Council urges state to honor transfer plan for Indiana State Prison, opposes detention‑use

Michigan City — The Common Council adopted a resolution Sept. 2 asking the state to keep its December 2024 commitment to transfer the Indiana State Prison property to the city for redevelopment and to oppose any conversion of the site to an immigration‑detention facility.

The resolution said the state rescinded the earlier letter of intent and that the council and community had invested time and professional resources in a “reimagination” plan aimed at neighborhood redevelopment and attainable housing for the city’s West Side. Sponsors said the council would continue outreach and urged the governor and state Department of Correction to work with the city to transfer the property for redevelopment as originally planned.

Why it matters: Council members and local stakeholders said the prison site presents a once‑in‑a‑generation redevelopment opportunity for the West Side; they said an operating or repurposed detention facility would be inconsistent with that plan and harmful to community revitalization efforts.

What the resolution does: The resolution (1) urges state officials to honor the December 2024 agreement and transfer the property for redevelopment; (2) opposes using the property as an immigration‑detention site or for other uses that would undercut the city’s goals; (3) reaffirms the council’s commitment to continue the reimagination study and community engagement; and (4) directs the clerk to transmit the resolution and letters of support to the governor, the Indiana Department of Correction commissioner and the county’s legislative delegation.

Vote: The council approved the resolution unanimously (9‑0).