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Downtown business owner tells Hammond City board parking shortage could curb redevelopment
Summary
David Mueller, a downtown business owner, told the Hammond City Capital Improvement Board that limited parking and possible closure of a large lot threaten events and customers; the president said engineering staff would consult on solutions.
David Mueller, a downtown business owner at 416 Sibley, urged the Hammond City Capital Improvement Board during public expression in February 2025 to address parking shortages tied to downtown redevelopment.
Mueller told the board he has supported downtown redevelopment but warned that parking constraints are already limiting customer access for events: “The parking issue … was what killed that downtown area to begin with,” he said. He described multiple nearby venues — Paul Henry’s art gallery, the Toll Theater and the South Shore Substation — that draw crowds for events and rely on nearby lots and gravel parking. Mueller said one large lot (the former Hammond Times site) is fenced and expected to be closed when a prospective tenant moves in, leaving roughly 18 spaces adjacent to his business plus a gravel lot that is not guaranteed to be plowed in winter.
Mueller described recent incidents where heavy snow threatened attendance at a 200-person reception and said upcoming concurrent events (a theater opening and a punk-rock concert) could draw several hundred people, stressing the potential for conflicts over parking. He suggested short-term responses such as directional signs to other public lots and creating roughly 10–15 spaces on two vacant parcels on Hohman currently cleared after demolished buildings.
In response, the board president said the city would take Mueller’s concerns to the Engineering Department for study and potential solutions. “We will consult with engineering department, see if there's any solutions for the future,” the president said during the meeting.
Mueller noted uncertainty about ownership of the gravel lot across Sibley and said he had heard conflicting reports that it was privately owned and might be developed; the board did not identify the lot owner during the meeting. The president acknowledged the uncertainty and said engineering staff would review options, but the board did not commit to paving or funding that parking at the meeting.
Mueller closed by inviting board members to visit downtown venues to see the situation firsthand. The board recorded no formal action on the public comment item; engineering follow-up was the only direction recorded in the meeting minutes.
