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The $845 million sale of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and other assets from the Tribune Co. to the Ricketts family was completed Tuesday, more than 2.5 years after the baseball franchise was put on the market.

The family of billionaire Joe Ricketts, the founder of Omaha, Neb.-based TD Ameritrade, takes a 95 percent controlling interest in the baseball franchise, its storied ballpark and 25 percent of Comcast Sportsnet, which broadcasts many Cubs games.

After taxes and fees, Chicago-based Tribune, which owns the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, other newspapers and TV stations, expects to reap about $740 million from the deal. Family members Pete, Tom, Laura and Todd Ricketts will control the team as its board of directors, though Tribune retains a 5 percent stake and will have a seat on the board.

The deal tops the record $660 million paid for the Boston Red Sox and its related properties in 2002.

Tom Ricketts, 44, who will serve as board chairman, said it was time to “go to work building the championship tradition that all Cubs fans so richly deserve.”

The Cubs have not been to the World Series since 1945 and have not won it since the second of back-to-back championships in 1908.

A news conference was scheduled for Friday at Wrigley Field.

Tribune bought the Cubs in 1981 for $20.5 million from candy maker Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.

The company announced on Opening Day in 2007 that the marquee baseball franchise and historic ballpark would be sold at the end of that season. But the process was slowed by CEO Sam Zell’s efforts to maximize profits, the collapse of the credit markets and Tribune’s 2008 bankruptcy filing.

Tribune filed for bankruptcy protection last December and the Cubs followed suit a few weeks ago, a short stay intended simply to protect its new owners from potential claims by Tribune creditors.

The Ricketts family sold 34 million Ameritrade shares earlier this year to raise $403 million for the Cubs deal, but still controls about 16 percent of the company’s stock and two board seats.

Tom Ricketts was a market maker at the Chicago Board Options Exchange and finance executive before starting investment bank Incapital LLC in 1999. A Chicago investment banker, he is a Cubs die-hard who grew up watching the team, once lived in an apartment across the street from Wrigley and first met his wife in the stands at a game there.

New park has about 80,000 visits since April

The Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Park has had about 80,000 visitors since it opened in April, according to officials. (Photograph by Jon L. Hendricks/The Times.)

Jesse and Phyllis Weldon sat at a picnic table at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk looking out at Lake Michigan on a cool morning.

“It is just so relaxing and peaceful here,” Phyllis Weldon said.

She and her husband have been coming to the park site nearly every day for three months. They gave up a gym membership and instead walk the trails and the riverwalk daily.

The Weldons aren’t alone. Since the park opened for its first season in early April, it has had nearly 80,000 visits, said Costa Dillon, superintendent of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which owns the property.

Its success doesn’t surprise anyone involved. They contend they knew that if it was built, people would come.

“I am very encouraged by the success of the park,” Portage Mayor Olga Velazquez said.

The numbers of visitors, according to U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, represents the desire of the people for open access to Lake Michigan. He knew that when he developed his Marquette Greenway Plan. The plan, approved in 2005, aims to recapture 75 percent of the Lake Michigan shoreline from the Illinois state line to Portage, for public use.

The park’s birth came about through a partnership between federal, state and local government groups along with private industry. Construction dollars came from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. An operation agreement between Portage and National Park Service allowing the city to operate the park is considered the first of its kind.

“The Marquette Plan was one of the major motivators for the creation of the RDA,” said Leigh Morris, RDA executive director. “No individual unit of government would be able to handle the financial burden alone. . . . It takes the vision, the resources and good leadership to implement these projects.”

The funding from the RDA, said Visclosky, was “absolutely critical and necessary.”

Portage Lakefront is not the only Marquette Plan project receiving funds from the RDA. Projects in Gary, East Chicago, Hammond, Whiting and Burns Harbor are also being partially funded through RDA dollars.

Visclosky credits the vision of those involved, particularly the five mayors in office when the Marquette Plan was adopted and successors carrying on with the plans.

For example, he said, East Chicago needed to replace its water filtration plant. It could have been replaced on its original site near the lakeshore, he said, but Mayor George Pabay decided against it.

“George sees the future. He’s rebuilding it to the south,” said Visclosky. That make 10 acres along the lakefront available for redevelopment.

Some criticize the spending of RDA funds for Marquette Projects, charging it doesn’t create jobs.

Visclosky disagrees.

“There is a huge economic element, especially for young people. Quality of life issues like these attract people and they enhance our attractiveness for job retention and attraction,” he said.

“The economic benefit for our region is significant with visitors spending time in our communities and taking the opportunity to perhaps spend a day, a weekend or even a week enjoying the recreational opportunities available along our lakefront,” Velazquez said.

Some say business is down, but others find people still eager to protect what they have

Local lawyers say it’s critically important for people to protect their assets to make sure holdings will go to the right people at the right time with a minimum of trouble and expense. Valparaiso lawyer Michael Miller, above, said even simple arrangements can be problematic. (Photograph by Jon L. Hendricks/The Times.)

In an economy racked by uncertainty, many people take a “wait and see” attitude toward purchases and planning of all kinds. More than a few have watched the value of their homes fall or their retirement investments stumble—and they’re waiting until the economy recovers to forge ahead.

That’s not a wise move, according to estate-planning experts. Local lawyers say it’s critically important for people to protect their assets, even if they’re currently somewhat diminished, to make sure holdings will go to the right people at the right time with a minimum of trouble and expense.

It’s true some people are gun-shy right now, said David Mears, a Highland attorney who has done estate planning for nearly four decades.

“A will or estate planning are the last things some people want to think about,” Mears said. “And right now, there are serious concerns about the economy. But it’s important to have a plan and to review it every few years.”

Jack O’Drobinak, a Schererville attorney who counsels many clients, said business isn’t down for his firm, but he surmises many are putting off longer-range planning.

“Yes, assets may be down, but that makes it even more important to protect them,” O’Drobinak said. “Everyone needs a clear plan for his or her estate and good advice on protections from unnecessary costs and taxes.”

Estate planning allows people to leave their assets to the people they choose and under the conditions they prefer. One group of clients that rarely ignores such planning is parents of disabled children who want to leave clear instructions on the future care and financial support of their offspring.

But others, including many whose assets may be few or who only have life insurance proceeds to bequeath, often don’t take the necessary precautions.

“Even with insurance policy beneficiaries clearly delineated, there can be issues,” advised Michael Miller, who practices law in Valparaiso and has many estate-planning clients. “If a beneficiary is deceased at the time of the client’s death, there need to be additional instructions, to avoid problems or holdups in disbursement of proceeds.”

Miller said even simple arrangements—for instance, the new “transfer on death” deed with which a person could leave a house to three surviving children—can be problematic if not all the children want to sell the house.

Lawsuits to resolve such issues just eat away at the assets.

Protecting assets is one critical advantage of estate planning. Documents like living trusts can outline specific instructions and disbursements and make it possible to avoid probate court where a judge becomes involved, and costs escalate.

In addition, estate planners keep abreast of current law. Federal estate tax rates change and must be considered. In 2010, there is no estate tax, for instance, but the tax is set to return in 2011 with an exemption of $1 million.

If it sounds confusing, that’s because estate planning can be complicated.

Most people are not versed in the ins and outs of wills and trusts, estate taxation or laws that affect everything from real-estate transfers to life-insurance policies. Estate planning is also affected by laws, both federal and state that are subject to constant change. For instance, some states collect inheritance tax and others do not (Indiana does, Illinois does not).

And even people who decide to give away as much of their money or assets before death to direct the goodies where they want them to go should get legal advice on current laws—there’s a federal tax on gifts over certain amounts.

Gary Bonk, a Schererville lawyer who has done estate planning since 1986, said the best bet is for everyone to get some legal advice.

“Estate planning may be taking a hit due to the sour economy, but its value is great,” Bonk said. “People usually have more assets than they realize and very specific wishes about their disbursement. Without some expert help, it’s hard for a person to determine what kind of plan they need to have in place.”

The basics are still complex

A review of your estate plan every two to four years is essential. Change is constant: you may have changes in beneficiaries or assets, and tax and estate laws routinely change. An estate planner can help you make the required updates and revisions.

Many families believe they have so few assets an estate plan is unnecessary. This is not true. We often have more assets than we realize, although some assets may become important only after our death. The most notable asset of this type is life insurance. Whether you consider yourselves a family of substantial means or one with little or no assets, estate planning should be done.

An inheritance tax is an assessment made on the portion of an estate received by an individual. Eleven states still collect an inheritance tax. They are: Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

An estate tax is levied on an entire estate before it is distributed to individuals.

In all states, transferring assets to a spouse are exempt from the tax. In some states, transfers to children and close relatives also are exempt.

Estate tax changes are inevitable. Under current law, the basic federal estate-tax exemption for 2009 is $3.5 million, and the top estate-tax rate is 45 percent. (Transfers between spouses typically are tax-free.)

In 2010 the tax is scheduled to disappear entirely—only to reappear in 2011 with a $1 million exemption and a top rate of 55 percent on the largest estates.

While a Last Will and Testament is an important part of any estate plan, there’s one main drawback to having your assets pass under the terms of your will: the property must go through probate before your loved ones will be able to have access to it. Probate can take anywhere from nine months to several years, which means your family will have limited and sometimes no access to your assets until probate has been completed.

Check out BusINess’ weekly newsletter online or click here to subscribe and get the latest NWI business news delivered weekly, straight to your inbox.

Indiana’s jobless rate down again, bucking national trend; NWI tourism bureaus battle to attract $1 billion and countless jobs; a new plan for revitalizing Gary—and the region—unveiled. Lake County officials approve $180 million for economic development; Steel City’s mayor hopes Jackson museum comes to pop star’s boyhood home; state lawmakers vote for liquor law status quo. And heads of bailed-out firms take government-mandated pay cuts; young people finally embrace Twitter; and Windows 7 and hardware redesigns help give PCs a makeover.—Pat Colander, Editor and Associate Publisher, BusINess magazine, serving Northwest Indiana & Chicagoland

BusINess story of the week

• Indiana jobless rate falls for third straight month
Bucking national trend, state unemployment rate drops to 9.6 percent, even as Illinois’ rate rises by half a point to 10.5 percent. Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C., had month-over-month unemployment rate increases in September. nwi.com/inbusiness

what’s news

• Region’s tourism bureaus in three-way battle for dollars
More than $1 billion and countless jobs are at stake in a race to entice tourism money to the region, and three bureaus with divergent philosophies and methods remain at the center of that struggle. nwi.com/inbusiness

• ‘Gary Project’ pitches support to business leaders
Supporters of an effort dubbed “Shaping Northwest Indiana and Gary’s Future” have unveiled a plan detailing how organizations such as the Chicago-based Metropolitan Planning Council will help bring ideas to revitalize the city. The idea behind the plan? The region can’t thrive if its largest city is in decline. nwi.com/inbusiness

• $180M in projects bring boost to region
Lake County commissioners voted last week to support $180 million in planned economic development projects in Gary, Hammond and Hobart, including a new hospital, hotel, train station, sports facility, and office building that are together expected to bring 1,000 jobs to the region. nwi.com/inbusiness

• Gary mayor hopes to land Jackson museum in Steel City
Mayor Rudy Clay hopes the city doesn’t roll snake eyes in its effort to land tourism and community venues related to honoring Michael Jackson and his family. On Wednesday, a news conference will likely be held in Las Vegas to announce the locations of a Jackson-themed museum. And Clay will be there. nwi.com

this week on our website

• 20 Under 40 BusINess e-edition
Now in the right-hand column of the home page on our website, check out the live, full-color, all-content version of the newest issue of BusINess magazine. nwi.com/inbusiness

• Spurned Saturn leads to local closures
Months after hoping that a corporate entity would buy Saturn or that General Motors Co. would keep the brand in its portfolio, Walker, general manager of the Merrillville dealership, said her dealership will close and her father will close two others he owns in Illinois. nwi.com/inbusiness

• Scholarships recognize leadership, academic achievement and community service
With high school seniors turning their attention to the college application process, Comcast recently announced that it is accepting nominations from high school principals and guidance counselors for the 2010 Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program, which annually awards $1,000 scholarships to students to help support their pursuit of higher education. nwi.com/inbusiness

• Coffee Creek Center has never met potential
A dozen years after planners envisioned a “new urbanism” mecca at Coffee Creek Center and three years after sale of the land gave rise to new hopes of retail and professional campus development, the area off Ind. 49 north of the Indiana Toll Road is still an underachiever. nwi.com/inbusiness

beyond the region

• INDIANAPOLIS—State lawmakers turn cold shoulder to chilled beer, Sunday sales
A legislative panel last week unanimously recommended keeping intact state laws barring Sunday alcohol sales and the sale of cold beer in locations other than liquor stores. But although the study committee favored status quo, changes could still be offered in January. nwi.com

• WASHINGTON—Treasury: bailed-out firms to slash pay in Nov.
Average salaries for the top 25 executives at the companies are being cut 90 percent starting next month. The action will apply to the top executives at Bank of America Corp., American International Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., General Motors, GMAC, Chrysler and Chrysler Financial. Cash salaries will be limited to $500,000 for more than 90 percent of affected employees. nwi.com

upcoming and interesting

• Grudgingly, young people finally flock to Twitter
They think it’s pointless, narcissistic. Some don’t even know what it is. Even so, more young adults and teens—normally at the cutting edge of technology—are finally coming around to Twitter. nwi.com

• With Windows 7 and new designs, PCs looking better
Computers with the Windows operating system suddenly seem a lot less utilitarian: Microsoft’s marketing has gotten savvier and PC makers have followed Apple Inc.’s lead by improving hardware design. nwi.com

NWI bureaus differ in philosophies, funding strategies

Games are in full swing at Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City. The casino is the focal point of LaPorte County's tourism industry. In 2008, 64.4 percent of tourism-related tax revenues in LaPorte County were from Blue Chip, according to a LaPorte County bureau-sponsored economic impact study of 2001 to 2008. (Photograph by John Luke/The Times.)

More than $1 billion and countless jobs are at stake in a race to entice tourism money to the region, and three bureaus with divergent philosophies and methods remain at the center of that struggle.

A Times analysis of budgets and stated-funded economic impact statements for Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties’ tourism bureaus revealed fundamental differences in how the groups go about attracting tourism money and who makes the final decisions. It also revealed that the biggest benefits to region taxpayers aren’t always delivered by the largest bureau.

The Times analysis showed:

Visitors spent nearly $1.4 billion in Lake, LaPorte and Porter counties in 2004—the latest year for which standardized statistics are available.

Casinos dominate the tourism industries in Lake and LaPorte counties.

Although Lake County draws the most tourism-related money, LaPorte County’s tourism industry saved each of its county residents $168.30 more in taxes than the largest region tourism bureau was able to muster.

The Porter County Council forces that county’s tourism bureau to spend $89,100, or about 6.5 percent of its budget, on four county-owned venues every year, something the tourism board has unsuccessfully fought.

Porter County’s marketing focus is on the Indiana Dunes, an attraction some tourism officials believe is the best lure for visitors but that others believe detracts from other important economic development.

The Lake County-based South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority allocated more than $386,000, or 8.6 percent, of its budget to the 2009 Gary South Shore Air Show, but officials said only $110,000 was spent because of revenue and private donations generated by the event.

Who controls the tourism bureaus?

Of the three tourism bureaus, only Porter County’s is beholden to county government officials. And at least one member of the county’s tourism board is at odds with those officials regarding allocation of tourism dollars.

Lake and LaPorte counties’ bureaus are managed by independent boards appointed by local government officials. The Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission, on the other hand, is a division of county government and must have its budget approved by the Porter County Council.

That distinction impacts how the bureaus spend their money.

Lorelei Weimer, executive director of the Porter County tourism bureau, said the county council requires her office to direct $89,100 in tourism dollars to four county-owned venues each year.

The money is split among the Porter County Exposition Center and Fairgrounds, Parks and Recreation Department, Memorial Opera House and Porter County Museum, the bureau’s records show.

Neither Lake nor LaPorte counties’ bureaus allocate any funding to attractions in their communities. For example, the Little Red School House in Hammond and the Old Courthouse in Crown Point are funded by private donations and grants, not through tourism dollars.

The Porter County tourism bureau’s board of directors attempted this year to reallocate its venue-designated money to bureau Web site upgrades, but the Porter County Council denied that move, said Jeff Good, a tourism board member.

“I’m not against the Porter County Museum,” Good said. “We need to preserve it. I just don’t think it should be done with tourism dollars.”

State law requires the tourism bureau’s money—which is separate from the county general fund—to be spent on promotion-related activities and advertising. Officials from all four venues said they spend the money—in part—on advertising, promotion of shows and other programs.

But Kevin Pazour, executive director of the Porter County Museum and Historical Society, said the $17,820 his group receives from the bureau also is used to pay for part-time staff and to boost his salary as a spokesman for the museum.

“That money is vital to our existence,” he said. “It’s the only money we get to promote our events.”

Weimer said she did not know the tourism dollars were being used for salaries. She told The Times she would be speaking with the bureau’s attorney to find out if tourism dollars could legally be spent on salaries.

Porter County Council President Bob Poparad said the council did not want the bureau to cut its support of the county-owned venues.

“We just wanted them to continue the level of support they had given to the venues in the past because we were tight on money this year,” he said.

‘Heads in beds, cheeks in seats’

Speros Batistatos, president and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, said his staff’s efforts are focused on one goal: “heads in beds and cheeks in seats.”

Lake County is one of the top 10 counties in the state for number of employees in the tourism industry, money spent by local hotels and taxes generated, according to a tourism-related study by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research and Building Better Communities.

The Lake County bureau also boasted the state’s second-highest amount of visitor spending behind Marion County, according to a 2006 economic impact study of travel and tourism based on 2004 data. Porter and LaPorte counties ranked seventh and 10th, respectively.

Although Lake outpaced its region counterparts in every category, Porter and LaPorte counties’ tourism-related commerce actually provided a higher return per resident, a Times analysis of the state-funded study shows.

LaPorte County residents reaped the biggest benefit from the tourism industry.

The county’s tourism industry drew $2,032.20 in visitor spending and $433.30 in taxes per LaPorte County resident in 2004, data shows. Porter County generated 1,901.78 in visitor spending and $408.36 in tax revenue per resident.

Lake County brought $1,776.22 in visitor spending and $365.77 in taxes per resident in 2004.

Sales force

Lake and LaPorte county leaders say they aggressively use staff to lure conventions, sporting events and visitors to their communities. Their budgets, which emphasize personnel and travel expenditures, reflect that philosophy.

In 2009, the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau allocated $677,460, or about 44.3 percent of its $1.5 million budget, to staff salaries and benefits. Another 3.4 percent was slotted for travel expenditures, a Times analysis shows.

Jack Arnett, executive director of the LaPorte County bureau, noted that about 5 percent of the salary cost is reimbursed by the Northern Indiana Tourism Development Commission, a regional group to which LaPorte lends staff. Arnett said he also eliminated one position this year, a move that will be reflected in the 2010 budget.

The Lake County-based South Shore bureau allocated 39.5 percent of its budget to personnel and another 3 percent to travel—for a total of more than $1.9 million, a Times analysis shows.

Porter County, by comparison, allocated 25 percent of its budget to personnel and less than 1 percent to travel, The Times analysis shows.

Batistatos, head of the South Shore group, said travel—except for that done by the sales team—has been slashed because of the meager economy.

Batistatos said his team has provided local hotels with 39 business leads so far in 2009, accounting for 17 conventions and 22 sporting events.

Michael Williams, vice president and general manager of the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in Merrillville, said the South Shore sales team’s efforts fill 6,000 to 10,000 Radisson hotel rooms every year.

In LaPorte County, Arnett said his sales staff secures business for Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, smaller LaPorte County venues and the fairgrounds.

Lisa Woodson, events coordinator at Best Western LaPorte Hotel and Conference Center, said the LaPorte tourism bureau has been “extremely helpful” in providing leads for business, including the Midwest Clown Convention and RPM Fest.

Enhancing the product

Weimer said the Porter County tourism bureau’s approach has to be different than the other two counties because Porter lacks convention space with attached hotels. It also lacks a sales team.

Instead, the Porter County bureau focuses efforts on enhancing the Indiana Dunes and surrounding communities so visitors will spend the night and stay longer, Weimer said.

Lisle, Ill., resident Brooks Freeman, 10, lays in the shallow water at Indiana Dunes State Beach in Chesterton. The Porter County tourism bureau focuses efforts on enhancing the Indiana Dunes and surrounding communities so visitors will spend the night and stay longer, said Lorelei Weimer, executive director of the bureau. (Photograph by Jon L. Hendricks/The Times.)

The bureau is funding a Beyond the Beach discovery trail that incorporates nature with information about attractions beyond the Indiana Dunes.

But not everyone agrees with the bureau’s approach to tourism.

Porter County bureau board member Good, whose company owns hotels in Porter and LaPorte counties, said he believes the tourism bureau is too involved in parks and the Dunes.

“We’re spending all this money to market a destination that’s only viable for three or four months out of the year,” he said. “For things to make my hotels do better in Porter County, it isn’t bringing in more tourists in June, July and August. What would help is more economic development.”

But Weimer said the Porter County tourism bureau also focuses its resources on advertising and branding its communities.

“We can’t sit back as a CVB and just market the area,” she said. “It’s a critical component of what we do. But at the end of the day, the reason they come here is because of our product.”

Marketing and regional tension

Porter County spends 29.4 percent of its budget on marketing—the most of the three region bureaus, a Times analysis shows.

A portion of both the Porter and LaPorte bureaus’ marketing dollars are directed to the Northern Indiana Tourism Development Commission, a seven-county regional partnership that officials say allows them to expand their reach while maintaining their communities’ identities. The group is considering a regional website.

Batistatos said the South Shore bureau left the Northern Indiana group several years ago because it became too expensive and subsidized South Bend and Elkhart more than Northwest Indiana.

The South Shore bureau’s withdrawal from the group—coupled with the Lake County agency’s attempts to merge the three region bureaus—created tension among the South Shore and LaPorte and Porter bureaus.

“Oftentimes they are an obstacle in (the South Shore’s) ability to book regional business,” Batistatos said of his eastern neighbors. “We book business in spite of their existence.”

Weimer and Arnett said their offices do not work with the South Shore bureau.

“We’re pleased with our regional effort and don’t think we’ve put any obstacles in his way in hosting regional business,” Weimer said.

Batistatos said marketing a destination is much more than buying advertisements.

The South Shore bureau spends about 12.6 percent of its budget on marketing—the least of the three bureaus, a Times analysis shows.

But Batistatos said South Shore-sponsored programs including the Gary South Shore Air Show, John Dillinger Museum, Christmas Story displays, visitors hall and other special events are marketing-related expenditures by themselves.

About 400,000 people attended the 2009 Gary South Shore Air Show, Batistatos said.

“It put us in the Chicago news for a week straight with positive news,” he said. “You couldn’t spend $110,000 (on that kind of advertising). . . . Bringing people here and changing how they think and feel about Northwest Indiana we feel is at the core of our operation.”

Gaming and tourism

Although special events bring in new faces and dollars, it is the region’s riverboat casinos that dominate the tourism industry.

Blue Chip Casino is the focal point of LaPorte County’s tourism industry.

In 2008, 64.4 percent of tourism-related tax revenues in LaPorte County were from Blue Chip Casino, according to a LaPorte County bureau-sponsored economic impact study of 2001 to 2008.

Arnett, of the LaPorte County agency, said that number likely will be even higher as the casino books more groups for its new convention center.

“It’s unequivocally successful so far,” he said. “It’s changed the whole landscape for us.”

Lake County is home to the other four of the region’s five riverboat casinos.

Batistatos said the South Shore agency has not measured the percentage of Lake County tourism that can be attributed to the casinos but acknowledges the boats are a major force in attracting outside visitors. He said he would be interested in finding out how that travel lure of the gambling boats affects local restaurants and other businesses.

“I’m not sure anything brings more people to Northwest Indiana than the five riverboats,” Batistatos said. “Hands down they are the biggest generator of people from other states and other counties.”

Where the money comes from?

Lake and LaPorte counties’ tourism bureau budgets are funded by a 5 percent innkeeper’s tax and casino admission tax dollars. Porter County does not have a casino and relies entirely on the innkeeper’s tax, which is paid by the guests who stay in county hotels.

Coffee Creek Center has never met potential

A motorist travels through the undeveloped Coffee Creek in Chesterton. Apart from an 88-unit apartment building and about a dozen homes, the once highly touted development has failed to attract the interest of homebuyers. (Photograph by John L. Hendricks/The Times.)

A dozen years after planners envisioned a “new urbanism” mecca at Coffee Creek Center and three years after sale of the land gave rise to new hopes of retail and professional campus development, the area off Ind. 49 north of the Indiana Toll Road is still an underachiever.

In the mid-1990s, plans for a neo-traditional community across the 640-acre tract included up to 2,000 residential units and more than 3 million square feet of commercial, office and retail space.

It was showcased as an innovative master-planned community on the front lines against urban sprawl. People would live, work and play all within the same walkable neighborhood wrapped around a 167-acre nature preserve along the banks of Coffee Creek.

The plans garnered national attention, including a 1999 Time magazine article, and comparison to new urbanism superstars like Celebration, Fla. But only a handful of projects panned out.

Apart from an 88-unit apartment building and about a dozen homes, the development has failed to attract the interest of homebuyers, even on parcels already laid out with roads and streetlights.

Residents can walk to a gift shop and cafe, a salon and spa and a women’s apparel shop.

Merrillville resident Jerry Hornaday visits Coffee Creek's Watershed Preserve with his son, Malach, 4, and wife Ramona. The Coffee Creek development, originally hailed as a new kind of small town where you could live, work and play all within walking distance, never took off. (Photograph by John Luke/The Times.)

Opposite the Toll Road entrance, a Bob Evans restaurant, the Hilton Garden Inn and a gas station stand next to a three-building medical complex that includes the Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute.

In 2006, Illinois-based developer James Gierczyk bought major parcels of the 640 acres from Lake Erie Land Co., a subsidiary of energy provider NiSource Inc., the parent company of NIPSCO.

At the time, Gierczyk said he planned to move Coffee Creek in a new direction, away from its original intent as an urban community of pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

“I love the (new urbanism) concept, but I’m not so sure it will work here, and it certainly didn’t work in the past,” Gierczyk said then. “I want to move forward with exciting projects that make sense.”

In 2008, grand plans by the Optiva Group Ltd., of Strongsville, Ohio, to build a lifestyle center with a luxury hotel, a 2,500-seat community playhouse, shops, restaurants, nightclubs and a 10,000-seat sports complex went nowhere.

But a small-scale version of what Coffee Creek might have been continues to grow in Burns Harbor.

Seventy-five homes are now occupied at The Village at Burns Harbor, the town's first subdivision. It exemplifies the new urbanism ideals of walkable neighborhoods, smaller lots, parks and sustainable features that Coffee Creek aspired to. (Photograph by Jon L. Hendricks/The Times.)

The Village at Burns Harbor, the town’s first subdivision exemplifies the new urbanism ideals of walkable neighborhoods, smaller lots, parks and sustainable features that Coffee Creek aspired to.

Seventy-five homes are now occupied, and though the recession has slowed progress, the plan is still for 300 in total, developer Clifford Fleming said.

Fleming, a longtime proponent of neo-traditional communities, was involved with the Coffee Creek initiative at the beginning as attorney for Lake Erie Land Co. before starting The Village.

Some land use planners suggested Coffee Creek failed because the target audience—Chicagoans looking for elbow room—did not want the small lots of new urbanist communities. They wanted to show they had arrived—in the form of a big house and a big yard.

But Fleming calls that “baloney.”

“The design didn’t fail,” he said. Young professionals hurt by the recession are finding that the burdens of McMansions are lowering their quality of life and are finding new urbanist concepts attractive, he said.

At a time when the new urbanism hopes for Coffee Creek seem a thing of the past, it is hard to know the current status or plans for the land. Gierczyk and Lake Erie Land Co. Vice President Tom Godfrey did not respond to multiple requests for information.

Whither Coffee Creek? As Northwest Indiana battles the recession, economic winds may determine the property’s eventual destination. Much potential is still there. But so far, very little of the vision presented a dozen years ago has been brought to reality.

COFFEE CREEK’S SCANDAL

Efforts to lure investors met with scandal.

A federal investigation into the 1999 sale of 55 acres of Coffee Creek land to the local Carpenters Pension Fund landed four men in prison for scheming to influence the $10 million sale and later trying to cover up the scheme.

Former state Democratic Chairman Peter Manous, former Carpenters Union boss Gerry Nannenga, real estate agent Paul Ihle and Ihle’s partner, Kevin Pastrick—the son of former East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick—went to federal prison.

Comcast invites Indiana principals to nominate high school seniors for 2010 Comcast Leaders and Achievers scholarships

From the BusINess inbox—The BusINess editors are committed to keeping you informed about the latest news in NWI. Here’s today’s submission from the Comcast Foundation:

With high school seniors turning their attention to the college application process, Comcast today announced that it is accepting nominations from high school principals and guidance counselors for the 2010 Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program, which annually awards $1,000 scholarships to students to help support their pursuit of higher education.

One of the Comcast Foundation’s signature community investment programs, the Comcast Leaders and Achievers program recognizes students who have demonstrated leadership skills, academic achievement and a commitment to community service. Comcast has distributed nomination packages to high schools in the communities it serves and established December 11, 2009 as the deadline to receive nominations. One student per high school can be nominated.

“This is an exciting time of year for us, as we begin collecting applications from high school principals and guidance counselors and prepare to reward a new class of emerging young leaders in our area with Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarships,” said Scott Tenney, Senior Vice President of Comcast in Indiana.

“In these challenging economic times, we are more proud than ever to be able to provide assistance to local students to help them power their dreams for success.”

A commitment to community service is an essential component in the selection of winners of Comcast Leaders and Achievers scholarships. Previous winners have participated in a wide variety of community service activities, such as mentoring and tutoring younger students, volunteering at local hospitals and participating in blood, food and clothing drives. Community organizations throughout Indiana, including Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Boy Scouts of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters and American Cancer Society have benefited from the service and leadership of previous recipients.

Here’s how the nomination process works:

• Nominees must be selected by their high school principal or guidance counselor (principals and guidance counselors can request additional nomination forms by e-mailing comcast@applyists.com)
• Nominees must be full-time high school seniors
• Nominees must attend a high school located in a community served by Comcast
• Nominees must demonstrate a strong commitment to community service and display leadership abilities in school activities or through work experience
• Nominees must have a grade point average of 2.8 or higher
• Nominees must plan to attend an accredited, nonprofit college, university or vocational/technical school in the United States
• Home-schooled students can e-mail comcast@applyists.com for nomination forms
• The deadline for the 2010 Leaders and Achievers nominations is December 11, 2009
• Winners will be notified by the end of January 2010

Each year, Comcast works with high school principals, guidance counselors and school administrators to select the scholarship recipients. The program is overseen by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc., an independent firm that specializes in managing sponsored scholarship programs.

International Scholarship and Tuition Services independently manages and administers all aspects of the Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program. The Comcast Foundation works with International Scholarship and Tuition Services to establish program goals and guidelines and a list of eligible schools. International Scholarship and Tuition Services coordinates all related mailings and correspondence, receives and reviews all nominations and responds to inquiries from the public. Scholarship materials are not available directly through any Comcast office or the Comcast Foundation, and International Scholarship and Tuition Services cannot accept applications submitted by students on their own.

For additional information, visit comcast.com/scholarships.

Comcast powers dreams in the communities it serves by providing access to innovative technology, volunteering time, giving financial support and partnering with organizations to make communities stronger. The company focuses its community investment initiatives on building tomorrow’s leaders, promoting community service and expanding digital literacy. Since 2001, the Foundation has provided grants to national and local non-profit organizations in 39 states and Washington D.C.

About The Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation’s focus areas are volunteerism, literacy, and youth leadership development. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $64 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/inthecommunity.

The Northwest Indiana Forum met with communities in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties to discuss economic development issues and bring awareness to the NIRPC 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan.

Addressing the plan’s Steering Committee in a meeting Thursday, NWI Forum official Don Koliboski said mayors, economic development officials and planners for the 15 communities that include that sector of its government were interviewed. Their concerns included advanced technology, corridor development and implementation of shorter increments of the long-term strategy that is the 2040 plan.

Koliboski said the communities vary on what their priorities are and what they’d like to see in the plan. For example, he said, Whiting and East Chicago have marina development enhancement issues while Hobart and Crown Point have other concerns.

Commuter rail, meanwhile, was a concern in most of the communities.

Koliboski also said the communities would like to see NIRPC have a master framework where they could come to NIRPC as opposed to trying to contact their neighboring community.

“There were some concerns about some of the communities that they worded together in the past,” he said. “but something happened&mash;whether it’s a political issue or taxation issue or something very minor where the communication lines get cut off and they don’t have another party to go to.”

Koliboski said it’s important to bring awareness to the communities about the 2040 plan and getting them involved in public workshops so they could get their ideas and information involved in this process. Otherwise, he said they probably won’t be included in the overall end result of the plan.

“If they’re not on the bus they’re going to be left behind,” Koliboski said.

From the BusINess inbox—The BusINess editors are committed to keeping you informed about the latest news in NWI. Here’s today’s submission from South Shore Clean Cities:

Come celebrate South Shore Clean Cities’ 10th Anniversary Event, with special guest speaker Congressman Peter Visclosky.

When: Thrusday, November 12th
Where: Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana
From: 9am-11am (Deluxe Continental Breakfast & Program)
While this event is free of charge reservations are required.

To join in the celebration please bring non-perishable food items that will be donated to Northern Indiana Food Pantries. Collection bins will be located at event registration table.

Please contact South Shore Clean Cities by Friday November 6th at 219.365.4289 or email at southscc@comcast.net.

Idea behind revitalization is that region can’t thrive if it’s largest city is in decline

Times Publisher Bill Masterson Jr. addresses the One Region One Vision panel at the Radison Hotel on Thursday. (Photograph by John J. Watkins/The Times.)

Supporters of an effort dubbed “Shaping Northwest Indiana and Gary’s Future” unveiled an action plan Thursday detailing how organizations such as The Times and the Chicago-based Metropolitan Planning Council will help bring ideas to revitalize the city.

Metropolitan Planning Council spokeswoman Kristi DeLaurentiis said the goal of the effort—dubbed Gary Project—isn’t to create another study that sits on a shelf for years, but to build on developments already taking place and be a catalyst for them. The key to the project is that it will heavily engage city residents, state and federal lawmakers, local politicians and regional development agencies and provide consultants and technical experts in different fields such as taxation, she said.

DeLaurentiis insisted the project, which could kick off early next year, doesn’t yet have the philanthropic support needed to launch it. She added no taxpayer funds will be used moving the project forward, and letters of support from businesses, organizations and other leaders are vital.

“We’re in a startup phase,” DeLaurentiis said. “We’re trying to engage local stakeholders.”

Times Publisher Bill Masterson Jr. said the Gary Project will follow the progress that One Region/One Vision has already made. When mayors from different communities talk about finding efficiencies in government and administrators from regional health institutions are able to talk and have “co-opetition,” the entire area can benefit, Masterson said.

Gary Mayor Rudy Clay hopes the project helps bring out the potential of Lake County’s most populous city and takes advantage of being linked to Chicago, the country’s third-largest city. Clay said Gary already has collaborative efforts under way with Lake Station to buy material to patch potholes and is in a purchasing pool with cities and towns to defray costs for deicing salt.

“The state can’t be what it ought to be without Gary being the way it ought to be,” Clay said.

Times Executive Editor Bill Nangle said another key to the project is getting people in Dyer—and other communities—to understand the importance of revitalizing Gary.

Nangle also said the MPC was tapped because of its expertise in coordinating development projects and its high-profile connections. Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Barack Obama, formerly served on the organization’s board and the MPC last month brought two Cabinet members to Chicago to talk about looking for innovation in metropolitan areas. Founded 75 years ago, the Metropolitan Planning Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to develop, promote and implement policies and plans for regional economic growth.

The presentation was a part of the Gary Chamber of Commerce’s Thought Leadership Series.