Little City By the Lake

Whiting celebrates its 125th year with a long list of big plans.

by Michael Puente

The great city planner Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood.”

Burnham was referring to the big city of Chicago, but his words could easily be applied to the “Little City by the Lake,” Whiting, Indiana.

Just a couple of miles from the Illinois-Indiana state line, Whiting and its 5,000 residents aren't even 1 percent of Chicago's 3 million residents. Still, Whiting, one of the oldest cities in Northwest Indiana, is making no little plans to celebrate its 125th anniversary this year.

“We have about 78 active projects, from playground renovation to a $15 million museum project,” says Whiting Mayor Joe Stahura.

Whiting is barely 3 square miles. The city is the definition of being landlocked. Surrounded by the cities of Hammond to its north and west, East Chicago to its south and Lake Michigan to the east, Whiting can only build up.

And, that's exactly what it's doing. “We're trying to turn the city into a destination, especially for folks in Chicago,” Stahura said. “We are actually part of the third-best market in the nation, with 9 million people living within an hour of Whiting. Being that we're 20 minutes from Chicago, we're in a real favorable spot.”

Whiting's 125th anniversary is actually tied to the groundbreaking of Standard Oil Co. by John D. Rockefeller in 1889. Over the decades, Standard Oil would be renamed Amoco Oil, then BP-Amoco and now just BP.

BP's Whiting Unit is the largest inland refinery in the United States. It recently completed a $4 billion modernization, the largest private investment in Indiana history.

It's because of the refinery, Stahura believes, that Whiting is even still around, considering its larger neighboring cities could have swallowed up the community a long time ago.

“It's a company town. The refinery has always been a big part of the community. We're really closely tied,” Stahura says. “They've been a great corporate partner for a lot of years. As long as they are here, we'll be here.”

The story of how Whiting and the refinery came to be will be included in a museum that Stahura says is “very close” to being finalized. But Whiting's history will be just one aspect of the museum. It will also be home to the National Mascot Hall of Fame, which currently exists, but only on the Internet. Inductees so far include the Phillie Phanatic of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Suns Gorilla of the Phoenix Suns and, of course, the most well-known mascot ever, the San Diego Chicken.

There will also be a third tenant. The Chicago Baseball Museum is also expected to be a tenant, says Stahura. “The land is clear and ready to go,” Stahura says. “It will be a very, very positive project for the town.”

The city's ongoing Lakefront development is in its final stages but will likely include a hotel. All these projects, Stahura says, will support Whiting's economy and keep its downtown business along 119th Street district thriving.

“Our business district is one of our key components of our community. Most small city downtowns are absolutely disseminated or struggling. We're trying to bring as many people here that will eventually lead to increased tax revenue.”

Another project in the works is an upscale apartment complex in downtown Whiting that will appeal to young professionals working in Chicago or for BP. Chicago developer MVP Builders LLC is behind the new mixed-use, multimillion-dollar project. The four-story building will include 24 high-end, two-bedroom, two-bath apartments, along with about 6,000 square feet of commercial and retail space on the ground floor.

“When you add all the amenities, we're becoming more of an attractive destination for young adults in the Chicago area,” Stahura says. “With new roads, new shopping opportunities, the new Lakefront park, bike trails, the quality of life has jumped considerably. In the long run, five years down the road, everyone will benefit.”