Plans for warehouse, residential projects discussed

Merrillville Plan Commission has voted to move forward two proposed warehouse/office buildings and a 46-lot residential development.

All three proposals will be discussed and possibly voted on during the commission’s regular meeting on April 20.

Petitioner Al Bartley said Tuesday that one warehouse would be a 36,000-squarefoot expansion of the Mielle Organics beauty supply company located on a 2.35acre parcel at 8700 Mississippi St. in the Southlake Industrial Park. He said the second warehouse would be a 10,000-square-foot spec building built on a 2.5-acre parcel at 1595 E. 86th Place in the industrial park.

Plan Commission member and Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6th, said he has no problem with either warehouse.

“(Mielle Organics) is busting at the seams. That’s what we want to hear,” Pettit said.

Bartley said he’s building the spec warehouse because of the influx of people coming to Indiana from Illinois.

Dough Ehens, vice president of land with Providence Real Estate in Crown Point, will return on April 20 regarding his proposal to build an additional 46 single-family houses in the existing Creekwood Crossing subdivision.

Ehens said the new houses will be a mix of ranches and 2-story structures with a base price between $260,000 and $280,000 with some projected to sell for more than $350,000. The houses will be built on almost 23 acres at 75th Place, Williams and Baker streets.

The project was originally approved by the town a number of years ago.

In another matter, developer Jim Paul of ALPS Enterprises received a 12-month extension to build 72, 2-family residences on almost 48 acres on the north side of 73rd Avenue, between Grant and Buchanan streets. The plan has already been approved, but Paul said health issues have prevented him from moving forward.

Paul had recently received a 6-month extension. Commission member Brian Dering said he likes the project and Paul has agreed to do everything the commission asked, but he wanted the town to be protected should Paul sell the property to another developer.

Paul said he’ll probably look for a different party to build the residences due to his health issues.

“I want to talk to the one who’s going to build the project. You agreed to everything we’ve asked. They next guy might not,” Dering told Paul.

Councilman Jeffrey Minchuk, D -3rd, said when the project was first proposed, he received a lot of calls from neighbors and the town took a lot of steps to answer their concerns. He asked Paul to provide two updates to the commission to keep it abreast of what’s going on with the project.

“We want to make sure the wheels are still in motion,” Minchuk said.