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Mayor’s office reports development interest downtown, Sportsplex ribbon cutting, and community programs
Summary
Mayor’s staff reported strong downtown leasing interest, plans to renovate Harrison Park’s 'Man of Steel' with partners, a Family Christian Center project at 7147 Kennedy to create a multi-resource site, used-car-lot enforcement, hiring updates, and a Sportsplex expansion ribbon cutting on Nov. 20.
Scott Miller, speaking for the mayor’s office, told the Hammond City Council that developers have leased much of the downtown bank property and are scouting other underused buildings for redevelopment. Miller said the city is in talks with interested partners to renovate the Man of Steel statue in Harrison Park and expects that private fundraising will cover renovation costs so the city won’t bear the burden.
Miller reported that Family Christian Center has purchased a building at 7147 Kennedy and is renovating it to become a combined pantry and resource center for clothing and household items; he said the facility should be open in the coming months. He also recapped two recent community events — a trunk-or-treat at the police department and a Sportsplex event for young people with disabilities — and praised the police department’s community outreach.
On enforcement, Miller described continued work by the mayor’s used-car-lot task force, citing progress with properties such as Cooper Tire and noting plans to continue monitoring lots across districts. He announced staff updates including a promotion in public works and four new correctional officers at the jail, and invited council members to a Sportsplex expansion ribbon cutting scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m.
"That concludes all of my updates and announcements. I'm happy to answer any questions," Miller said at the end of his report.
Miller also mentioned upcoming community events hosted at city facilities, including a Nov. 20 evening "paint and sip" at the Jean Shepherd and a Nov. 21 mayor's commission on disabilities lunch-and-learn at the Sportsplex.
The updates were procedural and informational; councilmembers asked clarifying questions about process items such as posting agendas online and labeling drafts when documents go public.
