The town of Chesterton has undergone planning for remodeling Coffee Creek Park, situated behind the storefronts on S Calumet Rd. The plan is to improve the area back there, making it more activity friendly, and helping to clean up and better utilize the original coffee creek location. The Sandscript was able to interview Mr. Glenn Peterson, the Project Manager and CHS graduate as of 2009. 

Q: Can you tell me what this project is all about? 

A: The Town of Chesterton Park Board has identified that the current condition of Coffee Creek Park is in need of improvement and hired a consulting firm to maximize the usability of the Park, while retaining the nature in the park.  With the proximity to the Downtown and the recent population growth in the community, it’s important that this project looks to improve the quality of life for Town residents and extend the stay of the visitors to the community to help support local business owners.

Q: What can people look forward to with this remodeled area of town? 

A: The goal of this project is to create a park that has something to do for all age groups.  Some of the proposed improvements include a new Downtown entrance to the park with a plaza area, a hillside seating area in an amphitheater setup with a sound stage at the bottom of the hill, a relocated and improved playground area, improved access to the river, improved boardwalks, a new event center located near the pond and improvements to the pond including a loop trail, fishing piers and a fountain.  Other improvements would be additional signage and lighting.

Q: How long will this project last before it finishes? 

A: The master planning phase will likely wrap up by the end of 2021, with actual construction being phased over the next 3-5 years, depending on available funding for projects.

Q: What inspired this project? 

A: Members of the Chesterton Branding Leadership Team (CBLT), which is made up of local business owners, were brainstorming about ideas about how to generate additional visitors to Downtown Chesterton.  One idea that was brought up was to engage Coffee Creek Park, similar to Thomas Centennial Park.  Mark Hopkins of Hopkins Ace Hardware took this to heart and came up with concepts of how this can happen, including organizing a cleanup day at the park, which has become an annual event.  The Park Board took interest in helping form a Sub-Committee specifically geared towards the improvements at Coffee Creek Park.

Q: Can you tell me about the process of making this idea a reality?

A: Once the Master Plan is finalized and accepted by the Park Board, a presentation will be made to the Town Council and Redevelopment Commission for their buy-in to this project.  With a project of this magnitude, all of the entities in the Town will have a role in getting this project constructed.  The plan is to develop “packages” of projects that can be completed based on available funding.  It will likely take 3-5 years (or more) for this project to be totally complete.

With the remodeling of Coffee Creek Park, citizens and visitors of Chesterton will be able to enjoy a new addition to the town.