Efforts to bring new development to downtown Schererville are moving forward. The redevelopment commission last week awarded a bid for the sale of an acre of land at 22 West Joliet Street, next door to the town hall. The town council then authorized town officials to finalize the necessary documents.
Town Manager Jim Gorman tells Lakeshore News that the developer will be made public at an upcoming plan commission meeting. Based on appraisals, he says the sale price will be $240,000.
According to a sale notice issued last fall, the town hoped to see a multi-story, mixed use development with retail and condominiums. The site is in the riverfront district the town established last year, in an effort to make it easier for new restaurants to get a liquor license.
As a condition of the sale, Gorman says the purchaser agrees to develop the property according to the Joliet Street Overlay District in the town's zoning ordinance. It discourages single-family residential and stand-alone retail — instead encouraging mixed-use development, including buildings with commercial uses on the ground floor and residential uses upstairs.