Hammond Gateway Station
South Shore and West Lake station area
Hammond, Indiana
Last Updated: June 17, 2022
Station Area Summary
Introduction
The Hammond Gateway TDD (314 acres) is unique in its opportunities due to its designation as a major station for both NICTD lines, its proximity to the State Line, developable property available by South Shore Double Track and West Lake Corridor, and Chicago Street/Gostlin Street realignment (construction in process). By looking at the immediate area around the station and downtown together, there is an opportunity to connect future development at the Gateway Station to a more active downtown with a future West Lake Station. There is an opportunity to focus transit-oriented development (TOD) around the station area and downtown to help stabilize walkable single-family neighborhoods within the TDD. Environmental barriers exist, but much of the industrial land use will remain. The city is proactive with a successful plan that focuses on revitalizing downtown and positioning it for a future downtown West Lake Station and TOD, which sends a positive message to the development community. Furthermore, capital planning will be needed to identify development-enabling infrastructure. The tremendous potential for this station area could prompt corridor plans and updates to land use and zoning to enable development.
TDD Boundary Summary
The resulting TDD boundary for the Hammond Gateway station area focuses on three future investment strategies: Mixed-Use Town Center, Infill Development, and Neighborhoods. Future investment should create focal points of multiple uses and activities around major intersections and station areas. Infill development downtown will capitalize on underutilized parking areas in a way that creates a more complete corridor experience along Hohman Avenue and the future West Lake Corridor. Mixed-use residential buildings and diverse housing types are planned to bring more residents downtown and create a neighborhood feel.
Community Priorities & Opportunities
Opportunity Analysis
Transit-oriented mixed-use development around the station area(s)
Preserve and enhance existing single-family neighborhoods and promote development of dense residential housing near the rail corridor and downtown
Investment of Hohman Avenue as the central spine connecting Gateway Station and Downtown through redevelopment of the commercial corridor north of the river as well as streetscape and street design improvements and infill development through downtown
City of Hammond Economic Goals
Leverage the station’s location along both the South Shore and West Lake Lines to become an employment destination second to Downtown Hammond
Create long-term development sites for housing, office, or research/flex uses on station parking lots and vacant land near the station area
Link the Gateway Station area to Downtown Hammond with bicycle, pedestrian, and transit connections
Create a thriving downtown neighborhood through an increased supply of housing in the city core
Transform Hohman Avenue corridor into a signature boulevard and a focal point for mixed-use and multi-family development, adaptive reuse, and infill projects
Improve connectivity and roadway safety around the station and downtown through lane restriping, landscaping enhancements, and intersection improvements
Create signature public spaces framed by new development
Development Opportunities
The relocation of the Hammond South Shore Station to the confluence of the South Shore Line and future West Lake Corridor catalyzes the opportunity for mixed-use development around the station area. Medium-density mixed-use should be focused around the Gateway station, as well as the redevelopment of existing NICTD commuter parking lots that served the former South Shore station. The streetscape and roadway improvement project to Gostlin Street, Chicago Street, and Hohman Avenue already underway will create new developable sites around the station area. Infill development opportunities exist along the Gostlin Street, Chicago Street, and Hohman Avenue corridors. Around the future Hammond Downtown Station, adjacent blocks show potential for mixed-use infill development that is supported by the adopted downtown revitalization strategy to prepare for transit-oriented development. Development around the Hammond stations has a high potential to build residential density with high-quality housing options.
Questions or Comments
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Check the FAQ section
Read through the questions below from the virtual public meeting
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Virtual Public Presentation
See below for the full slide deck and video recording from the Virtual Public Presentation held on June 9th, 2021:
Q&A
Who issues the bonds through the TDD?
It depends on the way the project is structured. If the RDA can issue bonds for the Hammond district, it will issue those bonds. If the city wishes to issue those bonds, the RDA can direct the incremental revenues through the MOU to the city so the city can use those for debt service.
I live on Ogden & Lyman. A block that is in the boundary for the proposed Downtown Hammond station. It appears the proposal is to remove the homes on my block to replace with parking and parking access. Should we be concerned with losing our homes?
The impact of the NICTD station parking on your home is a question we do not have the capability to answer – it concerns to plans of the NICTD rail line, and not the TDD boundary, which does not practice eminent domain. However, that is a question we would like to help you get an answer to, and would like to direct you to NICTD for more information: DWellman@rda.IN.gov
How does the planned closure of the hospital downtown affect your outlook for the future development downtown?
We are setting the boundary for the long run (20+ years). There will be known and unknown changes to the land within the TDD over the course of its lifespan. Part of the purpose of the TDD is to allow Hammond another tool financially to enhance and deal with its land use changes that may be unanticipated in the future.
With the pandemic showing less need of employees at offices, why should a billion dollars be spent?
The rail line encourages all kinds of development. It neither specifically encourages nor discourages office employment. Certainly, if there is a desire for people to live in Hammond and work in downtown Chicago, the rail line will provide that opportunity: this added connection between the two cities will encourage real estate value increase through increased interest in the Hammond market as a less urban environment for Chicago workers to live. The notion behind the connectivity is to allow for all kinds of development, not just employment-based development.
Why haven’t you done anything with the current properties near the Hohman stop?
We are working to understand the opportunities around the Gateway station and to draw a boundary that provides the right level of public investment to help the city develop areas with lots of potential, whether or not that be specifically in the area you have described.
How can travel increase unless the Illinois side tracks increase in size and usage?
The increase in travel time is through the double track that is being added withing that 16 mi distance on the South Shore line. NICTD is designing the first gateway station into Illinois in a way to improve the efficiency of a passenger’s experience on the commuter lines through increased access to parking, line convergence, and more streamlined drop off and pick up points. All of these factors will help to balance the increased line usage.
Shouldn’t Jacob Square be included East of Sohl to Calumet? There are many vacant lots that could be filled with smaller multiunit housing within walking distance to the new high school and the downtown station.
We will certainly take that into consideration as we collaborate with city leadership after this meeting.
There is a sign posted at 173rd and Lyman about a station site but nothing in this meeting mentioned this. Is this a site for a station?
NICTD is proposing a second (Hammond South) station; however, this TDD boundary is not looking at or concerned with this proposed station.
Can you provide an estimate of the TDD incremental revenue and examples of expenditures for the TDD revenue?
We do not have the capability of knowing how much incremental revenue can be collected until we have a better knowledge of how many and what investments will take place. The collection of this information will take place via several data collection firms. There are many ways the TDD revenue can be used within the community: to upgrade services, to extent services, to add new connectivity and open spaces within the community.
Is there a contract guaranteeing that 2 billion dollars will be invested?
This estimate was constricted as part of a strategic plan that the Indiana General Assembly required the RDA to do. A planning process along with an engineering firm and with policy analytics came up with those estimates. If you are interested in the detailed methodology, you can go the RDA website where the comprehensive detail plan on the 20-year development.
Can you generally define the word increment, as in incremental revenue?
Incremental revenue in a TIFF or TDD means that you establish a base year, and the investments produced after that base year create the increment via the new property and income taxes attributable to those new investments in the district. The base year is projected to be 2021. Thus 2022 will be the first year counted towards the TDD incremental revenue.
What is the northern boundary of the Hammond Gateway TDD?
It is roughly a block to a block-and-a-half North of the new alignment of Gostlin Street.
What would trigger the one-time doubling of the TDD boundary?
There are several possibilities: one would be that the city in conjunction with the RDA sees a need for incentivizing investment in an area outside of the current boundary. Another possibility would be a need for more incremental revenues that could assist an area not within the current boundary.
Why invest in old technology?
We would not necessarily characterize the development in that way. This development district will increase connectivity and economic prosperity within the community, a benefit which remains pertinent today, and will remain relevant for the duration of the TDD. Regarding the rail line, it provides a more convenient way to travel back and forth between cities and complements other modes of transportation in place today. It also provides more opportunities for economic development within the district than other modes of transportation.