The nonprofit Greenways Foundation recently gave Burns Harbor its Outstanding Local Government award for its work on the Marquette Greenway.
The Greenways Foundation champions Indiana’s trail networks and highlights leadership and trail projects across the state.
Mitch Barloga, trail czar at the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission and the foundation’s board president, called Burns Harbor “plucky” for its “huge commitment to this quality of life issue.”
“Burns Harbor is a great example of how these trails can improve community stature in the region,” he said.
Through the Town Council and the Redevelopment Commission, guided by consultant Tina Rongers, the town has been aggressive in building sections of the trail.
“It might be one of the nicest parts of the trail through there,” Barloga said. A section of the trail opened last year winds through an open area where the town hopes to attract a developer to bring residential and commercial development to the small town.
“It’s really exciting to have the trail as a centerpiece for this,” Redevelopment Commission President Roseann Bozak said. “Not many other towns and cities along the Marquette Greenway had the benefit of getting the trail first and being able to bring that into the development.”
That’s a good example of trail-oriented development, Barloga said. “They really leaned into that heavily with this development.”
“We are still working on the final piece in Burns Harbor that will connect to the town of Porter,” Bozak said. “We’re really excited about that collaboration. It’s not often that we get to collaborate with neighboring towns. Hopefully, this opens the doors to more collaboration in the future.”
“I believe the construction on this should begin in the fall, providing there are no hiccups along the way,” Bozak said.
“It’s been a community ahead of the curve when it comes to quality-of-life issues,” Barloga said.
Bozak said the award is appreciated. “The town has had so many ups and downs in the past few years. It’s really nice to see the hard work get recognized and rewarded.”
Town Council President Jennifer McHargue said in a news release that the trail has been popular, improving the health of walkers and bikers. “We are proud to offer regional trail amenities that people can enjoy just in town or venture into neighboring communities along southern Lake Michigan,” she said.
When completed, the 60-mile trail will stretch from Chicago’s South Side to New Buffalo.
For Burns Harbor, funding the trail sections has been challenging.
In 2014, the town began using tax increment financing to fund new planning and infrastructure projects. The town’s master plan identified the Marquette Greenway as a key project.
In 2017, the RDC received a $7 million state transportation grant to build the trail. However, the town couldn’t gain right-of-way access from Norfolk Southern, so the town changed gears and used money from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Indiana Department of Transportation.
Between 2019 and 2021, Burns Harbor built the 1.5-mile segment from the western edge of town to Ind. 149, by Town Hall.
The phase opened last year stretches from Ind. 149 to Indiana Dunes National Park.
“Collaboration and celebration are keys to our success,” Bozak said.
“In Burns Harbor, we persevere in the face of challenges because we love our community, which is our home. We are raising our families here and building amenities like trails in hopes the next generation of residents will stay and raise their families, too,” she said.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.