Northwest Indiana Business Magazine

The City of Hobart is transforming its operations with OpenGov, a technology platform developed for the public sector. After dealing with manual data entry, a lack of online access for permit processing and outdated asset management tools, city leadership selected OpenGov to streamline operations. With a fractured homegrown system, the building department struggled to prioritize daily work tasks, missed out on revenue after discovering contractors were not pulling permits on time and lacked collaboration between 12 employees. To address these challenges, the department turned to Cartegraph Asset Management and OpenGov Permitting & Licensing. Cartegraph Asset Management’s platform will help staff better prioritize tasks in the field, provide more structured training for new hires and offer support for managing asset data. OpenGov Permitting & Licensing will enable the city to provide automated renewal notifications and allow residents to track permit expirations via a public-facing portal. The integration of Cartegraph Asset Management and OpenGov Permitting & Licensing will foster communication and visibility between departments. It will strengthen internal collaboration, expedite workflows and improve service delivery for the community. The City of Hobart [https://lnkd.in/gUnWEBY8] joins more than 1,900 public sector organizations using OpenGov. #cartegraphassetmanagement #opengov #businessnews

First Financial Bank awarded a total of $50,000 in grants to seven Northwest Indiana organizations. The grants are part of the bank’s mission to make a positive impact through donations that enhance and develop local communities.  “Serving communities is part of our culture, and we see these donations through our local partner organizations as investments in people and neighborhoods to create positive outcomes that will benefit us all,” said Roddell McCullough, First Financial Bank chief corporate responsibility officer, in a press release [https://lnkd.in/gGbStQAw].  Throughout its four-state footprint of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio, First Financial awarded $510,000. The company awarded funds to 73 organizations. The funding will support projects that promote neighborhood development, workforce development and education and culture, with a particular focus on low-income communities.  Sojourner Truth House in Gary is among this year’s recipients. The funding will support its career services program. “This partnership strengthens our mission to provide our clients with essential career training, including credentialed certificates, web design, computer skills and entrepreneurship,” Warren Johnson, donor relations officer, said. “These opportunities restore dignity, instill hope and equip our participants with the tools they need for stability and self-sufficiency.”  Additional recipients in the area include A Better Way Co-Op in Williamsport, Computer Skills and Training Center and Gary Community Partnership Corporation in Gary, Homestead Resources in Lafayette and The Center of Workforce Innovations and United Way of Northwest Indiana, both in Valparaiso.  First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. Founded in 1863, First Financial Bank provides banking and financial services products. The company operates 128 banking centers in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio.   #firstfinancialbancorp #firstfinancialbank #sojournertruthhouse #banking #businessnews

Franciscan ExpressCare locations in Hobart and Portage now have expanded in-person hours. Both sites will also offer virtual visits for patients with non-life-threatening illnesses and conditions seeking urgent care. Both locations are open for walk-in visits 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Virtual visits are available by appointment 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. Franciscan ExpressCare [https://lnkd.in/gcKcWrP6] urgent care locations provide treatment for patients who need immediate care, but do not require a trip to the emergency room. No appointment is needed for in-person visits. The Portage Franciscan ExpressCare is at 3283 Willowcreek Rd. The Hobart Franciscan ExpressCare is at 101 W. 61 St. Ave. Franciscan Health operates ExpressCare locations throughout the Region. #franciscanhealth #franciscanexpresscare #health&wellness #businessnews

The Package Depot and Hot Body Pilates studio have opened in The Meadows Shopping Center in Portage. The center is located at Central and Willowcreek and anchored by Strack & Van Til. The two tenants signed leases in November. Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial represented the landlord in the lease negotiations. “Both tenants are new concepts by entrepreneurs and were great to work with,” said Brett McDermott, Latitude Commercial co-founder/senior vice president, in a press release [https://lnkd.in/gqDAtzq4]. “They will be a perfect fit for the center and will add to the already strong traffic coming in and out of the center.” Latitude Commercial provides commercial real estate services. The company offers purchasing, leasing, landlord and tenant representation and commercial property management services. Latitude Commercial serves communities in Indiana and Illinois. #hotbodypilates #latitudecommercial #packagedepot #businessnews #commercialrealestate

Applications for funding through the City of Hammond’s Gaming Advisory Committee are available. Funding is available to local not-for-profit organizations that demonstrate their project, activities and services provide direct benefit to Hammond citizens. The Gaming Advisory Committee oversees the funds and application process. The committee represents a cross section of Hammond residents and city council members. Scott Miller, the mayor’s chief of staff, chairs the committee. In 2024, the Gaming Advisory Committee awarded more than $400,000 to dozens of organizations. Applications are available at Hammond City Hall or online [https://lnkd.in/gQm4kD6m]. The application process provides the advisory committee with information about the projects and organizations. Applicants may be requested to appear before the committee to further present their proposal. Applications must be received by Feb. 21 for funding consideration. #gamingadvisorycommittee #hammondcityhall #scottmiller #businessnews #gaming/gambling

The Merrillville-based Legacy Foundation announced that Cedar Lake was selected for the new Community Heart & Soul initiative. The Legacy Foundation will partner with Community Heart & Soul, a nonprofit based in Vermont. Together, they will bring the program to Lake County and work with Cedar Lake. Community Heart & Soul works to build stronger and more economically vibrant small cities and towns across the United States. The Community Heart & Soul model is a resident-driven process that engages the town’s population. Residents identify what they love about their community, what future they want for it and how to achieve it. Cedar Lake will receive training, assistance and up to $80,000 from Legacy Foundation to implement the Community Heart & Soul process. The funding will support early projects that arise from resident-driven action planning. Julie Zasada, Cedar Lake Historical Association executive director, will serve as the town’s Heart & Soul project coordinator. Zasada will provide project administration and work with the Heart & Soul team. She will help develop and implement phased work plans, coordinate volunteers, track progress and celebrate milestones. “Being selected as the first Heart & Soul Community in the county and state is an honor,” Zasada said in a press release [https://lnkd.in/gXcTaDCF]. “We admire the resident-driven focus and look forward to engaging with all of Cedar Lake’s residents in developing new quality of life experiences, fostering camaraderie and increasing community pride.” Cedar Lake Community Heart & Soul is kicking off with a volunteer training event 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 25 at the Cedar Lake Public Library. The event is open to anyone who lives or works in Cedar Lake and is interested in learning more about implementing the Heart & Soul program. Lunch will be provided. Learn more here [https://lnkd.in/gjw3fFeT]. #cedarlakehistoricalassociation #communityheart&soul #legacyfoundation #businessnews #economicdevelopment

To meet growing enrollment, Purdue University trustees approved plans for a new 150-bed residence hall at Purdue University Northwest. The plans also include an expanded lease for another 272 beds at Purdue University in Indianapolis. The $29 million, three-story residence hall at Purdue Northwest will feature a combination of pod-style, single- and double-occupancy rooms. The residence hall will feature a common kitchen, laundry facilities, study areas and a student lounge. Construction is scheduled to start next July, with completion expected by July 2026. The residence hall will be built at the corner of Woodmar Avenue and 173rd St. in Hammond. The project will help meet student housing demand by addressing a waitlist that has been present annually since 2022. This fall, PNW welcomed 1,700 new undergraduate students and the largest number of graduate students since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of students attending classes on the PNW campuses is 6,049 students. For Purdue’s main Indianapolis campus, trustees agreed to extend the master lease agreement for the remaining 272 beds in the 74 apartments at LUX on Capitol through the 2026-27 academic year. The 11-story housing facility, at 501 N. Capitol Ave., includes 672 beds in 196 apartments and 374 parking spaces. The extended $16.9 million lease commitment with Scion Group will be financed by Auxiliary Funds-Housing/Dining. In December 2023, trustees approved executing the initial master lease with LUX on Capitol for 400 beds in 122 apartments for fall 2024. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue University [https://lnkd.in/g5hjQdtD] across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. The university broke ground on its first campus buildings in 1871. Purdue Northwest was established in 2016 when two Purdue system universities — Purdue University Calumet and Purdue University North Central — merged.  #luxoncapitol #purdueuniversity #purdueuniversitynorthwest #businessnews #education

RT Patterson recently signed a long-term lease at 8585 Broadway in Merrillville. RT Patterson is an engineering firm based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Merrillville location will serve as a base for RT Patterson’s growth and operations. The firm also has offices in Crown Point and Evansville. Antony Miocic, Latitude Commercial director of the office group, and Brian Edgerton, NAI Hiffman senior vice president, represented the landlord in the transaction. “We are excited to welcome RT Patterson to 8585 Broadway,” Miocic said in a press release [https://lnkd.in/g2hbRCDV]. “This building’s iconic status and central location make it a perfect fit for a company with RT Patterson’s legacy and reputation.” Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial provides commercial real estate services. The company offers purchasing, leasing, landlord representation, tenant representation and commercial property management. Latitude Commercial serves properties in Indiana and Illinois. #latitudecommercial #rtpatterson #businessnews #engineering

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles announced that a BMV Connect Kiosk was installed in Highland. The self-serve kiosk is at the Strack & Van Til grocery store at 9632 N. Cline Ave. in Highland. Services available at the kiosk include: * New Vehicle Registration * Vehicle Registration Renewal * Watercraft Registration Renewal * Replacement Sticker (vehicle/trailer registrations only) * Duplicate Registration Card * Off Road Vehicle Registration * Snowmobile Registration “While this may not have been an ideal solution when faced with the closure of the BMV branch in Griffith, it's a step forward in improving convenience for the residents of Highland, Griffith and surrounding communities,” Indiana State Representative Mike Andrade said in a press release. “The BMV Connect Kiosk is a welcome addition, offering local access to services and saving time for many.” The new kiosk [https://lnkd.in/gzM3Jxqp] is available for use 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. #indianabureauofmotorvehicles #mikeandrade #strack&vantil #businessnews #government

More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To meet a growing community need, Munster-based Powers Health is expanding behavioral health services at St. Catherine Hospital. Based in East Chicago, St. Catherine Hospital has opened a new, larger inpatient behavioral health unit. The fourth floor of St. Catherine Hospital features 24 additional inpatient beds for behavioral health services, bringing the total to 64 beds. Adult patients diagnosed with behavioral health conditions may be referred to the unit. “We are thrilled to open this new space for our patients,” said Zachary Glassburn, St. Catherine Hospital director of behavioral health services, in a press release [https://lnkd.in/gHr4x6pF]. “The new unit offers a soothing environment, but it truly is the people who provide the care that makes it what it is – a place of healing.” Inpatient behavioral health hospitalization involves stabilizing the crisis that led to treatment. It includes developing a treatment plan and coordinating care to provide 24-hour nursing care. Doctors determine levels of medication and educate patients about how to take their medicine. Therapeutic recreation is provided.  Hospitals, emergency rooms and physician offices refer patients to the inpatient program. St. Catherine Hospital also features a new space for the intensive outpatient program on the fourth floor of the hospital. This program is for adults who are experiencing behavioral or emotional difficulties but don't require intense levels of psychiatric care. The program lasts an average of four to six weeks. St. Catherine Hospital is part of Powers Health. Powers Health is a nonprofit health care system serving Northwest Indiana. Community Hospital, St. Catherine Hospital, St. Mary Medical Center and Powers Health Rehabilitation Center comprise the health care network. #powershealth #st.catherinehospital #zacharyglassburn #businessnews #health&wellness