Hammond showcases Sportsplex, downtown conversions and South Shore Line progress

Mayor Tom M. McDermott Jr. outlined recent downtown transformation efforts and infrastructure work, citing the Sportsplex conversion of a former mall, new hotel projects, the forthcoming Purdue Impact Lab and South Shore Line updates that he said will unlock further downtown station work.

McDermott said the Sportsplex grew from an initial plan to replace a shuttered mall into a roughly 150,000-square-foot regional sports destination that helped justify new hotels and related investment. He announced two hotel projects near the marina — a five-story TownePlace Suites (102 rooms) and a SpringHill Suites (125 rooms) — and said Purdue Northwest invested $10 million to convert the former Franciscan Oncology Center into a research/education footprint tied to a planned quantum data connection.

On transit, the mayor said residents have seen trains running and that officials expect several new South Shore Line stops to open in March; he said Hammond will then begin work on a downtown gateway station once the South Shore project is completed. He also described the Governors Parkway quiet-zone project (state letting projected around July 2027) as intended to eliminate repeated train stoppages in Hessville and establish quiet zones in identified neighborhoods.

Why it matters: Downtown conversions and transit improvements can increase local foot traffic, raise property values and support hospitality businesses the mayor said. Some projects (gateway/RFP) remain contingent on state schedules and external funding gaps that the mayor acknowledged.