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>> HELLO AND WELCOME TO INSIDE
INDIANA BUSINESS. I'M GERRY
DICK.
FOR DECADES, NORTHWEST INDIANA

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HAS BEEN LAGGING WHEN IT COMES
TO INVESTMENT, JOBS AND ECONOMIC
VITALITY.
BUT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THINGS

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ARE CHANGING IN THE STATE'S
SECOND-LARGEST REGIONAL ECONOMY.
IN 2020, NORTHWEST INDIANA BY
THE NUMBERS WITH ATTRACTION AND

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EXPANSION THERE WERE 2433
COMMITTED JOBS, $254 MILLION
INVESTMENTS AND THE AVERAGE WAGE
IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER SEVEN

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COUNTIES IN THE AREA AND
OUTPACED THE 2019 NUMBERS.
ALSO, THE INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL
LAKESHORE WAS DESIGNATED THE

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61ST NATIONAL PARK.
THE GARY AIRPORT ADDED A CUSTOMS
FACILITY AT UPS AND IN HAMMOND
DIGITAL CROSSROAD OPENED IS $200

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MILLION DATA CENTER.
AND FOR DETAILS, I'M PLEASED TO
BE JOINED BY NORTHWEST INDIANA
FORUM CEO HEATHER ENNIS.

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HEATHER, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
>> HI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME, GERRY.
>> THAT'S A LOT THAT I MENTIONED

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OFF THE TOP. THAT REALLY IS KIND
OF JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG,
MOST RECENTLY A $300 MILLION
CASINO, HARD ROCK CASINO IN

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NORTHERN INDIANA OPENED THERE.
THAT WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE
NORTHWEST INDIANA REALLY A
DESTINATION WHEN IT COMES TO

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GAMING AND THOSE FOLKS ATTRACTED
TO THAT.
>> OUTSTANDING. ABSOLUTELY,
GERRY, WE'VE GOT HORSESHOE

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CASINO, BLUE CHIP CASINO,
AMERISTAR ALREADY OPERATING IN
MARKET. THIS JUST ADDS A LABELED
CROWN JEWEL IN THE ALREADY

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BEAUTIFUL NORTHWEST INDIANA
ARENA OF CASINOS. SO A HUGE
OPPORTUNITY FOR US, AND WE'RE SO
DELIGHTED TO SEE THE HARD ROCK

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LAND HERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE
VENUE FOR CONCERTS AND DIFFERENT
OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
>> BIG INVESTMENT CONSTRUCTION

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JOBS, $300 MILLION INVESTMENT
THERE. AS YOU LOOK AT NORTHWEST
INDIANA AS A DESTINATION,
CERTAINLY THE DUNES HAS ALWAYS

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BEEN A DESTINATION, BUT THE
RECENT -- 2019, THE DESTINATION
AS A NATIONAL PARK, REALLY PUT
THE REGION THE MAP IN A LOT OF

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WAYS.
>> ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN'T THANK
CONGRESSMAN -- ENOUGH FOR HIS
WORK TO MOVE THAT ALONG. WE'VE

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GOT BEAUTIFUL -- 42 MILES OF
BEAUTIFUL COASTLINE IN NORTHWEST
INDIANA, REALLY SHOWCASES REALLY
WELL AS A NATIONAL PARK NOW.

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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

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NATIONAL PARK EXPERIENCE HERE IN
NORTHWEST INDIANA.
>> IN TERMS OF SO MUCH WE CAN
TALK ABOUT, IN TERMS OF

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TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS,
PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED
ABOUT DECADE, THE WEST LAKE
CORRIDOR EXTENSION INTO LAKE

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COUNTY, A BILLION DOLLAR
PROJECT, THAT IS UNDER WAY AS
WELL AS THE SOUTH SHORE DOUBLE
TRACKING, AS WELL. TWO MAJOR

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TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT ARE
GOING TO IMPACT NORTHWEST
INDIANA TO CHICAGO, TRAVEL TIME
IN STATE AS WELL, IT OPENS UP

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INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
>> HUGE, HUGE POTENTIAL. SO
THESE AREN'T JUST TRANSPORTATION
PROJECTS, THESE ARE EXPECT

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DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS -- ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, AROUND THE
DOUBLE TRACKING IN WEST LAKE
THAT THE STATE LEGISLATION PUT

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INTO PLAY ARE GAME-CHANGING.
THEY'RE REALLY REVOLUTIONARY,
AND PLACES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE DOING

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THINGS IN NORTHWEST INDIANA NOW.
THERE IS GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR
INVESTMENT ALONG THOSE
CORRIDORS, AND TO REALLY BE ABLE

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TO CAPTURE THE INCREMENT AND
CONTINUE THE GROWTH ALONG THOSE.
SO, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE
FIBER, AND INFRASTRUCTURE

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OPPORTUNITIES THAT THOSE CREATE
BUILD THE WAY FOR A GREAT
TECHNOLOGY CORRIDOR AS WELL. SO
NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE THAT

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TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE,
BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE OTHER
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT COMES ALONG
WITH IT, AND REALLY CAN CREATE A

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ROBUST ECOSYSTEM FOR
ENTREPRENEUR.
>> HAVE TO HAVE YOU MENTION,
HEATHER, A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES

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ARE INVESTING IN QUALIFY OF
LIFE, QUALITY OF PLACE PROJECTS,
YEW ATTRACTING PEOPLE FROM
ILLINOIS WITH THE TAX SITUATION

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AND OTHER THINGS IN ILLINOIS,
GETTING NEW RESIDENTS INTO
NORTHWEST INDIANA.
>> YEAH, SO WE'RE SEEING GREAT

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THINGS HAPPENING AROUND QUALITY
OF PLACE, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND
THE CITIES OF VALPARAISO, CROWN
POINT, WHITING, HAMMOND IS DOING

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A WALKABLE DOWNTOWN. REALLY,
FOLKS ARE COMING TO NORTHWEST
INDIANA, WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY
TRYING TO BUILD OUR INVENTORY

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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

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WERE TALKING ABOUT THEY MOVED
FROM NAPIERVILLE AND THEY HAD
RELOCATED TO VALPARAISO. THEY
SAID DURING A PANDEMIC IN THE

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FIRST SIX MONTHS OF LIVING IN
NORTHWEST INDIANA THEY MET MORE
OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND MADE MORE
FRIEND THAN THE SIX YEARS THEY

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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

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ARE REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE
FRIENDLY FOLKS AND GREAT QUALITY
OF LIFE HERE.
>> VERY GOOD. YOU SAID NORTHWEST

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INDIANA BEGINNING TO GET ITS
SWAGGER BACK A BIT. A LOT OF
PROJECTS GOING ON, REALLY
APPRECIATE THE TIME. AND WE'LL