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Mayor’s office, RDA discuss redevelopment near Gateway station; council schedules train-impact meeting
Summary
City staff reported partnerships with the RDA on redevelopment tools and a South Hammond public meeting on train impacts; chief of staff also reported a park-camera and license-plate-reader investigation that led to an arrest.
Scott Miller, chief of staff to the mayor, told the Hammond City Council on Sept. 9 that the mayor’s office and the Hammond Redevelopment Authority have discussed using a transit development district (TDD) to capture incremental revenue for redevelopment near Rimbach and the former NICD property north of the Gateway train station.
Miller said RDA CEO Sherry Ziller and her team are working with the city on funding tools for those projects. Miller also said the mayor and he had lunch with state Representative Carolyn Jackson to discuss "SCA 1" (formerly Senate Bill 1) and other upcoming bills and the likelihood of a special legislative session addressing redistricting and concerns tied to SCA 1.
Miller announced a public meeting for South Hammond residents on Sept. 16 at Anthem Church to gather feedback about how the train will affect the neighborhood; a second presentation will be held at 7 p.m. for those unable to attend the 6 p.m. session. He said the city is seeking resident input on vision and impacts.
On public safety, Miller described a recent incident at Haskell Park. He said city cameras helped identify a vehicle and license-plate-reader technology led police to a residence, which resulted in an arrest. "Bottom line is if you commit violent crime in Hammond, we have the tools and technology to bring the bad guys to justice," Miller said.
Miller also noted the mayor had visited Fire Station No. 8 for a status check and a discussion with station personnel about "SCA 1" and how the measure might affect fire departments. He said the mayor's office is hosting one-on-one leadership meetings with department heads on goals and challenges.
The council packet included a controller's memo announcing Oct. 14 as the introductory public hearing date for the 2026 budget; Miller said the adoption hearing is planned for Oct. 27.
The matters Miller described are at the planning and public-engagement stage; no formal council action on zoning, TDD designation or the redevelopment parcels was taken at the Sept. 9 meeting.
