Schererville envisions future of Kennedy Avenue extension, former Illiana Speedway
The town of Schererville is moving forward on a number of fronts in 2023, and the pieces are in place to affect significant growth and development inside the town for the foreseeable future.
Last year, the Schererville Town Council put in motion plans to open up the town, and ostensibly, Lake County, by extending Kennedy Avenue south to U.S. 30. Through an 80/ 20 matching grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation, the town has been snapping up properties to clear the path forward. The first of four road construction phases will launch this year, and in about four years it all should be done.
In fact, the town completed a significant amount of road work in 2022 — 34 road segments and numerous sidewalks, curbs and ramps tallying $1.6 million, according to Town Manager Jim Gorman. Town parks got fixed up too, as kids are loving the new splash pad outside the Community Center at Scherwood Park, as well as the spiffed up playground at Rohrman Park.
The upcoming reconstruction of the town’s stretch of the Pennsy Green Trail will traverse Clark Road to Rohrman Park. The project includes a bike repair station and water jug filler at the downtown trailhead.
Working as one team
Gorman described the town administration’s accomplishments over the past year as a truly a team undertaking.
“These projects would not have happened without the guidance of our Town Council, the hard work of our department heads and town employees, and the patience of the residents of Schererville,” he said. “Looking ahead to 2023, with the all the projects we have in the works, we will be just as busy (as last year), and are very excited to bring more of these amenities to the residents of
Schererville.”
Indeed, the town has allocated $2.5 million for more paving and sidewalk and curb replacement. In January, the town submitted for an $800,000 grant to resurface 16 road segments for work that would occur late this year or early 2024, according to Gorman. Several water/ sewer and storm drain replacements are also planned and funded for this year.
Schererville will build a new central fire station this year, which will serve as a firefighter training center. The new station replaces the one located at the southwest corner of Cline Avenue and Joliet Street. The town’s two other fire stations — at U.S. 30 and Burr and in the Plum Creek Subdivision — were recently remodeled.
Focus on U.S. 30, downtown development
The extension of Kennedy will not only alleviate heavy traffic on U.S. 41 (Indianapolis Boulevard), but help open up U.S. 30 for future development. The town recently put those long range plans in motion by declaring swaths of land along the highway a yax increment financing district. Tax dollars derived from properties within the TIF will be used to fund infrastructure improvements and pave for way for new commercial, residential and recreational projects.
A key focus of the TIF district is approximately 77 acres of land at the former site of Illiana Speedway and located adjacent to Rohrman Park, the town’s largest park. Town Council President Tom Schmitt, D-4th, said the town is laser-focused
on recreational development there, with the aim of constructing a mix of baseball, softball, football and soccer fields, and possibly some complementary retail.
While there are some deep discussions with potential business partners interested in the property, they’re only preliminary at this point, Schmitt said.
In tandem with U.S. 30 development, the town has kickstarted future growth in its downtown district along Joliet Street (Old Lincoln Highway). Last month, the Town Council approved the establishment of a “riverfront district,” an area 1,500 feet wide along either side of Schererville Ditch.
Gorman explained that state law allows some leeway over the type of waterway allowed for a riverfront district. Although Schererville Ditch is essentially a creek used for drainage and not navigable, it suits the purpose fine. The waterway begins in an area behind Schererville Town Hall and meanders toward U.S. 30.
By establishing the riverfront district, the town can petition the state for 10 or more liquor licenses, which it would distribute to businesses owners who so petition. A mix of restaurants/ bars and other retail establishments, and incorporating new housing, would shape a revitalized downtown district. Schmitt said he’s excited about the year the town has had and what’s ahead in the years to come.
“We want our downtown to look like what they have in places like Griffith, Crown Point and Valparaiso,” he said. “We want to bring in those smaller business mixed with residential development. It’s going to be a big commitment.”