An Indianapolis man has a vision to turn 25 woodland acres off U.S. 20 in Porter into a mixed-use development of townhouse apartments and an agri-tourism attraction, featuring a small goat farm, farmer’s market and restaurant.
Kevin Spellacy, who says he’s an entrepreneur, unveiled his plan during a preliminary hearing before the Porter Plan Commission Wednesday.
Spellacy purchased the backwards L-shaped property, with a U.S. 20 entrance east of Leroy’s Hot Stuff, for $305,000 in September 2025, Porter County land records show.
During the past few months, Spellacy has been talking with Porter town officials about his long-range ideas for the property, which, from its frontage on U.S. 20, stretches behind Leroy’s Hot Stuff and down a hillside to Interstate 94.
Michael Barry, the town’s development director/building commissioner, told the plan commission that Spellacy — whose business is called The Goat Farm-Sake Enterprises — would need to obtain a Planned Unit Development (PUD) agreement from the town to proceed.
Rob Albrecht-Mallinger, the plan commission president, told Spellacy that the PUD process could take time.
But Spellacy said he is ready to start the public hearing process. The Plan Commission then unanimously approved his request to start the process next month.
After the Plan Commission’s vote, the Town Council would have the final say on the PUD.
The anchor for the development would be a 52-unit townhouse apartment development. There would be 13 townhouses built in a farmhouse style that would each contain four apartments.
Spellacy said the apartment rent would probably be around $2,100 and that he would market the convenience of being close to the South Shore train station.
For the first phase, Spellacy said he would also build four houses for short-term rental purposes, to determine what the market is. Up to seven more short-term rental houses could be built in further phases.
The draw for visitors would be what Spellacy called a “boutique goat operation.” Spellacy said he would keep three or four goats on the property to be housed in a 10-by-20-foot structure.
Visitors would be able to milk goats and learn to make cheese, soap and lotion. Spellacy said he would also like to develop an apiary where bees could generate honey.
“Agri-tourism is kind of what we are going after,” Spellacy said.
A farmer’s market would sell those items along with flowers that would be grown on the property.
His project will likely take several years to realize. Spellacy said he would like to add a high-end restaurant and a small boutique motel with 16 rooms on the property.
Spellacy told the commission that he intends to retain much of the wooded nature of the property.
Barry and the plan commission members were complimentary of what Spellacy is proposing.
“I think it’s a neat little project for this property. It has been sitting there vacant for a long time,” Barry said, noting that the proposal fits the town’s comprehensive plan.
There are some utility challenges with the project because there is no sewer or water on the property. Barry said that Spellacy is aware of those issues and has put a lot of thought into his proposal.
After meeting with the plan commission, Spellacy told the Post-Tribune that he’s had this idea for some time. He originally thought of building it near the fairgrounds in Indianapolis years back but it didn’t come together.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
