City gets $300,000 grant for NewPorte Landing development

Daniel Przybyla, 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13865, dprzybyla@heraldargus.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- The city of LaPorte has been awarded yet another grant for the development of NewPorte Landing. The Indiana Brownfields Program announced Monday that LaPorte is one of the first recipients of a new grant available to help communities clean up brownfield sites.

LaPorte was awarded a $300,000 remediation grant to clean up the former Allis-Chalmers powerhouse.

This most recent grant brings the total in grant dollars for NewPorte Landing to $1.1 million. The state and federal grants help match local funds used in assessing the 150 acres of brownfield, environmental testing and cleanup work.

“It’s fantastic. It’s exactly what we need to get NewPorte Landing going. Grants are an essential ingredient in getting this cleaned up,” Mayor Leigh Morris said.

The $300,000 will help in removing remaining asbestos at the powerhouse as well as tearing down the structure.

The McClung Road landfill will be sealed and fill put over the top of it yet this year, Morris said. Other cleanup work is expected to be done on zone 2, a 50-acre area north of Truesdell Avenue consisting of the former LaPorte Foundry and a portion of the Allis-Chalmers properties.

“Cleaning up blighted areas in our cities and towns leads to new development, which brings in new businesses, and ultimately creates jobs for Hoosiers -- Gov. Mitch Daniels’ number-one goal,” said Ryan Kitchell, public finance director, in a press release. “Encouraging revitalization is an important aspect of Daniels’ plan for a stronger Indiana economy.”

Grant recipients around the state have to demonstrate a certain level of investment in their sites within a two-year period following award of the grant, which is based upon the applicant’s population and median household income from the 2000 census. Local project support and redevelopment plans or potential were also factors in choosing the recipients.

Story posted: 6/14/2006