The City of Crown Point is continuing its ongoing effort to expand parking in and around downtown.
Most recently, the City expanded parking near the Cal Ripken Little League fields on Joliet Street. Work began July 14 and largely wrapped July 20.
The lot currently features 235 stalls — with 13 more angled parking spaces to be installed. Work is underway and once complete, there will be a total of 248 parking stalls in the lot, creating an additional 54 spaces.
This is the second parking lot this City has reconfigured this year. Earlier this month, the City unveiled the new East Street Municipal Parking Lot. Located on East Street near the Crown Point Post Office, the all-day lot features 155 parking spaces. Previously, the lot featured 88 parking stalls.
The City also installed new way-finding signage this summer, making public parking easily identifiable to motorists.
“Parking is the No. 1 concern for our residents, and our team is working diligently to create additional parking in and around our beloved downtown while maintaining our hometown charm,” Mayor Pete Land said. “As Crown Point continues to grow, we want residents and visitors to enjoy our inviting downtown filled with award-winning amenities without circling the square.”
Land added the parking improvements support the investment of local business owners.
“Our downtown relies heavily on the success of our local business owners. Enhancing downtown parking not only provides additional opportunities for people to patronize those businesses, but protects the investment of our local mom-and-pop establishments,” Land said.
Still to come is an east-side pedestrian gateway to downtown Crown Point near the Post Office. The gateway is in its design phase.
In 2022, the City added 97 parking spots on the east side of the square and made upgrades to enhance pedestrian safety.
Future phases of the downtown parking project will address the heart of downtown.
In conjunction with downtown parking improvements, the City of Crown Point is wrapping up various road improvement projects. This year, the City will invest about $5.8 million — including funding from the Community Crossing Matching Grant program — to improve roughly 9.5 miles of road.
Community Crossing Grant projects included improving 113th Avenue from Broadway to Rhode Island Street. The project focused on road resurfacing, but also included intersection improvements at Delaware Parkway and 113th Avenue; the installation of turn lanes on Delaware Parkway; road widening; and curb installation where necessary.
Greenview Place was restored from U.S. 231 west to City of Crown Point limits near Indiana Avenue. This project included road resurfacing; improvements to the right turn lane on Greenview Place heading east on U.S. 231; curb replacements; and sidewalk improvements to meet ADA compliance.
The City also improved the intersections of Delaware Parkway and U.S. 231 and Stillwater Parkway and U.S. 231.
