The Hammond Redevelopment Commission convened for its organizational meeting and elected Tony Hawk as president, retained Greg Myricks as vice president and appointed Mosley Shelton as secretary. All three officer votes were carried by roll call, recorded as five votes in favor.

Staff presented community updates, including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. march on Jan. 19 and a Mayor’s Night Out on Jan. 28, before turning to business items. Anne Taylor, a city staff member, read a short list of upcoming events and introduced the agenda items considered by the commission.

On housing assistance, the commission approved conditional forgivable loans for two homebuyers. Leticia Batiste was approved for $6,974 toward the purchase of 919 Sibley Street, and Hunter Smith and Mariah Montes Flores were approved for $10,000 for 6545 Colorado Avenue. Commissioner Myricks moved the approval and Commissioner Tomich seconded; the roll call recorded five votes in favor.

A principal item was a presentation on a proposed Davies Imperial Coatings thermoplastic manufacturing facility at 1175 State Street. Jack Farino, identifying himself as a consultant with 209 Development Services, said the project represents a roughly $15,000,000 investment that “will bring forth 40 plus, well paying jobs” and that nearby residents and Councilman Al Salinas were supportive. City staff member Brian Poland summarized technical and land-use considerations and recommended that the commission determine the project is in compliance with the Hammond Central redevelopment area plan only as a single-site modification to allow industrial use. Poland said the recommendation was subject to six conditions, including final technical approvals (city engineering, water, fire and sanitary), completion of a traffic study and compliance with its recommendations, plan commission recommendation and city council rezoning approval, any necessary BZA actions, release of utility easement rights, and a formal amendment to the redevelopment plan to reflect the land-use change. The commission voted to adopt the staff recommendation by roll call (five yes votes).

The commission also approved a slate of one-year professional services agreements for appraisers, legal counsel (Westland and Bennett PC), HUD/IDIS consulting, small-business and housing services consultants, environmental consultants and financial consultants. Those agreements were authorized with not-to-exceed fee limits for particular projects.

On property matters, the commission approved a signed purchase agreement for Lot 222204 (Davis Avenue), a parcel previously associated with Fire Station No. 2, to move forward to closing. The commission authorized advertising the sale of a de minimis parcel north of 1 State Street to an adjoining private developer, relying on the statute that allows conveyance of parcels of negligible value to adjoining owners. The commission also approved a survey proposal from DVG Team Inc., estimated at $5,500, for a proposed Zaxby’s at 5903–5923 Kenan Avenue. Each of these items passed by roll call votes recorded as five in favor.

The register of claims covering claim numbers R67951 through R68147 (dates in the register as read) was accepted by the commission by a 5–0 roll call. New and unfinished business were noted as none at this time. Public comment was opened and closed with no substantive speakers recorded in the transcript. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded and the commission closed its meeting.

Votes at a glance: Tony Hawk elected president (5–0); Greg Myricks retained vice president (5–0); Mosley Shelton appointed secretary (5–0); two home forgivable loans approved ($6,974 and $10,000) (5–0); Davies Imperial Coatings single-site land-use modification and compliance determination approved subject to six conditions (5–0); professional services agreements approved (5–0); purchase of Lot 222204 approved (5–0); authorization to advertise sale north of 1 State Street approved (5–0); DVG survey for Zaxby’s approved (estimated $5,500) (5–0); register of claims R67951–R68147 accepted (5–0).

The Davies Imperial Coatings approval is conditional: the project still requires final technical approvals, a traffic study and plan commission and city council actions before construction can proceed. The redevelopment commission’s determination authorizes a one-time, site-specific amendment to the redevelopment plan but does not, on its own, constitute building permits or rezoning approval.