Where will Hammond boaters go?
02-27-2006 | 08:53 AM
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From: Whiting, In
Where will Hammond boaters go?
CASINO EXPANSION: Nearby marinas report long waiting lists for slips
BY JOE CARLSON
[email protected]
219.933.4174
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Monday, February 27, 2006 12:08 AM CST
HAMMOND | Call it the deal that launched a thousand ships.
The Hammond Marina, one of the largest on Lake Michigan, is preparing to jettison nearly 1,000 boats at the end of this summer to make way for a gigantic expansion of the Horseshoe Casino next door.
The boaters and their discretionary income will be welcomed back in spring 2008.
Although the deal has not been officially announced by the city or the even approved by the casino's directors, early news reports have sent the hundreds of boaters in Hammond scrambling around the lake for a new place to dock.
"I don't know where all those boats are going to go," said Hammond boater Peggy Dunn, who lives in Dyer. "Nobody knows where they're going to put their boats. Everyone has a waiting list."
When the Hammond Marina opened in June 1991, it was the third-largest in the country with 1,113 slips. Construction since then has shrunk the marina's capacity to 982 slips, nearly all of which were full last year.
"You could probably go all the way up to South Haven in Michigan, or up to Racine in Wisconsin, and you still won't find 1,000 (available) slips," said Lisa Gawel, a boating enthusiast who lives in Tinley Park and is being removed from the Hammond Marina.
The Times contacted about a dozen public and private marinas on the south shore, from Waukegan to New Buffalo, Mich., and found that there are not 1,000 slips available in that stretch of lakefront.
Most of the public marinas already maintain waiting lists. The nine harbors in Chicago have a list, as do the public marinas in East Chicago, Portage and Michigan City. Three privately-owned marinas in the Burns Waterway and one in New Buffalo reported having slips available.
Hammond Marina Director Milan Kruszynski said he's referring many Hammond boaters to Waukegan, north of Chicago. The harbormaster there said the Waukegan Port District has about 250 open slips -- the largest concentration in a public marina nearby.
Gawel said she has already rented a slip at Oselka's Snug Harbor in New Buffalo. Rather than waiting for 2007, she got her slip for this summer -- a trend reported by several boaters.
"I would be surprised if the marina is at 50 percent capacity this 2006 boating season," Hammond boater Debbie Armin wrote in an e-mail.
Almost every marina contacted by The Times said they had already received calls from Hammond boaters.
"They're nice. They're a little upset, because they were not necessarily informed. They had to read about it in the newspaper," said Shannon Smolak, assistant manager of the Portage Public Marina. "It's good for us, because it's more business."
The deal could have a significant financial impact for Hammond and Whiting.
Kruszynski confirmed that boaters have already begun asking for refunds on their deposits for the 2006 season, which are being returned.
The Hammond Marina earns $3.5 million from its slip rentals and gasoline sales, and boaters say they spend considerable money in the shops, restaurants and liquor stores in and around Robertsdale.
The agreement negotiated between Hammond city officials and Horseshoe says the casino will pay $3.5 million to vacate every boat from the marina during the 2007 season. The company will not pay the city for lost business in 2006 or 2008, except in the unlikely event that actual construction cuts into the 2008 season.
Kruszynski said he's heard varying reactions. Some people are calling with questions, some want their money back, and others just want to vent at someone for a while.
"A lot of the boaters are understanding that this becomes a business decision for the entire city of Hammond," Kruszynski said. "A number of them understand. This is a business decision that's being made that will affect them for 20 months."
Hammond stands to earn millions more per year in casino taxes, and will see hundreds more people employed in its boundaries.
Gawel, the Tinley Park boater, said that she did understand the needs of business.
But the lack of notification combined with the recent proposal in Indianapolis to force boaters to pay Indiana excise fees on top of purchase fees and registration costs in their home states was enough to drive her from Hammond permanently.
"Bottom line, business is business. (The casino is) going to expand. But the way you present it makes all the difference," Gawel said. "How did they market the effects of this business decision to the people who will be affected? They didn't."
Kruszynski said he's working on his official notification.
"We hope to address this in a letter to the boaters about what they can expect here at the marina in 2008," he said. "We hope to be able to put together a very strong incentive package for the boater that is not going to be here for a year."
BY JOE CARLSON
[email protected]
219.933.4174
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Monday, February 27, 2006 12:08 AM CST
HAMMOND | Call it the deal that launched a thousand ships.
The Hammond Marina, one of the largest on Lake Michigan, is preparing to jettison nearly 1,000 boats at the end of this summer to make way for a gigantic expansion of the Horseshoe Casino next door.
The boaters and their discretionary income will be welcomed back in spring 2008.
Although the deal has not been officially announced by the city or the even approved by the casino's directors, early news reports have sent the hundreds of boaters in Hammond scrambling around the lake for a new place to dock.
"I don't know where all those boats are going to go," said Hammond boater Peggy Dunn, who lives in Dyer. "Nobody knows where they're going to put their boats. Everyone has a waiting list."
When the Hammond Marina opened in June 1991, it was the third-largest in the country with 1,113 slips. Construction since then has shrunk the marina's capacity to 982 slips, nearly all of which were full last year.
"You could probably go all the way up to South Haven in Michigan, or up to Racine in Wisconsin, and you still won't find 1,000 (available) slips," said Lisa Gawel, a boating enthusiast who lives in Tinley Park and is being removed from the Hammond Marina.
The Times contacted about a dozen public and private marinas on the south shore, from Waukegan to New Buffalo, Mich., and found that there are not 1,000 slips available in that stretch of lakefront.
Most of the public marinas already maintain waiting lists. The nine harbors in Chicago have a list, as do the public marinas in East Chicago, Portage and Michigan City. Three privately-owned marinas in the Burns Waterway and one in New Buffalo reported having slips available.
Hammond Marina Director Milan Kruszynski said he's referring many Hammond boaters to Waukegan, north of Chicago. The harbormaster there said the Waukegan Port District has about 250 open slips -- the largest concentration in a public marina nearby.
Gawel said she has already rented a slip at Oselka's Snug Harbor in New Buffalo. Rather than waiting for 2007, she got her slip for this summer -- a trend reported by several boaters.
"I would be surprised if the marina is at 50 percent capacity this 2006 boating season," Hammond boater Debbie Armin wrote in an e-mail.
Almost every marina contacted by The Times said they had already received calls from Hammond boaters.
"They're nice. They're a little upset, because they were not necessarily informed. They had to read about it in the newspaper," said Shannon Smolak, assistant manager of the Portage Public Marina. "It's good for us, because it's more business."
The deal could have a significant financial impact for Hammond and Whiting.
Kruszynski confirmed that boaters have already begun asking for refunds on their deposits for the 2006 season, which are being returned.
The Hammond Marina earns $3.5 million from its slip rentals and gasoline sales, and boaters say they spend considerable money in the shops, restaurants and liquor stores in and around Robertsdale.
The agreement negotiated between Hammond city officials and Horseshoe says the casino will pay $3.5 million to vacate every boat from the marina during the 2007 season. The company will not pay the city for lost business in 2006 or 2008, except in the unlikely event that actual construction cuts into the 2008 season.
Kruszynski said he's heard varying reactions. Some people are calling with questions, some want their money back, and others just want to vent at someone for a while.
"A lot of the boaters are understanding that this becomes a business decision for the entire city of Hammond," Kruszynski said. "A number of them understand. This is a business decision that's being made that will affect them for 20 months."
Hammond stands to earn millions more per year in casino taxes, and will see hundreds more people employed in its boundaries.
Gawel, the Tinley Park boater, said that she did understand the needs of business.
But the lack of notification combined with the recent proposal in Indianapolis to force boaters to pay Indiana excise fees on top of purchase fees and registration costs in their home states was enough to drive her from Hammond permanently.
"Bottom line, business is business. (The casino is) going to expand. But the way you present it makes all the difference," Gawel said. "How did they market the effects of this business decision to the people who will be affected? They didn't."
Kruszynski said he's working on his official notification.
"We hope to address this in a letter to the boaters about what they can expect here at the marina in 2008," he said. "We hope to be able to put together a very strong incentive package for the boater that is not going to be here for a year."
02-27-2006 | 03:05 PM
#3
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From: South Bend IN
Re: Where will Hammond boaters go?
I have a 30ft slip in New Buffalo at the moorings that I will sell for the right price. It can be available for this year. It is a nice marina with a pool, hot tub, and a club house. Oselka's will be tight this year with there new set up. Email me at [email protected] if interested.
02-27-2006 | 04:12 PM
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From: Frankfort, IL
Re: Where will Hammond boaters go?
Originally Posted by Bob Zubik
On a trailer.....
We're heading to MI...may just keep the boat up there in my dad's barn and hit the western shore all summer. F--- Indiana. Double F--- Hammond. I'm gonna wrap some cat poop in that letter they are sending us after-the-fact and send it right back.
02-27-2006 | 05:06 PM
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From: LOTO Performance Boat Center
Re: Where will Hammond boaters go?
Originally Posted by sommerfliesby
Wait...didn't you just get OFF your trailer?
We're heading to MI...may just keep the boat up there in my dad's barn and hit the western shore all summer. F--- Indiana. Double F--- Hammond. I'm gonna wrap some cat poop in that letter they are sending us after-the-fact and send it right back.
We're heading to MI...may just keep the boat up there in my dad's barn and hit the western shore all summer. F--- Indiana. Double F--- Hammond. I'm gonna wrap some cat poop in that letter they are sending us after-the-fact and send it right back.
Easy on Indiana, there buddy.
The correct responce is F the politicians. You better watch out for the H20 cops in Michigan they are stricter on noise, partying etc.
02-27-2006 | 07:23 PM
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From: Evergreen Park Il
Re: Where will Hammond boaters go?
Originally Posted by sommerfliesby
Wait...didn't you just get OFF your trailer?
We're heading to MI...may just keep the boat up there in my dad's barn and hit the western shore all summer. F--- Indiana. Double F--- Hammond. I'm gonna wrap some cat poop in that letter they are sending us after-the-fact and send it right back.
We're heading to MI...may just keep the boat up there in my dad's barn and hit the western shore all summer. F--- Indiana. Double F--- Hammond. I'm gonna wrap some cat poop in that letter they are sending us after-the-fact and send it right back.
02-27-2006 | 08:47 PM
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From: LOTO Performance Boat Center
Re: Where will Hammond boaters go?
No problem, just trying to stick up for my sucky state. You know all we have going for us is Lake Michigan. 
The G D politians always have a way to F it up for everyone. My dad and I are going to talk to the mayor of Michigan city and see if there is any hope to get lifts approved in the marina. If I have any luck, I let you guys know. 
Go Purdue!!!
The G D politians always have a way to F it up for everyone. My dad and I are going to talk to the mayor of Michigan city and see if there is any hope to get lifts approved in the marina. If I have any luck, I let you guys know. Go Purdue!!!
02-28-2006 | 12:26 AM
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From: Whiting, IN
Re: Where will Hammond boaters go?
Originally Posted by sommerfliesby
Sorry...Indiana been very very good to me.
Ball State U REPRESENT!
It's just Hammond that sucks.
Ball State U REPRESENT!
It's just Hammond that sucks.
As a resident of Hammond and a slip holder I have to take the $146 million in construction and over $10 million a year in increased tax revenue over a season of marina revenue. The State stuck us with a ridiculous property tax shift away from BP, Cargill and Unilever among other industries and the Mayor had to find the revenue somewhere or a lot of people were losing their houses. Hammond definitely could use some PR skills but my guess is they were not ready for the story to go public. 2007 is going to suck and there isn't anything that will stop this if the Casino board approves it, and they will. Let's concentrate on making sure positive changes are made for 2008. As far as the property taxes on your boat, suck it up, it already has been a law just not enforced and it's only a couple hundred bucks a year, we blow more than that in gas in a weekend.
