WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.370
>>GERRY: HELLO AND WELCOME TO
THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF INSIDE
INDIANA BUSINESS, ON THE ROAD IN
NORTHWEST INDIANA!

2
00:00:03.370 --> 00:00:12.545
I'M GERRY DICK, COMING TO YOU
FROM THE MASCOT HALL OF FAME IN
WHITING.
WE WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THIS

3
00:00:12.545 --> 00:00:22.155
UNIQUE ADDITION TO NORTHWEST
INDIANA LATER IN THIS BROADCAST.
BUT THIS MUSEUM IS REFLECTIVE OF
A CHANGING REGION.

4
00:00:22.155 --> 00:00:27.494
THE SECOND LARGEST REGIONAL
ECONOMY THE HEART OF INDIANA
INDUSTRY.
TAKING ON A NEW DIRECTION.

5
00:00:27.494 --> 00:00:34.801
GRIT, HARD WORK AND HEAVY
INDUSTRY HAVE BEEN THE REGION'S
CALLING CARD FOR WELL OVER 100
YEARS, SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF

6
00:00:34.801 --> 00:00:41.241
INDUSTRIAL GIANTS LIKE U.S.
STEEL AND STANDARD OIL.
INDUSTRIAL MIGHT THAT HELPED
BUILD AMERICA, ATTRACTING

7
00:00:41.241 --> 00:00:46.780
WORKERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD,
FORMING A MELTING POT OF
ETHNICITIES THAT REMAINS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF THE FABRIC OF

8
00:00:46.780 --> 00:00:54.053
THE REGION TODAY.
NORTHWEST INDIANA WAS HIT HARD
BY THE NATION'S MANUFACTURING
TRANSITION, ITS PERCEPTION LONG

9
00:00:54.053 --> 00:01:01.194
FRAMED AS A RUST BELT REGION
LOSING JOBS AND POPULATION.
BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY
A DECADE, THERE ARE SIGNS OF

10
00:01:01.194 --> 00:01:09.035
SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT
AND GROWTH, AND AN ECONOMY IN
TRANSITION.
WHILE MANUFACTURING STILL DRIVES

11
00:01:09.035 --> 00:01:15.675
THE ECONOMY HERE, THE REGION'S
TOURISM INDUSTRY IS GROWING,
FUELED BY THE INDIANA DUNES'
DESIGNATION AS A NATIONAL PARK,

12
00:01:15.675 --> 00:01:22.982
A FIRST FOR INDIANA.
THE $300 MILLION HARD ROCK
CASINO IN GARY IS PART OF A
GAMING INDUSTRY THAT GENERATES

13
00:01:22.982 --> 00:01:30.457
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN ECONOMIC IMPACT
AND PEOPLE ARE MOVING INTO THE
REGION AS COMMUNITIES LIKE

14
00:01:30.457 --> 00:01:37.697
WHITING, VALPARAISO, HAMMOND AND
MICHIGAN CITY ARE MAKING MAJOR
INVESTMENTS IN DOWNTOWN
REDEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF

15
00:01:37.697 --> 00:01:44.037
PLACE IMPROVEMENTS, ATTRACTING
NEW RESIDENTS FROM THE CHICAGO
SUBURBS.
A REGION WITH A PROUD PAST,

16
00:01:44.037 --> 00:01:53.379
EMBRACING CHANGE, IN HOPES OF A
PROMISING FUTURE.
>>>A LONG TALKED ABOUT PROJECT
THAT SOME SAY WILL TRANSFORM THE

17
00:01:53.379 --> 00:01:59.419
REGION IS THE SOUTHWARD
EXPANSION OF THE SOUTH SHORE
LINE WEST LAKE CORRIDOR AND IT
IS NOW ONE STEP CLOSER TO

18
00:01:59.419 --> 00:02:06.292
BECOMING REALITY.
THE PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE FOUR
NEW STATIONS ALONG AN EIGHT-MILE
EXTENSION BETWEEN HAMMOND AND

19
00:02:06.292 --> 00:02:12.866
DYER, AND, IMPORTANTLY, IT WOULD
MEAN BETTER ACCESS TO CHICAGO.
I'M PLEASED TO WELCOME BACK TO
THE SHOW NORTHWEST INDIANA

20
00:02:12.866 --> 00:02:19.539
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
PRESIDENT AND CEO BILL HANNA TO
EXPLAIN WHAT'S NEXT FOR THIS
GENERATIONAL PROJECT AS WELL AS

21
00:02:19.539 --> 00:02:26.813
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS HELPING TO
RESHAPE NORTHWEST INDIANA.
IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO THE
PROGRAM.

22
00:02:26.813 --> 00:02:30.917
>> THANK YOU.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUTH
SHORE LINE BECAUSE IT'S AN
IMPORTANT PROJECT WE'VE BEEN

23
00:02:30.917 --> 00:02:38.758
TALKING ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL
HEALTH OF THE REGION AND THE
ECONOMY, HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS

24
00:02:38.758 --> 00:02:45.465
THE STATE OF NORTHWEST INDIANA?
>> IT'S NEVER BEEN BETTER.
WE'VE WENT THROUGH A TIME OF
STRUGGLE WITH INDUSTRIAL DECLINE

25
00:02:45.465 --> 00:02:51.604
AND A LOT HAD TO DO WITH
PRODUCTIVITY.
I FEEL LIKE THE STEEL INDUSTRY,
BP MORE COMPETITIVE THEN THEY'VE

26
00:02:51.604 --> 00:02:59.245
EVER BEEN BUT WE ARE LEARNING
ALSO TO ADJUST TO SOME CHANGES
THERE IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT SO
I THINK WE HAVE POSTURED

27
00:02:59.245 --> 00:03:06.619
OURSELVES AS THE NEW SUBURBAN
OPPORTUNITY AROUND CHICAGO AND
IT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR US.
>> TALK ABOUT THE CHANGING

28
00:03:06.619 --> 00:03:10.823
WORKFORCE AND THE STEEL
INDUSTRY.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS, HIGH
PAYING JOBS.

29
00:03:10.823 --> 00:03:19.198
A LOT OF THOSE HAVE GONE AWAY.
VERY IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS A
DIFFERENT MIX, SERVICE INDUSTRY
JOBS AND OTHERS.

30
00:03:19.198 --> 00:03:26.839
>> IT IS.
WHEN I WAS A KID MY DAD BEING A
35 YEAR STEELWORKER USED TO BE
PROUD OF THE FACT IT WAS BETWEEN

31
00:03:26.839 --> 00:03:34.547
SEVEN AND TEN JOBS SUPPORTED BY
THE INDUSTRY AND IT SO MUCH.
IT'S STILL A POWERHOUSE A GLOBAL
CONNECTION BUT I THINK LOOKING

32
00:03:34.547 --> 00:03:41.020
AT DIVERSITY, PROFESSIONAL JOBS,
THAT'S CHANGED A LOT AND IT'S
BEEN ON THE RISE.
TAPPING INTO OUR EDUCATIONAL

33
00:03:41.020 --> 00:03:49.429
INSTITUTION LIKE IU AND PURDUE
AND SOME BENEFITS THAT COME WITH
THAT HAS BECOME BIGGER AND
STRONGER AND OF COURSE, TAPPING

34
00:03:49.429 --> 00:03:56.736
INTO THE THIRD LARGEST ECONOMY
IN THE COUNTRY AND A PLACE THAT
HAS AS MANY JOBS CHICAGO,
ILLINOIS IS GOING TO BE HUGE FOR

35
00:03:56.736 --> 00:04:03.776
US.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE
A PROJECT THAT CAN DO THAT IS
THE SOUTH SHORE EXTENSION THAT R

36
00:04:03.776 --> 00:04:10.783
AND HAMMAN TALKED ABOUT FOR MORE
THAN THREE DECADES AND THOSE
OUTSIDE OF THE REGION TALK ABOUT
WHAT THIS EXTENSION MEANS.

37
00:04:10.783 --> 00:04:16.489
ALSO A DOUBLE TRACKING AT THE
SOUTH SHORE THAT COULD IMPACT
ALL THE WAY TO SOUTH BEND.
>> YOU THINK ABOUT PUBLIC

38
00:04:16.489 --> 00:04:22.295
TRANSIT AND IT'S NOT FOCUSED ON
THIS.
IT'S ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND REDUCING TIME TO MARKET SO

39
00:04:22.295 --> 00:04:29.035
THE IMPACT IS ABOUT TWO THINGS
TAKING PEOPLE TO WORK AND
BRINGING PEOPLE HERE TO INCREASE
OUR POPULATION.

40
00:04:29.035 --> 00:04:36.576
WE'VE HAD AREAS THAT HAVE HAD
DECLINE IN POPULATION IN THE
NORTH SINCE THE 70s AND SOME
GROWTH IN THE SOUTH, BUT THIS IS

41
00:04:36.576 --> 00:04:43.516
GOING TO HELP CHANGE THE
DIRECTION OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE
THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF
LIVING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN

42
00:04:43.516 --> 00:04:48.655
NORTHWEST INDIANA.
>> THAT'S PART OF THE CHANGING
OF INDIANA AND WHAT COMMUNITIES
ARE DOING.

43
00:04:48.655 --> 00:04:57.797
WE ARE HERE IN WHITING, EAST
CHICAGO, VALPARAISO, A NUMBER OF
COMMUNITIES MAKING IMPROVEMENTS,
HOUSING IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN

44
00:04:57.797 --> 00:05:03.603
ATTRACT PEOPLE FROM CHICAGO.
>> YEAH, WE'VE HAD AN ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT MODEL FOR A LONG
TIME WHICH WE STILL DO IN

45
00:05:03.603 --> 00:05:11.010
SUPPORT OF INDUSTRY, WHICH IS
ABOUT ATTRACTING INDUSTRY FROM
ILLINOIS AD OTHER PLACES AND IN
SCENTING THEM TO COME ACROSS THE

46
00:05:11.010 --> 00:05:17.984
BORDER.
THE REALIZATION CAME AND LOOKING
AT OTHER AREAS WHERE REAL ESTATE
VALUES AND ATTRACTIVENESS TO

47
00:05:17.984 --> 00:05:25.124
PEOPLE REALLY HAS TO BE A PART
OF WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE.
YOU CAN'T RUN THE BUSINESS OF
GOVERNMENT WITHOUT SHOWING

48
00:05:25.124 --> 00:05:31.564
POSITIVE INCREASE OF POPULATION.
THAT'S ULTIMATELY OUR GOAL.
WE'VE CHANGED OUR APPROACH AND
YOU SEE COMMUNITIES AS PARTNERS

49
00:05:31.564 --> 00:05:38.971
AND IN WHITING, VALPARAISO,
HAMMOND, OTHER PLACES WHERE THE
MAYORS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE
PARTNERING TO IMPROVE THE

50
00:05:38.971 --> 00:05:48.114
QUALITY OF LIFE AND MAKE SOME
VERY ATTRACTIVE FEATURES WHETHER
ON THE LAKESHORE OR DOWNTOWN
DOWNTOWN, THAT KIND OF THING.

51
00:05:48.114 --> 00:05:49.115
>> THE CEO OF THE NORTH WEST