Portage is a great place to live, work and raise a family.
That is a phrase that I am very fond of because I find it to be 100 percent true. I have never seen a community as close and tight knit as Portage. The amount of friendliness I see between neighbors is immeasurable and the pride I feel knowing that I am a product of Portage will stay with me for the rest of my life.
The opportunities I have had because of this city have been invaluable to my life and have made my future bright. The immense growth of our great city in the past 12 years is inspiring to me and I believe Portage is on the right track for even more growth in the next decade and in the decades to come.
Cooperation between Portage, Porter County, the State of Indiana and the Federal Government have made Portage a premier destination for business in the country. This year alone, it is projected that 1,000 new jobs will be created at AmeriPlex at the Port. The Lake Michigan shoreline has seen a dream become a reality with the implementation of the Marquettte Plan. Portage is reaping the benefits of countless hours of hard work from many dedicated individuals. The Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk was once a dump for industrial byproducts and the site of a sewage treatment facility. It just goes to show, when the private and public sectors come together, great things can be achieved.
Today, the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Park is expanding. New bike and walking trails have been built, more parking has been added, and now, with the purchase of more land and structures, the lakefront is just a short walk from the South Shore train stop in Ogden Dunes. Work has recently finished on a remodel at Woodland Park that has beautified and reconfigured one of Portage’s hidden treasurers. Plans are in place for more work to be done at Woodland and other parks in the city during the coming year.
It is not just parks in Portage that are seeing expansion; businesses are expanding too. Just last week a local developer bought the land where the former Don’s Motel once stood on U.S. 20. The plans show that they will build seven new structures to house businesses in what will become a revitalized U.S. 20 corridor. Portage is a growing city and the proof is easy to find. The city will begin focusing on the progress that has already been made in the downtown district. This year, a new fire station will be constructed as well as a new performance pavilion and splashpad in what was once a wooded area. A decade of hard work is being to show the reward along Central Avenue.
I am proud to be a lifelong resident of Portage and I look forward to seeing what my, and your city will become in the years to come. All I see is a bright future ahead for the Port of Opportunity.