The Hammond Common Council voted to authorize a $15 million bond backed by the city’s 1% food-and-beverage tax to fund two projects: an expansion of the Hammond Sportsplex and a Downtown Hammond train station.

The bond appropriation ordinance (Ordinance 25-06) passed after a roll call that the clerk recorded as seven in favor and two opposed. Council discussion identified $10 million of the proceeds for the Downtown Hammond Train Station and the remainder for the Sportsplex expansion and related work.

Why it matters: City leaders said the funding would let the administration proceed with construction and related contracts now rather than wait for future years’ revenues. Mayor Tom McDermott told the council the Sportsplex project and the train station are priorities and described the funding package as essential to keep projects on a near-term schedule.

Council debate and details: During the public hearing phase Mayor McDermott described the financing plan, saying the issuance would be paid for with food-and-beverage tax proceeds and that other revenue sources, including a federal low-interest loan, were also part of the Sportsplex financing. “One project is the Hammond Sportsplex expansion … The other project is the Downtown Hammond Train Station. One hundred percent of the money for the Downtown Hammond Train Station will come from this bond,” the mayor said during the public hearing.

Council members asked questions about timing and costs. The council also advanced a separate ordinance authorizing the actual issuance and sale of bonds for the same improvements; the clerk recorded that measure as passing by roll call with eight votes in favor at final passage. Neither ordinance text nor the hearing transcript showed a change to the projects’ stated scope in council debate.

What the vote does and next steps: With both measures approved, the city can proceed toward selling the bonds, spending proceeds on the described projects and coordinating required contracting and engineering work. The ordinances do not specify exact construction start dates; the administration indicated the Sportsplex work is already underway and that the train-station funding would be applied after bond proceeds are issued.

Fiscal and legal context: Council discussion noted financing costs and the usual fees associated with bond issuance. Councilman Tyler raised that issuance-related fees (for example, underwriting, legal, interest) would reduce the net amount available for direct project work.

No formal amendments to the ordinances were recorded at third reading. The council did not adopt new conditions limiting use of proceeds beyond the project descriptions in the ordinances.

Ending note: The approvals allow the administration to move ahead with the two high-priority projects the mayor and economic-development staff described to the council; officials said they expect to follow the city’s standard contracting and reporting procedures as the projects proceed.