Northwest Indiana update.

• Author: Richards, Rick
• Position: Economic conditions

Although the Calumet Region has been in an economic slump lately, things may be looking brighter for the region. Among other hopeful signs, Northwest Indiana is being eyed by a Fortune 500 company as home for a testing facility.

Boeing Co. says Portage is one of five sites being considered for a $1 billion wind-tunnel research center to test aircraft and components. If Portage is selected, it will mean 300 jobs, although the facility won't be operational until 1996.

The Northwest Indiana site has several factors working in its favor. Electricity and water are abundant and inexpensive in Portage, and only 90 miles away is Purdue University, with which the company has a long-standing relationship. The five sites were chosen from an original list of more than 150; other finalists are in Ohio, Kansas, Tennessee and Idaho. A decision on the wind tunnel is expected in the next few months.

Another positive development in the past year was the opening of the Hammond Marina. The multimillion-dollar facility has more than 1,100 slips, making it the third-largest in the nation. Though much of its impact is still on the way, it is expected that people using it will begin to spend more time--and money--in Northwest Indiana. Developers hope it will be a catalyst for other area developments, including a shopping center or a golf course.

But the biggest potential plum on the horizon is the planned third Chicago-area airport. Five locations are vying to win approval for the multibillion-dollar project, two of which include Indiana acreage. Gary Regional Airport is one of the proposed sites, and another straddles the Indiana-Illinois state line in western Lake County. The other three sites are in Illinois.

The Northwest Indiana Forum last summer commissioned a telephone survey of 400 Indiana and Illinois residents, and found that the Gary site was the most-favored location. Residents of both states listed it ahead of the other four locations. In second place was the so-called "bi-state" site west of Cedar Lake, which includes some 2,500 acres of Indiana land. Again, it was the second choice among both Indiana and Illinois residents.

The economic-development organization is promoting the Gary site as the "fair-share airport solution," because it is expected to deliver a roughly even share of economic benefits to both states. There has been no announcement as to when the final choice will be made by a committee with members from both Illinois and Indiana, but...