St. John - St. John is moving forward with a proposed riverfront district that would help the town obtain more liquor licenses, according to The Times.
An Amending Declaratory Resolution establishing a Riverfront Development District will be on the Redevelopment Commission agenda for a May 25th meeting. The Redevelopment Commission will hold a public hearing for the resolution on July 27th, and the Town Council will vote on adopting the resolution the same night.
St. John Town Manager Joe Wiszowaty says "We are excited to get this moving and on the proper timeline."
Developing special districts to obtain liquor licenses is not a new concept in Northwest Indiana. In the early 2000s, Valparaiso worked with the state Legislature to get more liquor licenses for the city's downtown. Ultimately passed in 2005, the state law allows historic downtowns up to 10 additional liquor licenses.
The district is planning to be filled with restaurants and outdoor dining. It would stretch in St. John's main commercial district from 109th Avenue to 96th Avenue.