Merrillville will buy land in The Preserve for park
By Karen Caffarini Post-Tribune correspondent October 11, 2012 11:18AM
Updated: November 13, 2012 6:24AM
MERRILLVILLE — The Town Council this week agreed to spend $23,000 to purchase land in The Preserve subdivision that will be the site of the neighborhood’s first park.
The money will come from the Mississippi Street tax increment financing district.
The Preserve is located just east of Mississippi Street, south of Westfield Southlake mall.
Council president Shawn Pettit, D-6th, said the amount was the asking price of a group of investors who bought the lot at a Lake County tax sale along with 30 other parcels.
The property went to tax sale when the town didn’t record it properly. It was originally donated to the town by developer Frank Morin of Accent Homes in Merrillville.
Pettit said town workers will mow and clean up the property once the transaction closes, probably sometime next month, but the park equipment most likely won’t be installed until spring.
“No determination has been made on the equipment. We’ll probably work on that over the winter months,” Pettit said.
He said he does not know how much the playground equipment will cost. The funds to pay for shrubbery, playground equipment and possibly picnic tables will also come from the Mississippi Street TIF district.
“At least we’ll have the property. It’s been a while,” Pettit said.
