Redevelopment staff highlights Brewbox opening, quiet‑zone talks and riverfront district planning

Anne Taylor, speaking as redevelopment staff, told the Hammond Redevelopment Commission that downtown activity has picked up, including the recent opening of Brewbox Coffee Shop in the lobby of a downtown bank building. “The Brewbox Coffee Shop had their opening last Thursday,” Taylor said, adding Mayor McDermott attended and “there was probably about a 150 people that turned out.”

Taylor said staff and the city engineer have begun conversations about establishing railroad quiet zones in downtown Hammond and in Hessville to reduce nighttime freight horn noise. “It’s gonna be a process, over the next few years,” Taylor said, and the work would include transitioning some crossings from frequent horn blasts to gates and arms that come down.

Taylor also updated the commission on a recent tour of a new home at 424 Condit Street that was built on land sold through the redevelopment commission’s property portal. She said staff are finalizing a riverfront district map for downtown and developing a website that will allow the redevelopment commission to offer and manage one-, two- and three‑way liquor licenses for restaurants that want to open downtown or for existing restaurants seeking new licenses.

The staff presentation framed the items as early‑stage, implementation‑dependent actions. Taylor said she will provide more details at the commission’s next meeting when the riverfront district map and license application portal are closer to launch.