Some communities in Northwest Indiana are making progress in creating jobs and revitalizing neglected properties. Gerry Dick from Inside Indiana Business says local leaders are finally starting to collaborate on these efforts.

“It’s been a challenge in Northwest Indiana,” Dick said. “Everybody wanted their own piece of the pie, so to speak. I’m not sure of the exact number, but it’s around 50 or 60 municipalities that make up Northwest Indiana, and for many years it was just not a region that worked together.”

Northwest Indiana is important to the state economy because of its industrial base, strategic transportation networks, skilled workforce, ongoing economic diversification, and tourism potential, all of which drive job creation and economic growth.

Dick says the double tracking of the South Shore Rail Line is a prime example of how leaders are working together to benefit the community.

“That’s a $650 million project that has been discussed for a long time,” Dick said. “It reduces the commute from Northwest Indiana to downtown Chicago by about an hour. As that comes to fruition, there’s also another extension of the South Shore that will be completed next spring.”