The Hammond City Redevelopment Commission voted unanimously April 15 to adopt a confirmatory resolution that designates the City Hall redevelopment area as an allocation area for tax-increment financing under Indiana law.

Dan Bowdich, who presented the designation to the commission, said the City Hall redevelopment area generally covers parcels along Calumet Avenue from 50th Street south to 160th Street and is intended predominantly for commercial development. "The intent predominantly is for commercial development and for an allocation area provision for capture of assessed value to stimulate and be a catalyst for public improvements, as well as any other private improvements within the redevelopment area commercial corridor," Bowdich said.

The resolution, described in the meeting as a confirmatory resolution adopting declaratory resolution 2024-17, follows technical amendments previously reviewed by the Hammond Plan Commission and the City Council. Mr. Botez told the commission that notice of the confirmatory action was published on April 4, 2025, and that a tax impact and benefits statement was mailed by certified return receipt to overlapping taxing units because of the allocation provision. "The return receipts are being returned to the redevelopment commission offices," Botez said, and he confirmed the document includes the modified plan text for clarity.

The commission recorded a roll-call vote approving the resolution by a 5-0 vote. The action designates the City Hall redevelopment area as an allocation area for tax-increment financing pursuant to Indiana Code 36-7-14 and Indiana Administrative Code 50 IAC 8.

The commission and staff said the confirmatory resolution incorporated technical clarifications so that the plan language aligns with the plan commission's written order and the official plans. No public commentators addressed the item during the public hearing on the plan.

The resolution does not itself authorize specific projects or expenditures; later project-level actions and any agreements that use captured increment would follow applicable statutory and local procedures.