The city’s new transit center has opened on the north side of the Journeyman Distillery building, offering a waiting area, ticket sales and restrooms.
The transit center serves both the city’s V-Line and ChicaGo Dash bus lines as well as Greyhound buses.
The transit center was completed as a public-private partnership involving the city, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and Journeyman Distillery.
“It’s a perfect example of how a public-private partnership works,” Planning Director Beth Shrader said Thursday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We have ramps galore” for accessibility, she noted.
A new electric vehicle charging station was already in use on Thursday.
The transit center was in the works during Mayor Jon Costas’ previous tenure. “We had some bumps along the road, COVID especially,” Shrader said.
Ridership declined, of course, when people had to stay home during the pandemic. But with ridership back up to pre-pandemic levels, five ChicaGo Dash buses are in service. The new buses have that “new vehicle” smell.
“We’re looking forward to expanding” as ridership increases,” Shrader said.
Costas gave former Mayor Matt Murphy credit for working on the project during his four years in office.
The transit center project dates back to 2005. “We’ve got a huge city to the west of us, and it’s a world-class economy,” Costas said in a nod to Chicago.
“We just want to make public transit convenient, accessible and flexible,” he said.
Looking around the property, which includes a large parking area for riders as well as the bus station, Costas said, “This is just a beautiful city all the way around.”
Coming next year will be a new pathway connecting the transit center to downtown for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Costas led a short bus tour of downtown Valparaiso to highlight developments there.
On the stretch of Indiana Avenue between Napoleon and Franklin streets, expect future development in the next few years, he said. A roundabout is planned for the intersection of Lincolnway and Campbell.
In that stretch of Indiana Avenue, the Valparaiso Creative Council is setting up an arts center in the building that also houses Design Construction. Eventually, the VCC will be in a permanent structure as part of the city’s arts district, Costas said.
He praised VCC Executive Director Jessica Corral, who is now working full-time in that position. “She’s a tremendous educator and leader,” Costas said.
Driving down the Grand Gardner Hotel under construction, the mayor noted Urschel Development is converting the former elementary school, most recently the former Boys & Girls Club, into a boutique hotel with 58 guest rooms, including suites in the main building. The former school, built in 1899, is notable for its Romanesque design.
The Linc project where Round the Clock restaurant once stood will have 127 apartments, at market rates, and commercial spaces on the first floor. The first two buildings are expected to be completed next year.
Across the street, the new Lincoln Highway Garage opened the day before, offering 360 parking spaces for the public and future residents of The Linc. Electric vehicle charging stations are included in the new parking garage.
The city is in the process of taking over management of the Memorial Opera House from Porter County. “We have the resources and the people that do this on a regular basis” with the city accustomed to hosting ticketed events, Costas said. The city is in the due diligence phase.
Costas noted the wrap on the ChicaGo Dash buses, including the one used for the tour, was funded by the Valparaiso Economic Development Corp.
Valparaiso is “the perfect place to be,” the design proclaims. “That is something worth promoting. It’s a very special place to flourish,” Costas said.
The design is better than advertisements for lawyers, the retired attorney said.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
