Michigan City Moving Forward on Midtown Revitalization

Michigan City’s redevelopment of its Midtown neighborhood will continue next week. The city is seeking another round of public input during a "report back" session. The gathering will include a presentation from the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development on the next steps of the process.

The city says there will be additional sessions involving visioning and action planning. The neighborhood is described as "the north boundary as 11th Street/South Shore tracks, the south boundary as the CSX tracks by Ames Field, the west boundary as the Amtrak right-of-way, and the east boundary as Poplar and Tilden Avenues." Officials say the boundaries could be adjusted as the process progresses. They held meetings last month that will help drive Monday’s session.

The city calls the process "a departure from the traditional approach to neighborhood plans." Leaders say they will involve residents and stakeholders in each stage along the way. The process will also include a strategic action plan to inform residents, businesses, nonprofits and the city about implementation.

Michigan City officials say the IACED is guiding the process with a comprehensive model that has been "used successfully in other Indiana communities."