Hammond’s Board of Public Works and Safety approved a resolution on May 29 authorizing the city to enter an intergovernmental agreement with the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission and the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority for engineering and design services at Optimus Lake, contingent on receiving the Little Calumet signature page.

City staff said the agreement covers engineering and design work around Optimus Lake near the Kennedy Avenue interchange and that funding for design will be split among Little Cal (majority), the Legacy Foundation (grant funds), the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (SSCVA) and the city. The mayor’s office recommended approval, and staff indicated that SSCVA’s signature page was already on file but Little Cal’s remained outstanding.

Why it matters: the agreement funds preliminary engineering and design planning for waterfront improvements at Optimus Lake and will allow redevelopment staff to move forward with design tasks and future requests for proposals for construction. Staff said the Little Cal entity will take the bulk of the design cost with other partners covering portions through grants and SSCVA participation.

Nicole Bennett, counsel for Little Cal, was mentioned as working to secure the needed signature from Little Cal’s representative. The board approved the resolution “as presented and conditioned upon receiving the signature page from Little Cal.”