Giving his second State of the City Address on Wednesday, Crown Point Mayor Pete Land said he’s “no longer the new guy.”
Duly elected to a full four-year term last November, Land has firmly established himself as the leader of the growing city, citing its many accomplishments over the past year. With a crowd gathered under the roof on a cool night at Bulldog Park, Land delivered accolades to residents and businesses for their dedication to community service and recognized the hard work and successes of city department heads and staff.
Land spoke about Crown Point’s burgeoning healthcare infrastructure, namely the January completion of the new Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital, representing a $200 million investment. In addition, there’s also the new $121 million University of Chicago Medicine hospital, which opened a month ago, and Community Heathcare’s Northwest Cancer Center.
The city continues to grow its light industrial base, namely the Point 65 E-Commerce Business Park. CoreX Crown Point, a storage and supply chain solutions business, is set to create 150 new jobs once completed, according to Land.
With new construction comes an added burden on city services. To accommodate that growth, the city embarked on the most comprehensive expansion of its waste treatment plant in the city’s history.
“This is a multi-year, multi-phase project which will include a second wastewater treatment plant on a 45-acre site,” Land told the crowd.
He noted that the city spent $6 million on 45 road improvement projects last year, repaving 9.4 miles of road, replacing 5,900 feet of sidewalks and 13,000 feet of curbs. As the city continued to attract visitors to its Historic Downtown District, parking for an additional 1,225 vehicles was added, including nine all-day lots.
Delivering quality of life projects is a priority, Land said, citing the completion of phase one of the Sauerman Woods project, which includes a 3.5-acre lake and accompanying stormwater management infrastructure. Phase two of the project will deliver a half-mile lighted walking path, two piers, six pickleball courts, six volleyball courts and an all-inclusive playground. A skate park and World War I and II memorials are also in the works.
Land was the city’s police chief prior to serving as mayor, and he cited recent data that the city’s public safety is exceptional. He cited FBI crime statistics showing Crown Point as the third safest community in the state during 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, and it ranked No. 1 in Indiana during 2023 among cities with a population of over 30,000 — coming in just ahead of Carmel.
In closing, Land described Crown Point as a great place to make a home, raise a family, or visit for a day.
“One thing that remains in Crown Point is our spirit, our hometown feel, our knowing that having a small town feel is here and alive and our history is remembered,” Land said.
Land handed out several community-focused awards during his speech. Crown Point students Julianne Rush (257 hours) and Christopher Kotul (470 hours) were recognized for their community service hours; American Dream Realty (36 years), Franciscan/St. Anthony Hospital (50 years), Jadco Ltd. Heritage Flower Co (68 years), and Barney Hub Bottery (75 years) were lauded for their longevity; and Jeff Ban was presented with an Excellence in Development Award for his hand in notable projects around the city.
Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
