MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – The ribbon is cut on the 11^th Street Station building and parking structure, officially opening the facilities to South Shore Line riders.

The station building offers seating, restrooms, an historic exhibit tracing the South Shore Line’s milestones, model train display and vendor spaces. The parking garage includes 542 parking spaces, with 437 priority spots for NICTD passengers to utilize between 6 am and 2 pm Monday through Friday.

“This is all about partnerships, perseverance and community spirit that have made this project possible,” said Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch. “Thank you to so many who had the vision and early commitment to make this project possible and our residents who have endured a lot of construction. Thank you for your patience, support and engagement, which have helped change this project into something truly reflective of our community.”

The grand opening is the next step in this leg of the Double Track Northwest Indiana project, which has been a collaborative effort between the South Shore Line, City of Michigan City and Flaherty & Collins. The 11^th Street Station platform has been in use since early 2024, and the building and garage now offer another level of comfort for riders.

“This station is beautiful inside and out – with the preservation of the historic and original façade that was always part of the project,” said South Shore Line President & CEO Michael Noland. “This station is the vision that so many people shared when we originally sought funding. We transformed this train stop into an anchor for residential redevelopment and economic success.”

Adjacent to the newly opened station is The Franklin at 11^th Street Station high-rise mixed-use project, which is the first Transit-Oriented Development in the state. The $101 million project, led by Flaherty & Collins, includes more than 220 tower apartments, 5,600 square feet of commercial retail space and amenities, such as rooftop lounge, outdoor spaces, private balconies, co-working café and dog park.

“We pride ourselves on doing very complex, mixed-use private public partnership projects. This is our 8^th TOD, but the first in the state of Indiana – our home state – so this one if very special to us,” said David Flaherty, CEO & Principal at Flaherty & Collins. “With this investment, we expect an economic impact of $150 million over the next five years for Michigan City and the surrounding areas.”

“If someone wants to know what a TOD is, just bring them here and they will know right away what it is,” Noland added. “At its core, this is an economic development project.”

Congressman Frank Mrvan said this collaborative project showcases what can be accomplished with strong partnerships.

“Local and federal officials came together with one goal in mind: optimism for our future. Our future begins on these railroad tracks, and as we lay these tracks, we learn that what we are developing are the relationships and the bridges that show us we can do almost anything,” Mrvan said. “With the city, NICTD, Forum, ED, private investment and more coming together, we learned what is possible. It is a ripple effect … when NWI comes together for the greater good of economic development, we can achieve anything.”