By Stan Maddux and Michelle Quinn/Post-Tribune correspondents
LaPORTE — Business leaders in LaPorte County on Tuesday announced their support of joining the existing Regional Development Authority, aligned with Lake and Porter counties.
Their decision goes against a preference expressed recently by some elected officials that LaPorte team up with St. Joseph County.
However, the state Legislature, not either local group, makes the ultimate decisions on whether LaPorte County would join the RDA and with what county it would be affiliated, some business leaders said.
The chambers of commerce from LaPorte and Michigan City, along with the economic development corporations in both communities, said during a news conference Tuesday that they feel the odds of luring a proposed intermodal facility and logistics park and the 15,000 jobs they would provide are much better if they align with Lake and Porter counties in joining the RDA.
The proposed intermodal facility would provide for interchange of freight between rail and truck coming out of Chicago and establish a warehousing, distribution and processing area.
According to local officials, LaPorte County, with plenty of undeveloped land in Kingsbury and Union Mills near major roads and rail lines, ranks high on the list of prospective sites.
“It makes logical sense to affiliate ourselves with a group that understands that intermodal facility market,” said John Regetz, executive director of the Michigan City Economic Development Corp.
Another major factor in the business leaders’ decision is the many economic ties already between the three counties such as the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Northwest Indiana Forum and Quality of Life Council.
NIRPC, for example, is responsible for transportation, environmental and economic development planning for the three counties.
LaPorte, Porter and Lake counties are also joined in Region 1 of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
In addition, there are several economic development projects on the drawing board linking the three counties, such as the proposed Illiana Expressway running through southern Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties.
“The economic development organizations and underpinning support systems that we belong to right now on a regional basis are affiliated with the northwestern region,” Regetz said.
On Feb. 7, the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners came out in support of creating an RDA with St. Joseph County.
Commissioners President Marlow Harmon said a LaPorte-St. Joseph RDA would fund transportation upgrades in both counties with $100 million over 10 years from $3.8 billion in proceeds from a lease of the Indiana Toll Road.
He also said there would be no $3.5 million annual fee as required by the RDA in Lake and Porter counties.
However, Michigan City Mayor Chuck Oberlie said RDAs along the entire stretch of the Toll Road would share proceeds from a lease.
And there could be a push downstate for all counties belonging to an RDA to pay annual fees, Oberlie said.
LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris said while a proposal in the House for the northeastern RDA calls for no local funding, he doesn’t believe it will come out of the Senate that way.
“There are relatively few free lunches,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lou Martinez, executive director of the Lake Area United Way and a board member of the Northwest Indiana RDA, welcomes LaPorte County.
“It’s great news. In terms of alliances, the alignments we have in Northwest Indiana, such as NIRPC, for example, they’ve all been on a tricounty basis. So I’m encouraged that LaPorte wants to join us.”