What's up, dock?

HAMMOND: Casino execs have yet to OK marina expansion

BY JOE CARLSON
[email protected]
219.933.4174

This story ran on nwitimes.com on Thursday, February 23, 2006 12:55 AM CST









HAMMOND | Milan Kruszynski knows he's going to permanently lose some of his 900 boaters when he ejects them from the Hammond Marina for the 2007 season during construction of a giant new floating casino.

"That's going to happen," said Kruszynski, director of the marina. "Certain boaters are going to be happy where they find a new marina and they'll stay there. That's going to be inevitable."

But he hopes many will find reasons to return in 2008. Some boaters say they're unhappy, but will choose to come back to Hammond out of convenience. At least one boater has urged a retaliatory boycott out of anger.

Listening to the boaters, two common grievances emerge -- that the city is ignoring the needs of hundreds of boaters to benefit a big business, and that the tight-knit community of summer boaters is being broken up with only scant advance notice.

"For six months out of the year, this is a fairly large community," said Indianapolis resident Ray Irvin, a self-described "live aboard" at the Hammond Marina for the past nine summers. "I suppose (boaters will return in 2008) because there's nowhere else to go, but it's going to leave such a bad taste in everyone's mouth."

Exactly how forgiving the dislodged boaters will be two years from now is a point of pure speculation, particularly after Harrah's directors declined to vote last week on the massive expansion.

In quick succession, three city boards approved an 11-page written agreement earlier this month allowing the casino to build expansions worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The expansion will bring more taxes and jobs to Hammond, city leaders say.

Hammond Chief of Staff Marty Wielgos and Horseshoe Casino General Manager Rick Mazer told city leaders it was necessary to approve the agreements despite the short advance notice so company directors could also approve the project this month.

If the city had failed to act, the construction could be delayed and affect more than one boating season, Wielgos said at the time.

But Harrah's directors failed to approve the project last week. Mazer said all the necessary agreements between the city and the casino were not yet in place. The company's next regular meeting is in April, although a special meeting could be called before then.

"I know Horseshoe is serious about this project, and I'm not concerned at all," Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said. "They're beginning (dry dock) work on the barges as we speak."

Kruszynski said he's still making plans for the off-season under the presumption of a May 2008 reopening date.

Several improvements to the marina are scheduled to be ready by then, he said. Nothing is certain yet, but officials hope to realign some docks and potentially add more slip space.

Marina officials want to construct a new building to replace the boaters' facilities in the basement of the Yacht Club building, which will be razed for a casino parking garage. They also want to add more security features to the piers, and create personal watercraft docks for Jet Skis.

Something seems fishy here...anyone else get that vibe?

They MUST vote and approve destruction/construction IMMEDIATELY...on the auspicies of a Harrah's approval....which doesn't happen. Hmmm. Then the mayor says the barges are already under construction...WOW...a major ship-building operation underway after only 1 week of notice...what is this, World War II? I know it's pointless to argue, because we're gonna get screwed regardless, but it's interesting to see just HOW they are doing the screwing!

I'm about 80% sure I won't be going back...pretty soon they'll be charging you for the amount of water your boat displaces.

Oh yeah...I more thing...how exactly are they going to ADD slips to the harbor after they take slips away for this monstrosity of a casino? Basic physical principals would not allow for this...the harbor is only so big...perhaps they will somehow have us stacked on top of one another?

It's called " the almighty dollar" Sounds like hammond's getting like chicago.