>> HELLO AND WELCOME TO INSIDE INDIANA BUSINESS. I'M GERRY DICK. FOR DECADES, NORTHWEST INDIANA
HAS BEEN LAGGING WHEN IT COMES TO INVESTMENT, JOBS AND ECONOMIC VITALITY. BUT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THINGS
ARE CHANGING IN THE STATE'S SECOND-LARGEST REGIONAL ECONOMY. IN 2020, NORTHWEST INDIANA BY THE NUMBERS WITH ATTRACTION AND
EXPANSION THERE WERE 2433 COMMITTED JOBS, $254 MILLION INVESTMENTS AND THE AVERAGE WAGE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER SEVEN
COUNTIES IN THE AREA AND OUTPACED THE 2019 NUMBERS. ALSO, THE INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE WAS DESIGNATED THE
61ST NATIONAL PARK. THE GARY AIRPORT ADDED A CUSTOMS FACILITY AT UPS AND IN HAMMOND DIGITAL CROSSROAD OPENED IS $200
MILLION DATA CENTER. AND FOR DETAILS, I'M PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY NORTHWEST INDIANA FORUM CEO HEATHER ENNIS.
HEATHER, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. >> HI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME, GERRY. >> THAT'S A LOT THAT I MENTIONED
OFF THE TOP. THAT REALLY IS KIND OF JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, MOST RECENTLY A $300 MILLION CASINO, HARD ROCK CASINO IN
NORTHERN INDIANA OPENED THERE. THAT WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE NORTHWEST INDIANA REALLY A DESTINATION WHEN IT COMES TO
GAMING AND THOSE FOLKS ATTRACTED TO THAT. >> OUTSTANDING. ABSOLUTELY, GERRY, WE'VE GOT HORSESHOE
CASINO, BLUE CHIP CASINO, AMERISTAR ALREADY OPERATING IN MARKET. THIS JUST ADDS A LABELED CROWN JEWEL IN THE ALREADY
BEAUTIFUL NORTHWEST INDIANA ARENA OF CASINOS. SO A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US, AND WE'RE SO DELIGHTED TO SEE THE HARD ROCK
LAND HERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE VENUE FOR CONCERTS AND DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THERE. >> BIG INVESTMENT CONSTRUCTION
JOBS, $300 MILLION INVESTMENT THERE. AS YOU LOOK AT NORTHWEST INDIANA AS A DESTINATION, CERTAINLY THE DUNES HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A DESTINATION, BUT THE RECENT -- 2019, THE DESTINATION AS A NATIONAL PARK, REALLY PUT THE REGION THE MAP IN A LOT OF
WAYS. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN'T THANK CONGRESSMAN -- ENOUGH FOR HIS WORK TO MOVE THAT ALONG. WE'VE
GOT BEAUTIFUL -- 42 MILES OF BEAUTIFUL COASTLINE IN NORTHWEST INDIANA, REALLY SHOWCASES REALLY WELL AS A NATIONAL PARK NOW.
PEOPLE USE THAT AS A STAMP IN THEIR PASSPORT OF PLACES THEY WANT TO VISIT. SO WE'RE REALLY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER A
NATIONAL PARK EXPERIENCE HERE IN NORTHWEST INDIANA. >> IN TERMS OF SO MUCH WE CAN TALK ABOUT, IN TERMS OF
TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS, PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT DECADE, THE WEST LAKE CORRIDOR EXTENSION INTO LAKE
COUNTY, A BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, THAT IS UNDER WAY AS WELL AS THE SOUTH SHORE DOUBLE TRACKING, AS WELL. TWO MAJOR
TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO IMPACT NORTHWEST INDIANA TO CHICAGO, TRAVEL TIME IN STATE AS WELL, IT OPENS UP
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES. >> HUGE, HUGE POTENTIAL. SO THESE AREN'T JUST TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS, THESE ARE EXPECT
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS -- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, AROUND THE DOUBLE TRACKING IN WEST LAKE THAT THE STATE LEGISLATION PUT
INTO PLAY ARE GAME-CHANGING. THEY'RE REALLY REVOLUTIONARY, AND PLACES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE DOING
THINGS IN NORTHWEST INDIANA NOW. THERE IS GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTMENT ALONG THOSE CORRIDORS, AND TO REALLY BE ABLE
TO CAPTURE THE INCREMENT AND CONTINUE THE GROWTH ALONG THOSE. SO, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE FIBER, AND INFRASTRUCTURE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT THOSE CREATE BUILD THE WAY FOR A GREAT TECHNOLOGY CORRIDOR AS WELL. SO NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE THAT
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT COMES ALONG WITH IT, AND REALLY CAN CREATE A
ROBUST ECOSYSTEM FOR ENTREPRENEUR. >> HAVE TO HAVE YOU MENTION, HEATHER, A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES
ARE INVESTING IN QUALIFY OF LIFE, QUALITY OF PLACE PROJECTS, YEW ATTRACTING PEOPLE FROM ILLINOIS WITH THE TAX SITUATION
AND OTHER THINGS IN ILLINOIS, GETTING NEW RESIDENTS INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA. >> YEAH, SO WE'RE SEEING GREAT
THINGS HAPPENING AROUND QUALITY OF PLACE, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND THE CITIES OF VALPARAISO, CROWN POINT, WHITING, HAMMOND IS DOING
A WALKABLE DOWNTOWN. REALLY, FOLKS ARE COMING TO NORTHWEST INDIANA, WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY TRYING TO BUILD OUR INVENTORY
BECAUSE WE CAN'T KEEP IT IN STOCK. THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS SO GREAT HERE, AND REALLY WE HAD SOME FOLKS MOVE OVER HERE THAT
WERE TALKING ABOUT THEY MOVED FROM NAPIERVILLE AND THEY HAD RELOCATED TO VALPARAISO. THEY SAID DURING A PANDEMIC IN THE
FIRST SIX MONTHS OF LIVING IN NORTHWEST INDIANA THEY MET MORE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND MADE MORE FRIEND THAN THE SIX YEARS THEY
LIVED IN NAPIERVILLE. I THINK -- ILLINOIS IS A WONDERFUL PLACE AS WELL. I DON'T WANT IT TO BE A ZERO SUM GAME. BUT WE
ARE REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE FRIENDLY FOLKS AND GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE HERE. >> VERY GOOD. YOU SAID NORTHWEST
INDIANA BEGINNING TO GET ITS SWAGGER BACK A BIT. A LOT OF PROJECTS GOING ON, REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME. AND WE'LL