Contractor says Kennedy Avenue restaurant rehab could take up to six months; board sets Oct. 16 status review

The Hammond City Board set a status review for Oct. 16, 2025, after contractors and property representatives said work to rehabilitate 6826–6828 Kennedy Avenue — the former Pioneer Tap site — is waiting on state paperwork and could take roughly three to six months to complete. The item matters because the rehabilitation agreement for the Kennedy Avenue properties expired July 1 and the city sought a clear timeline for demolition-clearance filings, permits and construction steps before the next status hearing. Board members said the contractor had obtained an asbestos report and submitted required paperwork to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) for the agency's 10-day demolition notice. The board requested clearer milestones the city can report at internal Kennedy Avenue coordination meetings. Gerardo So to, the contractor who identified himself as representing So to General Construction, said the contractor expects initial work — notably plumbing and installation of a kitchen hood system — to take about four to five months and offered a rough overall timeline of about six months from the date of the meeting. "It's all up to once the plumbing and every all the work is done, but after that, he's trying to get started as soon as possible," a translator relayed for So to. The contractor said the scope includes plumbing work, a new hood system and remodeling of two bathrooms (one to be made handicap accessible). City staff and board members noted that IDEM's 10-day clearance must be filed and that the owner and contractor will need to secure building permits after that clearance is granted. A city representative said the asbestos report had been submitted to the building commissioner and IDEM and that the paperwork appeared to be filed. The board set a status hearing for Oct. 16, 2025, and directed staff to follow up with the owner and contractor so the board's Kennedy Avenue working-group members can report progress at that internal meeting. The board also asked the mayor's office to assist with translation and scheduling; Sadie Quasado of the mayor's office assisted during the discussion. The contractor and owner said they have engaged a plumber and expect construction milestones to proceed once the state clearance and permits are in place; the contractor and owner gave the board the verbal timelines described above. The board recorded the Oct. 16 status review motion as approved. The board did not adopt a new enforcement action at the meeting but required the parties to return with documentary updates on IDEM clearance, permits and a progress timeline at the Oct. 16 status hearing.