Merrillville Town Council paved the way for a proposed 135,000-square-foot distribution center to be built at Ameriplex at the Crossroads.
Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6th, said at the meeting Dec. 22 that the $32 million project will create almost 200 new jobs.
While the unnamed company isn’t looking for any tax abatements or incentives from the town, Town Manager Patrick Reardon said it may seek some financial assistance to pay for a portion of needed infrastructure work.
Both the council and the plan commission at an earlier meeting Tuesday approved a change in land use on a 35-acre parcel at 9751 Massachusetts Drive in the business park where the building will be constructed.
In other matters, Stormwater Utility executive director Matt Lake said a portion of Grand Boulevard, from 93rd to 97th avenues, would be shut down on Dec. 23 while work is done to stabilize the road to make it safer.
“It’s a very dangerous spot,” said Lake, who added that a guard rail might be installed there.
The council also approved a child care center at 1050 W. 84th Drive and approved another payment for various vendors working on the Dean and Barbara White Community Center, this one totaling $1,580,246.
Petitioner Merrial Nabors said the child care center would be serving school-age children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During regular times, it would be for children 6 weeks to 12 years old,” she said.
Nabors said she would be relocating the center from its current South Holland, Illinois, location.
Council members said several businesses and foundations have agreed to sponsor various areas of the community center, helping to defray some of the operating costs.
Pettit said the football field is being sponsored by the Marvin and Mildred Weiss Family Foundation, the event center by Mike Anderson Chevrolet, the inside concession center by the Northwestern Indiana Building & Construction Trades Council and three basketball courts by Bosak Motors, Centier Bank and Northern Indiana Public Service Co.
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