Mayor Ron Meer is happy to announce that on January 19, 2019, the city made their final 2-million-dollar BAN (Bond Anticipatory Note) payment on the new Michigan City Police Station.  Soon after taking office in 2012, Mayor Meer and his administration began discussions regarding the construction of a new state of the art police department building on the site of the previous Eastport School. Working with Michigan City Area Schools Superintendent, Dr. Barbara  Eason-Watkins and then State Representative Scott Pelath, the city was able to secure the Eastport property in exchange for providing the school system a school resource officer at no cost for 5 years. After securing the Eastport property, focus quickly shifted to developing a financial plan to fund this project. Mayor Meer worked closely with the Redevelopment Commission, Controller’s Office, and various financial consultants who proposed a BAN (Bond Anticipatory Note) with a four-year plan to finance 8-million dollars of this 13-million-dollar project. The city made an initial down payment of 5 million dollars, using 3-million dollars from riverboat and 2-million dollars from the sale of the former police department property to the Redevelopment Commission. The project was completed roughly 13 months later, and the men and women of the Michigan City Police Department moved into the new building on August 1, 2016.  This community project has won several awards and other special recognitions since its design and construction. In addition, the building is located on nearly 8 acres of land, open to public use, and includes: a community park, basketball courts, sledding hill, and a quarter mile walking track that is dog friendly.