Hammond Redevelopment Commission approves Sportsplex contracts, site remediation, home sales and several leases

Hammond Redevelopment Commission members on March 4, 2025, approved a package of construction contracts for the Hammond Sportsplex renovation, authorized environmental work at the former Memorial Park site at 1301 Highland Street, referred a proposal to staff for purchase of two small city-owned parcels, and approved multiple real-estate purchase and lease agreements.

The action on the Sportsplex awarded divisions of work to multiple contractors and authorized staff to execute the contracts. Dean Button, the city engineer, told commissioners the commission should award ‘‘to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder,’’ and asked that staff be allowed to sign the final agreements once documentation is complete. The commission voted 5–0 to award roofing to EC Babila; athletic flooring to ProStart Services Inc.; fire protection to Valley Fire Protection Systems LLC; plumbing to Gatlin Plumbing & Heating Inc.; electrical to Sweeny Electric Company Inc.; structural steel to AMG Services Inc.; and cast-in-place concrete to Larsen Danielson Company Inc. Button said the renovation timeline runs through early November and that exterior lighting work would be undertaken later in the project.

Commissioners also approved a demolition authorization related to the Sportsplex project and motioned to permit staff execution of the demolition contract with National Wrecking Company. Commissioners discussed the contract amount; two figures were mentioned during the meeting (about $292,000 and $294,000), but the commission record at the meeting did not establish a single…