The last time you visited downtown Michigan City, possibly on your way to the casino boat, outlet mall or lakefront, did you notice its emerging arts district along Franklin Street?
Yeah, I didn't either until I took a bike-ride tour with Angela Samila.
The Chesterton woman owns Revive Consignments at 523 Franklin St., just a few blocks from the Lake Michigan shoreline, landmark lighthouse and Washington Park Zoo. The 8,000-square-feet store sells a menagerie of art, clothes and furniture under the marketing umbrella of eclectic coolness, reflecting its owner.
For six years, Samila's shop has attracted consignors and customers from across Northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan. She also owns Root Consignment Co. in Chicago, a similar store though not nearly as spacious.
Before meeting with Samila for a tour of the downtown area, my last visit there was to an attorney's office and, before that, to a county courthouse. Otherwise, I felt I had no reason to go there, a familiar refrain about the downtown areas of too many urban cities in Northwest Indiana.
For years, I've heard this from business owners and city leaders in Gary, Hammond and East Chicago. Earlier this week at a public presentation, I heard it again about downtown Highland. These inner-city communities are struggling to reinvent their identities, similar to Michigan City.
There, I couldn't help but notice the new $3.5 million, municipally owned lakefront pavilion in Washington Park, with a new Fire and Water restaurant that I plan to visit soon. The pavilion stands out as an ultramodern structure on a beach of outdated amenities. It's not only beautiful but also highly functional, with a police department operations center and a second-story observation deck.
The city's downtown is creating its own redevelopment renaissance through the brush strokes of fresh ideas, civic support and the passion of business owners like Samila. Through her store, she's been helping revive commerce beyond the millions of visitors each year who frequent the nearby casino boat, outlet mall and lakefront.
"Literally millions of visitors pass right by our downtown area each year," she told me while pedaling past a row of unique galleries, eateries and shops.
Much of this has to do with our misperceptions of downtown Michigan City, similar to other downtown areas. When they faded away many years ago, we collectively wrote them off, instead taking our business to the malls, suburbs and corporate America.
This business trend, of course, only made matters worse. And it showed. Abandoned buildings. Dilapidated storefronts. Less foot traffic. Increased poverty and crime. Race-related fears. Public safety concerns. Lack of new business. It's a vicious cycle. It's a familiar cycle across this region and country.
What I find intriguing in Michigan City is that it's using the arts to help reverse this cycle, as many urban cities are doing these days.
One impressive example is the Artspace Uptown Artist Lofts project, located in the Warren Building at 7th and Franklin streets, a six-story office building dating back to 1927. It's the tallest building in the nationally designated Franklin Street Historic District. It still boasts terrazzo floors, high ceilings and large windows.
The idea behind it is to create a mixed-use project with 44 residential and work-friendly units for artists and their families, with ground-floor studio and commercial space. Its estimated cost is $13.7 million, serious money invested into a redevelopment strategy that centers on the arts. Tenants should be moving in early next year and applications will be available in mid-November.
According to its website, "Artspace is a nonprofit real estate developer specializing in creating, owning and operating affordable spaces for artists and creative businesses."
With headquarters in Minneapolis and offices across the country, Artspace runs a network of more than 35 affordable arts facilities in 15 states. And now, one in Indiana, too.
The Michigan City Mainstreet Association is attempting to "weave the arts into the fabric" of the city's art district, its literature boasts. The group believes the arts can be the needed catalyst for not only economic revitalization in a once blighted community but also to initiate a public dialogue.
This, in part, is why I wanted to share this ongoing project with you. It's not only about the arts and its ageless role in economic redevelopment. It's about painting new hues of perception regarding downtown communities that we forgot about long ago. Or ones we routinely drive past without giving a thought of what's going on behind their dusty reputations.
This is why I enjoyed taking my tour of downtown Michigan City on a bicycle, with Samila pointing out every storefront, every gallery, every eatery, every opportunity to attract new visitors.
On Oct. 2, you can experience a similar tour by attending the "Uptown Arts District First Friday Art Walk," which offers guests a firsthand peek at truly unique stores, artwork and commerce. Plus a freshly highlighted perspective about a community that's come a long way since Samila opened for business six years ago.
"It's amazing how much has happened here since I first opened," she told me.
From 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, the uptown businesses open their doors to the public and host artists and their work. These "pop-up" galleries showcase anything from paintings to sculptures to live performances, with many businesses providing free snacks and drinks.
For more information, visit http://uptownartsdistrict.org/events/first-friday-art-walk/.