Plans are moving forward for a downtown Hammond commuter rail station. The city council Monday agreed to appropriate grant funding from Indiana's Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) program for a future West Lake Corridor station.
"The appropriation will be $2,720,000 for our downtown station and $100,000 for contractual and professional services related to the downtown station," ordinance sponsor Janet Venecz explained to the rest of the council.
Hammond's future plans for downtown rely heavily on transit-oriented development, with new apartments planned within walking distance to the new train station. But construction of the new station isn't expected to start until after the rest of the West Lake branch opens in May 2025.