UPDATE NorthsideMaster Plan
2015
O ur Northside District.
[g Our Northside District is the place where you can get off the train and walk through a national park to put your toes in Lake Michigan. It’s a place where you can do your thing – chill, hike, hike, take pics, work, boat, dine, and overnight. It’s a
great place. You can visit, but you might just want to call it home. No pressure. Your call.
Northside District Master is located Plan [2005]in Portage, Indiana, just 45 miles from downtown Chicago and a mere 30 miles from New Buffalo, Michigan. Really great location, Portage’s Northside Master Plan was begun immediately following Portage’s adoption of The Marquette Plan. Portage recognized huh? The South Shore Line commuter rail runs along US Highway 12 in this stretch the importance of translating the vision of The Marquette Plan to community-specific land planning efforts while the momentum and you can hop off at the Portage/Ogden Dunes station to start your experience of this of The Marquette Plan was strong. The community maintained the same vision as its guiding plan, identified personalized blossoming and juxtaposed area. Or take the interchange at Interstate 94 and State principles to which to aspire, and painted the picture in words and images of what the future could be for this great lakefront Road 249 – or feel free to come by boat via Burns Waterway, straight from beautiful community. Lake Michigan.
A nationally-recognized LEED gold certified lakefront and riverwalk park in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore next to a steel mill? You betcha. It’s part of our history, part of who we are in The Region. And there’s more. Portage and Northwest Indiana are full of offerings for you. Welcome to NWI, especially our Northside District.
Please excuse the construction. We are building our future. You are welcome to join us!
Foundation Plans
This plan update references many aspects of its two foundation plans. We invite you to (re)familiarize yourself with these plans via
the link on the City of Portage website: www.ci.portage.in.us
The Marquette Plan [2005]
Its tagline THE LAKESHORE REINVESTMENT STRATEGY and its vision CREATE A LIVABLE LAKEFRONT summarize it best. The collaboration of the lakeshore communities, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and the office of Congressman Pete Visclosky via The Marquette Plan was the impetus needed to start our collective journey to sustainable reinvestment in Northwest Indiana. The message of The Marquette Plan will resound through the ages as long as we continue to look to it for guidance.
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Northside Master Plan [2005]
Portage’s Northside Master Plan was begun immediately following Portage’s adoption of The Marquette Plan. Portage recognized the importance of translating the vision of The Marquette Plan to community-specific land planning efforts while the momentum of The Marquette Plan was strong. The community maintained the same vision as its guiding plan, identified personalized principles to which to aspire, and painted the picture in words and images of what the future could be for this great lakefront community.
Document Guide CELEBRATE How Far We Have Come
o Marquette Plan Projects 3 o Development Snapshots 5 Why an Update? ASSESS Where We Are Today Northside Master Plan was adopted in 2005. Since then, a number of projects have been built and more are currently underway. We are quite o Public Participation 8 proud of the successes this plan has seen in just ten years. It takes a mix of o Connections 10
dedication and patience, of focus and seeing the big picture. It is time to IDENTIFY What Lies Ahead keep working on the Plan, to reinforce our commitment to it, and to o Land Use Framework 11 continue to move projects forward for full realization of the vision to o Concept Plan 13 CREATE A LIVABLE LAKEFRONT. o Concept Plan Exploration 15 At this ten year mark, it is time to celebrate how far we have come, to o Character Images 17 assess where we are today, and to identify what lies ahead for our great Acknowledgements 26 community. This is the reason for this NORTHSIDE MASTER PLAN UPDATE. 2 | P a g e
: Susan Kelly Jonson Kelly Susan :
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: Susan Kelly Johnson Kelly Susan : Source
A new sixty-acre lakefront park with public facilities and vehicular access to the adjacent Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; and A new public riverwalk along Burns Waterway linking the lakefront park to the Portage Marina, a proposed new marina-centered residential development and the existing South Shore station;
Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk was the catalytic project of Northside Master Plan and the first project completed in The Region to celebrate the vision of The Marquette Plan. Formerly the property where the settling ponds for industrial byproduct and wastewater treatment facility for National Steel were located, this brownfield reclamation masterpiece was carefully designed utilizing the haul paths needed for remediation of the property. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified Gold-rated pavilion overlooks the restored lagoons, now home to dune plant succession. Fully accessible to all, the park is a parnership between the City of Portage and the National Park Service made possible by legislation written many years ago with the forethought that at some point in time, the public should regain title to their beach. Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk opened in 2008 and is one of the most visited locations in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Improvements to the corridor linking Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk to the South Shore Line have been completed per the connections identified in Portage Lakefront South Properties Sub-Area Plan [2013]. Future phases
of the plan include linking the park to the Portage Marina. Celebrate 3 | P a g e
Northside Today
Northside Master Plan was instrumental in painting a picture of the Portage community inviting Lake Michigan beyond its front door, integrating the strength and awe of our
great lake into our community.
Each of the project ideas identified in the Portage Sub-Area section of The Marquette Plan and carried into Northside Master Plan are identified in italics below followed by a synopsis of the progress of each project. We celebrate the successes of the projects to- date as we look forward to their completion and the identification of the next set of projects on which to focus in the next decade. Let’s keep working.
: www.nwipa.com :
: NICTD :
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Level Platform; Platform; Level
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Source: Project Team Project Source:
Photo: Kayaking waterway; waterway; Kayaking Photo: Photo: Hi Photo:
A long-desired trail linkage A model for transit-oriented Park and public access between the east and west units development and proposed new improvements at Portage Yacht of the National Lakeshore; marina-centered residential Club with potential water trail development if properly executed; links on the Little Calumet River; An unrivaled trail experience is and developing in our midst. It is the Where many transit-oriented The long-term opportunity for a Marquette Greenway Trail. It has developments (TODs) function to canal link between the lakefront been advocated for many times shuttle people to other places for properties and downtown over and many communities are activities, the TOD at the Portage. championing it to see it through. Portage/Ogden Dunes stop is off Ultimately, it will traverse from to a dynamic start offering a In 2013, the deteriorated yacht Chicago to Michigan – through an destination of its own accord. It club building was razed. This incredible mix of places – as puts the greater public from created a cleaner slate for the beautifully diverse as our region. elsewhere in Region and beyond Redevelopment Commission's One small portion of this trail inside the heart of the Indiana 150+ acre office/hospitality would close the gap between the Dunes National Lakeshore just a planned development. During this east and west units of the Indiana short walk to Lake Michigan. Plan Update process, the largest Dunes National Lakeshore. This development parcel (which gap continues to shrink as The new homes and amenities at includes the former yacht club funding is applied to the Marina Shores at Dune Harbor site) was sold under contract for endeavor. How exciting it will be have started to build the TOD and development. Catalyst Properties to celebrate this accomplishment the marina-oriented development is in the process of approval for as a regional community! Let's (MOD) reality here. Stay tuned for Sport Resort, a 150+-acreplanned keep working. what's to come once Burns development which will include Parkway connects to US Hwy 12. many recreation opportunities.
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Northside Master Plan [2005]
snapshot noun snap·shot \ˈsnap-ˌshät\
: an informal photograph C that is taken quickly F E : a quick view or a small B amount of information that tells you a little about what 2015 Development Snapshot D A someone or something is like
: Northside Master Plan [2005] Concept Plan Concept [2005] Plan Master Northside : AmeriPlex at the Port
www.merriam-webster.com Source
Development Snapshot update to original 2005 plan > > > >
A AmeriPlex at the Port AmeriPlex at the Port continues to be a model in development. Only 38.83 acres of Industrial/Flex and 37.35 acres of Commercial/Retail land are still available in the 385-acre business park planned development located immediately northeast of the interchange of Interstate 94 and State Road 249. The complex now boasts 3500 jobs compared to 549 in 2005. 2015 Development Snapshot
B “The Confluence” "The Confluence" An entertainment zone at the confluence of Burns Waterway and the Little Calumet River is a strong concept for the entire community. It is the location to celebrate the coming together of everything “live, work, play, and stay” on water’s edge. To date, this area remains much the same as it was in 2005 – a mix of older, marina-support uses on small properties. The revitalization of this area as a vibrant public hub of mixed uses and gathering spaces is key to the Northside District – discussed in more detail in this Plan Update.
C Mixed Use Village The Mixed Use Village concept presented in Northside Master Plan 2015 Development Snapshot contemplated the possibility of a sailboat marina and other “live, work, play, and stay” opportunities north of U.S. Highway 12 when Precoat Mixed Use Village Metals was anticipating relocation. That no longer the scenario, the City of
Portage moved ahead with the Portage Lakefront South Properties Sub- Identify… Area5 | P Pl aan g ein 2013 – discussed further in this Plan Update.
< < < < Development Snapshot update to original 2005 plan
D Office Campus The environmentally-conscious office campus described in Northside Master Plan was planned in 2007 as a project of the City of Portage Redevelopment Commission, who had previously aggregated properties totaling over 150 acres northwest of the interchange at Interstate 94 and State Road 249, across from AmeriPlex at the Port. This planned development enabled the 2015 Development Snapshot city to introduce Northside Master Plan’s concept of Burns Parkway – a curving boulevard whose landscape is beautifully planted with native species Office Campus and which will cross over Burns Waterway and link to U.S. Highway 12 at Hillcrest Road. Northside Development, an office/hospitality planned development, offers flexible lot sizes to a carefully-chosen selection of land uses supported by the vision of Northside Master Plan – including hotel/conference center with conceivable boat-up stay possibilities, outdoor dining experiences, and professional offices in this unique setting considering eventual walkability to the South Shore Line passenger rail and connections to the regional Marquette Greenway Trail.
E Marina-Oriented Development Marina Shores at Dune Harbor was a sketch drawing when the Northside 2015 Development Snapshot Master Plan was first created in 2005. The downturn in the economy in 2008 hit the development just as it was taking shape. Recently under new Marina-Oriented Development management, Marina Shores is seeing new construction. The maintenance- free development offers single-family home options and luxury condominiums as well as a fitness center, heated outdoor pool, waterfront dining, boat shop, and a 255-slip marina with an opportunity to expand the marina basin to the south in a future phase.
F TOD Neighborhood Center The Concept Plan in this Plan Update will take a new look at this area. Safety and the need for connectivity for multi-modal users stress the importance of creating this intersection as Burns Parkway makes its way north over Burns Waterway to U.S. Highway 12 at Hillcrest Road. It appears the adjacency of the intersection to the boundary of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will 2015 Development Snapshot preclude the concentration of development originally contemplated, but TOD Neighborhood Center there is no doubt that this will be a wonderful transit-oriented zone in its own right. Already there is direct access from the South Shore Line at Portage/Ogden Dunes to Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk as part of the
Portage Lakefront South Properties Sub-Area Plan improvements. 6 | P a g e
“Sweeping changes will not come overnight. Nor can they be dictated by one person or one governmental body. We in Northwest Indiana must sit together as a unified community and reach a consensus on our future.”
Congressman Pete Visclosky The Marquette Project, 1985
Assess…
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Planning Process & Public Participation
Having recognized that many elements of the original plan had been completed or were well on their way to being finalized, the Department of Community Development identified the need early in 2015 to update Northside Master Plan in order to keep the planning and development of the Northside District in the forefront of decision makers’ minds and to establish the next set of projects on which to maintain focus.
Public participation was an integral part of the development of this Plan Update. Key individual and group interviews were held shortly after the announcement of the planning project to obtain focused input from citizen planning boards and elected officials. These interviews were conducted over a period of two months. The following questions were developed to begin conversations:
. Do you believe in the vision of the original plan? . Do you believe in the guiding principles of the plan? . Do you believe that the projects completed thus far met the guiding principles of the plan? . What are your likes/dislikes about what was built already? . What has been your role in advancing the plan? . What does “a place to live, work, play, and stay” mean to you? . How do you envision the future of Northside? . What are our challenges in the project area and in making this plan a reality? . What can we do to help you and your group see this plan through?
A public workshop was held at the pavilion at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk with nearly sixty people in attendance. Participants were invited to share their thoughts about the following questions and to write their responses on prepared window panels:
. What is the #1 reason you decided to attend this workshop? . Think of the places you love to go. What makes them great? . What are the challenges to implementing this plan? . What one thing could make the biggest positive impact to the Northside?
An aerial map of the Northside District, all lands located north of Interstate 94 within the city, was front and center during the explanation of the project history and plan development process by Director of Community Development, A. J. Monroe. This map was a great aid in meaningful conversations with the public during the workshop. 8 | P a g e
Continued Public Involvement & Listening
The Department of Community Planning eagerly accepted an invitation made by Dr. Richard Weigel, Superintendent of Portage Township Schools, after the public workshop to meet with and discuss the planning project with several classes from Portage High School. The following questions were posed to the students and faculty who attended this follow-up workshop, also held in the classroom of the pavilion.
. Think of the places you love to go. What makes them great? . Please tell us your thoughts on the role of public (government) money in community revitalization. . Which came first the chicken or the egg? Causality dilemma… Do we build more places or work on connecting the places we have? Please explain. . How can we work together to promote the vision to “Create a Livable Lakefront”?
After each public participation session, the project team shared the feedback they received from the various sources of public participation – personal interviews from key individual interviews, discussions with individuals and/or write-in responses from the public input sessions, or written responses from input received from the online public participation option offered.
High Quality Introduce New Design & Mixed Uses Techniques CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS
Tell Our Story Adaptive Reuse CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS
Showcase Our Heritage CONNECTIONS Protect our Resources and Investments CONNECTIONS Marina Wayfinding Expansion/ Signage Redevelopment CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk CONNECTIONS TOD Transit Connect East- Oriented West units IDNL Development CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS Celebrate, ,Assess, and Identify CONNECTIONS 9 | P a g e
What Was Heard
At every intersection of public participation in this Plan Update process, it was clear that the success of Northside Master Plan to-date has been noticed. The public sees a district in transition. The Plan has been a great guide. They like the quality of what has been finished. The users of these spaces are grateful for them (especially Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk); however, they want more. The individual successes are disjointed. There is desire to flow through the district (and beyond) rather than need to get back into a vehicle to travel to another place in fairly close proximity.
They identified wanting nature in urban areas, unique engaging and informative spaces, and family- friendly walkable places with many activities from which to choose for all ages so each visit could be a bit different.
Many who shared their opinions with the project team also talked about the feelings they have when they are in a place they love. Their faces brightened as they recalled places from their travels that give them the feeling of what they want here – comfortable, friendly, interesting, authentic spaces – with people in them. community
noun kəˈmyoo͞ nitē
: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. Workforce Development CONNECTIONS www.oxforddictionaries.com
Tell Our Story CONNECTIONS Identify Celebrate, + Marina Assess, and Amenities Identify CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS Offer a Mix of Waterway Housing Types Acces CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS Lakefront and Promote Riverwalk Partnerships CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS
Stewardship CONNECTIONS
Think Strategically CONNECTIONS
Adaptive Reuse CONNECTIONS
Connections, Connections, Connections
The need for connections surfaced time and time again – physical connections, but also emotional connections – those spaces in time and place that connect us to who we are and who and what we love.
In short, participants in this planning process want more “community”. 10 | P a g e
Identify What Lies Ahead
As we enter the next decade of Northside Master Plan, let us remember the solid foundation of this Plan Update. The first ten
years of success have made the community hungry for more. It is in this spirit of “Let’s keep working” that this Plan Update maintains the Vision and Guiding Principles of Northside Master Plan, a Portage-specific successor of The Marquette Plan, and suggests a collective, connective approach with which to move forward.
Vision Create a Livable Lakefront
Guiding Principles
Protect open spaces and environmental features with sustainable design.
Create traditional and transit-oriented neighborhoods focused on recreation.
Utilize high-quality design techniques:
. Create a sense of community; . Promote pedestrian-oriented development for a healthy lifestyle; . Integrate land uses; . Offer a mix of housing types.
Provide transportation options:
. Light and heavy rail; . Bus service; . Bicycle and pedestrian paths; . Waterway passages. (new to Plan Update)
Promote public/private partnerships.
Approach
Identify… Connect past, present, and future.
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Approach: C-O-N-N-E-C-T Past, Present, and Future
This puzzle of community development is dynamic – ever changing. It will never be complete. We keep working at it. The “we” changes with time. Not the vision.
While we strive to Create a Livable Lakefront for the future if not ourselves here in the present, our past is the vehicle – the vessel – that brought us here. Let us honor it. Let us weave it into this Northside Master Plan Update and the connections we are in the process of making to the built environment so that we can tell the real story of our progress to our future. We are writing history. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Let us make each decision – project by project – connection to connection points – with this ever changing bigger picture of truly building community in mind – and always find a way to tell our story.
Smart interfaces between the environment and development and options in housing and transportation, all while using high-quality design methods, are the essential “what” things to do in the built environment when a community cares about the whole spectrum of what encompasses community health, vitality, and resilience. Relationship-building and public/private partnerships aim to strengthen collaboration in order to help achieve the overall “why”, the vision. This new approach element adds a “how” – a style – a strategy – to make this vision a reality. This approach – to connect past, present, and future – is the unifying element to achieving the connected, community vibe that the public desires. This nature of “time” is what we all share. Let’s allow this unifier to transition us through each phase of “livable lakefront”.
How do we incorporate this “how”? Storytelling. Storytelling conjures images. It takes us away from our present state of mind. It helps us relate to people, to community. Identifying opportunities to teach the public about our history and history in the making and our outlook for “tomorrow” is outreach that is needed to strengthen the bond of community. For instance, storytelling pieces like plaques or art pieces along trails or in parks or the reuse of historical structures or items. These types of things are the pieces that begin to make places authentic. They become connections for us to the past and in the here and now with new memories. They are not details. They are part of placemaking. They are emotional ties to space and time. This storytelling will aid us in our shared vision for Northside. It will help us put the pieces of this puzzle together – the physical pieces as well as the emotional pieces – to transform this District into the places and spaces about which we get excited and our faces brighten when we tell others of them.
This Identify Section of the Plan Update presents:
. an expanded scope of the project area to include all land in the municipality north of Interstate 94 in order to better understand the connections in need of establishment; . new concepts for Northside Master Plan in areas where physical land limitations were discovered to be unable to support the originally proposed development concepts ; . the next set of priority areas on which to focus for the next decade presented as how places and connections are desired to help shape experiences; . examples of how to maintain our vision of a livable lakefront through generations via storytelling opportunities; and . character images and reminders from key planning documents mixed with existing community photos to help envision the big picture. 12 | P a g e
Northside Master Plan Update CONCEPT PLAN
Marquette Greenway Trail
Stagecoach Road Realignment
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Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk
Burns Waterway & Little Calumet River
Burns Parkway
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Northside Master Plan Update CONCEPT PLAN Exploration
Build more places or connect the ones we have? – a question posed to the participants at the high school workshop. There were mixed reviews. Could the answer be both?
As described in the Approach narrative, community development is a puzzle. Oftentimes resources have limited functionality and need to be applied to a particular cause. Sometimes the perfect sequencing of a project has a hurdle that causes a delay, but we keep moving forward with another aspect of the project because we see the bigger picture, the vision to
Create a Livable Lakefront. It is for this reason that both connections and places are identified in this Plan Update – to ensure we keep moving forward to strengthen “community”. There is a lot to celebrate and there is plenty still to do. Let’s keep working.
This section of the Plan Update focuses on the physical “connections” that are needed to continue efforts to tie the great places we have together. Land uses are considered in this map of connections to help get a feel for the transitions linked by the connection threads. The pages that follow address recommended “place” types of projects and start to identify opportunities to incorporate the stories of Portage and its Northside.
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CONNECTION: Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk •Description: Similar to the efforts at the initial Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk brownfield reclamation project, the city is in the process of returning even more land to to public use. In 2014, the city constructed a new park road, parking lots, and a multi-use separated pathway that links Lake Michigan and Portage Lakefront Pavilion to the Portage/Ogden Dunes South Shore Station. Currently, the City of Portage in partnership with the USACE (via Section 125 Grant) is in the midst of an ecological restoration project. Included in the project is the demolition of an approximately 175,000 square foot warehouse that will be transformed into an oak savannah. •Experience: Hiking / Biking / Fishing / Kayaking / Birdwatching / Picnicking
CONNECTION: Burns Parkway •Description: Burns Parkway is a much needed connection from State Road 249 to US Highway 12 at Hillcrest Road, the entrance to the lakefront town of Ogden Dunes, via a beautifully landscaped curving boulevard named after engineer Robert Burns. The City of Portage Redevelopment Commission built the first phase of this parkway from State Road 249 to Burns Waterway within Northside Development in 2008. The connection to US Highway 12 will provide both a safer multi-modal travel option and a utility corridor to support future development. •Experience: Hiking / Biking / Fishing / Kayaking / Birdwatching / Picnicking
CONNECTION: Stagecoach Road Realignment •Description: The Concept Plan calls for a meandering roadway that extends west from Burns Parkway to County Line Road. The roadway is proposed along the south side of the highline at east end and returns to the existing Stagecoach Road alignment near Harbor Oaks Subdivision. This concept is a remedy to several troubles the aging Stagecoach Road is facing, including deteriorating materials and intersections with low-visibility. A multi-use, separated pathway will be part of the roadway design. •Experience: Hiking / Biking / Birdwatching
CONNECTION: Burns Waterway and the Little Calumet River •Description: The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Ecological Restoration Project is early evidence of our future. In 2016, the State of Indiana celebrates its bicentennial, the National Park Service celebrates its centenial, and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore celebrates fifty years. To celebrate these milestones, the City of Portage is reinventing our waterways. Imagine an interactive waterfront with kayaking, hiking, strolls with friends and loved ones at the confluence after a day of competition at the Sport Resort or a dinner at the Portage Marina Cafe. •Experience: Hiking / Biking / Fishing / Kayaking / Birdwatching / Picnicking / Dining
CONNECTION: Marquette Greenway Trail •Description: The Marquette Greenway proposes to connect the east and west units of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore via a route through the City of Portage from Salt Creek to West Beach. The multi-use, separated pathway will enhance the Northside District experience, offering a new transportation option. Our Northside District will add to the Marquette Greenway experience too, enabling ped and pedal travelers the option to stop and enjoy great places on their journeys. •Experience: Hiking / Biking / Birdwatching
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A place to live, work, play & stay…
Place
A place to live, work, play, and stay. We often
want to dissect this phrase into four sections. It is natural thing to do – to look at it as a checklist or
sorts. Let’s think differently. This subset phrase of
the vision Create a Livable Lakefront
does not say “create places to live, work, play, and stay”. This vision of the Marquette Plan is big picture – and we chose and are now reaffirming that choice to carry this big picture vision into our specific community. This subset – A place to live, work, play, and stay – refers to one place – a place that has it all – a place that is cohesive – a place that addresses our basic needs and provides outlets for our hobbies as well as peaceful downtime.
Our value-added big picture community-building approach to creating the “place” that everyone wants to call theirs will keep us going to make this the “place to be” – for us, our guests, and our future.
It is easy to get sidetracked from seeing the progress of this big picture because we feel bogged down in how long a single project takes. But just look at our success to-date! And these are just a few photos of our Northside District. We need to continue the physical connections identified on the previous pages and work-in some storytelling aspects for this to embody the “place” the public has described. Let’s keep working. 17 | P a g e
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An environmentally, economically &
Sustainability
It is in our collective best interest to find a balance for all of the things proven to be “good” for a community. It is a package deal where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Another way of looking at The Three Spheres of Sustainability is as a three-legged stool; without each one strong, the whole is compromised. Let’s continue to build a healthy community – environmentally, economically, and socially.
When we see successful implementation examples, we say, “That’s it!”… “That works!” Let us continue to strive to be the example and expect the same from our partners in development – physical built environment as well as environmental stewardship, personal health and workforce development. Let us showcase that the search for and implementation of sustainable methods is a win-win. Look how far we have come. Let’s keep working.
^^ Photo Credit: Holladay Properties
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socially sustainable environment…
From the American Planning Association Policy Guide on Sustainability [2000]:
Sustainability is the capability to equitably meet the vital human needs of the present without Workforce compromising Development the CONNECTIONS ability Sustainable of Design future CONNECTIONS generations Environmental Stewardship to meet their CONNECTIONS own needs by preserving and protecting the area's ecosystems and natural resources. The concept of sustainability
“AmeriPlex embraces its role in the describes a condition in which human use of natural resources, environment. In 2010, AmeriPlex required for the continuation of life, is in balance with Nature's was certified as a “Wildlife Friendly ability to replenish them. . . . Planning for sustainability promotes Habitat” by the Indiana Wildlife responsible development — not anti-development. It requires a Federation, only the second business democratic process of planning to achieve the greatest common park in Indiana to receive such a designation. Tenants in this unique good for all segments of our population, protect the health of the development enjoy beautiful views environment and assure future generations of the resources they of native prairie grasses, will need to survive and progress. wildflowers as well as access to
Deer Trail Park, which features over two miles of trails and fishing access to the Little Calumet River.” ^^ City Project: South Properties, Warehouse 57 Demolition Holladay Properties Photo Credit: Project Team Developers of AmeriPlex at the Port Portage, Indiana
^^Source: www.newsustainabilityinc.com Warehouse 57 Demolition 20 | P a g e Photo Credit: Project Team
A place for mixed uses & new uses…
Mixed Uses and New Uses
A guiding principle of The Marquette Plan encourages us to embrace this nature of storytelling – to showcase our heritage (industrial, natural, community and people, and tourism). Let’s incorporate it into how we interact with the built environment and the great spaces we love.
In the public meetings held in this Plan Update process, the project team heard many times over that additional boat slips are needed in our NorthsideDistrict. There are various ways to make this happen. Let’s think strategically about it when we do. Consider tourism; it takes into account visits from an hour or more away. These visitors may be your friends and family. They may be future educators in the community. Let’s create places we want to go to just as much as they do. It’s all about building community – having shared experiences in great places. Wayfinding signage that incorporates showcasing our heritage can help with connections, as can thinking about Activity Node at Confluence complimentary uses adding a more user- CONNECTIONS friendly mix to the district – boat-up hotels, Adamptive plazas that have amenities that intrigue Reuse us, and a plethora of options in things to CONNECTIONS do and great places to get away. Think places Strategically CONNECTIONS Example Introduce a restaurant café with outdoor seating along
Burns Waterway to the Portage Public Marina.
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“The mutual love affair between people and their place is one of the most powerful influences in our lives, yet rarely thought of in terms of a relationship. As cities begin thinking of themselves as engaged in a relationship with their citizens, and citizens begin to consider their emotional connections with their places, we open up new possibilities in community, social and economic development by including the most powerful of motivators – the human heart – in our toolkit of city-making.”
Excerpt from For the Love of Cities by Peter Kageyama
IMAGE LINKS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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A place to be proactive & think & act
Strategic Mindset
Partnerships are key to responsible stewardship of our resources –environmental, economic, and social. This strategic, sustainability mindset is what gets things accomplished for the long term good of the community. We have great examples here in our community of partnerships that have created amazing results including Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk (including the recent demolition of Warehouse 57, making way for an ecological restoration project), AmeriPlex at the Port, and Marina Shores at Dune Harbor.
“Since 2005, the RDA, Northwest We are forging ahead to countless other successes. As Indiana communities, and for-profit we do that, let’s be sure we celebrate these and non-profit partners have community projects. Often we have a humble heart invested or committed approximately $210 million toward and see these great projects as part of our jobs and these goals. This investment has then are off to complete the next project. It is directly leveraged more than $540 imperative that we take time to teach others about million in additional local, federal the value of these projects. Let’s teach via more than and private funds. Overall, these projects have created or supported press releases and newspaper articles. Let’s continue more than 2,000 permanent and to introduce storytelling pieces with each great project construction jobs and had a total as was done at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk with economic impact of more than $1.1 plaques and storyboards at the site. Other billion since 2006.” opportunities include reuse of historic elements, art, ^^ City Project: South Properties, Northwest Indiana Warehouse 57 Demolition and events. These are important expressions of what Photo Credit: Project Team Regional Development Authority got us where we are and the community which we continue to build for future generations.
^^ Future City Project: Adaptive reuse of historic Crisman Road Bridge Photo Credit (left): The Marquette Plan 23 | P a g e Photo Edit (right): Project Team
strategically …
Redevelopment Unique Places Opportunities CONNECTIONS From APA’s Policy Guide on Public Adaptive Reuse Redevelopment [2004]: CONNECTIONS In too many cases, communities chasing Promote sales and property tax revenues fail to Partnership recognize the role of redevelopment as a CONNECTIONS tool for creating a sense of place based on a community's unique natural and cultural assets. The perception of redevelopment as a tool for economic development, rather than a part of a comprehensive strategy for promoting physical revitalization and financial reinvestment has wide-ranging implications for how the redevelopment >> BEFORE PROJECT process functions. With increases in >> DURING CONSTRUCTION historical tourism across the United States, communities increasingly find that historic resources, including both built and landscape components, provide critical texture and context to redevelopment areas that improve economic and social vitality. Effective preservation in redevelopment ^^ City Project: Portage Lake front and Riverwalk USACE restoration projects that reuse historic structures Photo Credit: Project Team
delivers tangible economic and financial benefits. Voluntary Property Revitalization Process established by The Marquette Plan:
Step 1. Establish voluntary partnership with property owners sharing the Marquette Plan goals. If a “Go”, proceed to Step 2. Step 2. Weigh Environmental Assessment vs. Planning Goals. - Determine Environmental Assessment costs. - Establish financing plan. - Evaluate financial & non-financial return on Investment. If a “Go”, proceed to Step 3. Step 3. Real Estate Transaction. If a “Go”, proceed to Step 4.
^^ Bainbridge Island, WA: Example of reuse of historic elements Step 4. Project Implementation. and showcasing the trades of the region. Photo Credit: Project Team
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Envision. Plan. Create. Inspire.
Northside Master Plan Update + U
Some might call it a planning document. It is more than that. It was a planning process and this Executive Summary was developed to document the community’s effort and outlook. There was a stir – a buzz – created in the process of it all that still
exists. In the celebration of how far we have come in 10 years. In the assessment of where we are here in 2015. And in the identification of where we are determined to take our Northside District in the next ten years. The plan is alive.
Let’s keep working.
You are welcome to join us!
Our calling card: www.ci.portage.in.us
Plan Adoption This plan update was forwarded with a XXXX recommendation on DATE day of MONTH YEAR by the Portage Plan Commission: Dennis Fadely John Hannon James Hazzard, Vice President Denise Little, President Ken Lorenz Steven Mann Jeff Scheub Scott Williams Larry Widener
and adopted on DATE day of MONTH YEAR by the Portage Common Council: Elizabeth Modesto Patrick Clem Scott Williams John Cannon Colin Czilli Sue Lynch Mark Oprisko 25 | P a g e
Project Team for this Plan Update
A J. Monroe, AICP – City of Portage Director of Community Development
Jessica Gage, AICP – Freelance Urban Planner Joe Eberts – City of Portage GIS Specialist Colin Highlands – City of Portage Long Range Planner
Kurt Knutsen – City of Portage Development Review Planner Sandra McDaniel – City of Portage Project Manager
Sonya Lindgren - City of Portage Administrative Assistant
Acknowledgements The project team would like to thank each person who invested their time to celebrate, assess, and identify what has happened, is happening, and with resolve will happen in Portage’s Northside District for the greater good of the larger community.
Key Individual Interviews [March and April 2015]
James Snyder, Mayor Greg Lach, Redevelopment Commission Jenny Orsburn, Superintendent of Parks Rhonda Nelson, Redevelopment Commission Barb Lusco, Harbormaster Steve Nelson, Redevelopment Commission, Port Authority Board Robin Wilkening, Plan Commission John Smolar, Port Authority Board John Hannon, Plan Commission Laura Gaffney, Port Authority Board Dennis Fadely, Plan Commission Elizabeth Modesto, Plan Commission, Common Council James Hazzard, Plan Commission Sue Lynch, Common Council Denise Little, Plan Commission Ted Uzelac, Common Council
Public Workshop at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Pavilion [April 14, 2015]
Participants who signed in: Tom Clouser, Doug Olson, Rhonda Nelson, Mary Ewen, Craig A. Ewen, Gerry Lehmann, Bud Hettrick, Eric Ehn, Barb Lusco, Tom Fieffer, Nancy Simpson, Jim Doran, Roger Rhodes, Scott Cherry, Allen Johnson, Amy Parker, Ed Gottschling, Drew Mitchell, Joe Wszolek, Jeffrey W. Jackson, Collin Czilli, Elizabeth Johnson, Angela Meadows, Joseph Calhoun, Michael Duffy, Mark Oprisko, Trevor Talmage, Mayor James Snyder, Richard Weigel, Ken O., Paul Panther, Larry Schelp?, John Parsons, Mike Noland, Pat Jackson, Brendan Clancy, Lou Gagliardi, Scott Falk, Denise Little, Jack Phelps, Matt Keiser, Richie Piazza, Bill Gregory, Jeff Veach, Kerry Keith, David Lindgren
Portage High School Workshop at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Pavilion [May 8. 2015] Teachers and staff who signed in: Alyssa Comerford, Emma Garzella, Melyssa Reddington, Steven Wallskog, Vanessa Warner, Amber Nelson, Ryan Bliss, Scott Watson, Daniela Demko, Jaimie Bailey, Marissa Razo, Alison Sobkowski,
Alexis Sosa, Brittany Weis, Jennifer Vance, Richard Serrano, Jamar Golden, Julie Barajas, Jose M., Braden Majewski, Hunter Kraynak, Kody McGuire, Kiley Jones, Jessica Marquez, Caragh Emmet, Kyle Simmons, Noah Hammond, Jen Sass, Leslee Kratz, Jordan Simko, Teresa Neubert, Lorena Ochoa, Ninah Galarza, Erika Marsh, Cassie Prohl, Drake Guerrero, Kasper McIntosh, Kyler Berrier, Skylar Strunk, Karla Trujillo, Jeremy Petro, RJ Ruiz, Leilani Ruiz, Elizabeth Seberger, Paige Dickey, Kaleb Bush, Jordan Nicholson, Mark Harsha 26 | P a g e
Contact Information For more information, please contact:
Albert J. Monroe, AICP City of Portage Director of Community Development
All planning documents referenced herein may be found on the city’s website: www.ci.portage-in.us
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