
His plans were to remodel it and return it to a bar that would serve food.
The city council also agreed at its meeting to extend tax abatement terms on a commercial project being developed by Clay Street Devco.
The amended agreement was also approved by the Hobart Board of Public Works at its meeting earlier on Wednesday.
Attorney Richard Anderson, who represents Clay Street Devco, said the existing project is located on 12.38 acres at Clay Street and Harms Road behind the former Beer Barrel.
Plans for the site are to build five office warehouses and eight self-storage buildings containing multiple units, Anderson said.
Currently, two of the office warehouses have been built and five of the self-storage buildings.
The initial tax abatement agreement started in 2023 and ended in 2025. The new agreement has a starting date of 2025, extending to 2026.
“We’re just asking for an extension of time to complete the project so that the tax abatement agreement would match the construction,” Anderson said.
He said the entire commercial project is expected to be completed by sometime in 2027.
In other business, the city council also added a position in the city’s legal department, with a start date of Jan. 1 and an end date of Dec. 31.
Plans are to add an assistant attorney to help McCarthy with her work for the city. The salary minimum was set at $50,000 and maximum at $120,000, Mayor Josh Huddlestun said.
Deborah Laverty is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
