The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District (USACE Chicago) held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 20th, 2024, for the Calumet Region Dowling Stormwater Improvement project in Hammond, Ind. Speakers included Rep. Frank Mrvan (IN-01), USACE Chicago Deputy District Engineer, Steven Fischer, and Hammond City Engineer, Dean Button.
The project will provide improvements to the undersized stormwater drainage infrastructure that has led to flooding in the basements of homes in the Dowling Park neighborhood.
This project was part of the Calumet Region Environmental Infrastructure 219 project and had been allocated $2.5M of federal funding. The local sponsor is the City of Hammond. This project supports the Chicago Districts mission to provide key foundational support to the nation’s public infrastructure to facilitate economic growth, quality of life, and environmental health.
“I would like to acknowledge Rep Mrvan for his continued commitment and leadership to make this federal investment in environmental infrastructure within the Calumet Region. I’d also like to extend my sincere appreciation to Dean Button and the City of Hammond as we work together on this important project”, said Fischer.
Congressman Mrvan stated, “Thank you to all of the leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Hammond for your collaborative efforts on this initiative to improve our water infrastructure and alleviate the risk of flooding. Let us build on this positive and impactful action to continue to improve the quality of life for residents throughout our region.”
The contract was awarded to Grimmer Construction, Inc. of Highland, Ind., in September 2024. Field construction work began in May 2024.