MERRILLVILLE – A high-profile location at U.S. 30 and Interstate 65 will one day again feature hotels, premium office space and a multi-use indoor outdoor facility.
White Lodging on Oct. 3 revealed a more than $350 million plan to transform the site into what the hospitality firm is billing as The Farm at Crossroad Commons. The company says its 40-acre mixed-use redevelopment will support local and regional tourism and economic development “through unique-to-the-region offerings.”
The main feature of the development is a working education-based farm and greenhouse, a visitor’s center, and indoor-outdoor meeting and event center with more than 104,500 square feet of flexible space. The project, which would take up to three years to complete, also includes four hotels, a microbrewery, distillery, two restaurants, an art gallery and a 100,000-square-foot office building.
A report released this summer by the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority suggested the site of the former Star Plaza Theatre and Radisson Hotel at Route 30 and I-65 in Merrillville was the best location for a convention center in Lake County. A convention center and its potential to generate $400 million for the Region’s economy over a 20-year period is supported by community and business leaders as well as the Northwest Indiana Forum.
More than 1,300 parking spaces will be built underneath The Farm at Crossroad Commons, White Lodging said.
“This project will serve as a long-standing anchor for economic development and a true transformational destination for visitors to the Region – just as the Radisson and Star Plaza Theatre did for so many years,” said Bruce White, chairman of White Lodging.
The Farm at Crossroad Commons will feature some amenities developers are incorporating into revitalization projects around the Region now, including walkability, residential and nearby amenities including restaurants.
Other proposed features at the Farm at Crossroad Commons:
- Greenhouse, farm and visitor’s center: The farm and year-round greenhouse will support the development’s farm-to-table restaurants and offer hands-on agricultural-focused educational opportunities for visitors and the community. Developers also hope it will become a destination for farmer’s markets and other local sustainable and health/wellness activities.
- Hotels: The plan features four hotels with 520 guestrooms. One hotel is targeted to be a full-service premium-branded hotel with two other select-service hotels, and a bed and breakfast-style independent hotel.
- Office building: More than 100,000-square-feet of Class A office space.
- Microbrewery, Distillery and Restaurants: Two new farm-to-table restaurants – supported by the on-site greenhouse and farm, as well as other local farmers – would offer unique regional gourmet cuisine. A microbrewery and distillery will offer interactive tours and educational opportunities on top of locally-produced and selectively sourced beer, gin, rye, vodka and more, according to developers.
- Artist studios: Supported by the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, a dedicated artist studio/gallery would allow residencies for artists in any discipline.
- Townhomes and condominiums: The development would offer permanent residences through 18 townhouse units and 32 condominiums.
- Indoor horseback riding arena: The project also features a 30,000-square-foot indoor arena for horseback riding and other agricultural-based educational activities and entertainment.
- White Lodging projects the development could create more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs with more than $65 million in annual salaries. The company expects more than 600 construction jobs will be created during the three-year project.
Over 10 years, the development will create nearly $100 million in new local, regional and state tax revenues, the company said.
