More than a dozen orange-vest-wearing workers for Central Midwest Carpenters attended the Oct. 14 Valparaiso City Council meeting to protest the use of what they deemed “nonprofessional” workers hired by construction firms to complete the $37 million Linc apartments and parking garage under construction downtown.

As city officials arrived at the meeting, they were greeted outside by parked trucks of towering inflatables, including a pair in the guise of a large rat and a vest-wearing pig, the latter squeezing a worker in an orange vest in one hoof and clutching a bag of money in the opposite hoof.

“I want to address the issue of The Linc Apartments project, a development in the heart of our beloved downtown that has stirred significant concern among the people of this community,” said Valparaiso resident Sean McMurray, a member of the Central Midwest Carpenters, an organization he said “serves as the voice for the hard-working men and women who build homes, businesses, schools and roads and infrastructure right here in Valparaiso.”

“We all know the facts. The Linc Apartments received $3.3 million in local tax incentives, supported by the taxpayers of Valparaiso. Additionally, $5.7 million in tax credits were provided by the state of Indiana to make this project viable. That’s a total of $9 million in public support and a considerable investment by the people of this city and state in a project that promises growth and revitalization in our downtown area.”

It was in May 2023 when Valparaiso city officials unveiled the plans of the proposed downtown complex during a City Hall open house hosted by City Planner Beth Shrader and Director of Redevelopment George Douglas.

The Linc, a 121-apartment complex blended with a first-floor retail space design, will span three-quarters of a city block at the corner of Lincolnway and Morgan Boulevard to Michigan Avenue, with a price tag of more than $37 million. A 362-space parking garage opened earlier this month at the northeast corner of Lincolnway and Morgan Boulevard. The apartment complex is intended to open this spring.

“Despite the tremendous financial backing from local and state resources, The Linc project is not being built by the very people it should be benefiting — the skilled, local workforce who live and raise their families in this community,” McMurray said.

“Instead, the developers have chosen to bring out-of-town labor, workers who do not live here, do not contribute to our local economy and are not being paid wages and benefits that meet our area’s standards. This decision to use out-of-town labor is a slap in the face to the hard-working men and women who have spent their lives building Valparaiso, those who have seen this city grow and thrive. It undermines the purpose of public investments in local projects, which is to create jobs for local workers and boost the local economy. Our community made a significant contribution to this project, and in return, we expected fair wages, good jobs and opportunities for the people who live here.”

Valparaiso City Council President Robert Cotton said he investigated similar claims made about inadequate labor hired for The Linc project and was told 70% of the crews met labor union standards.

McMurray said his investigation found that of the 40 construction workers on-site, “fewer than 10 are local.”

“We are not asking for special treatment,” McMurray said.

“We are asking for fairness. We are asking that the project funded by our tax dollars respect the local labor standards that this community has built and maintained. We are asking for jobs that allow families to thrive here, to put their kids through school, to contribute to the local economy — not just scrape by. Valparaiso is a proud, hardworking city, and we expect our local government to stand up for its citizens. Publicly funded projects should support local jobs and local workers. We urge the council to stand with us, to hold developers accountable and to ensure that future projects respect the wages and benefits that reflect the hard work and dedication of the people who call Valparaiso home.”

Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas asked for the name of the construction firm now working on the exterior frame and operating the cranes at the site.

“Once the frame is complete, I imagine that it will be union workers doing the interior work,” Costas said.

McMurray said T&H Investments and Construction and the Bonilla Construction Group from Indianapolis are leading the early portion of the project.

“I’ve tried to talk with many of the workers now at the site but I can’t, since it would require a translator,” McMurray said.

“I just know they bus in these 30 workers every day and put them up in a local hotel.”

Costas told McMurray and the gathered workers he “understands the disappointment” and promised to work with Cotton and city attorney Patrick Lyp “to look into the situation further.”

Philip Potempa is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.