400-unit housing complex in the works in La Porte
LA PORTE, Ind. -- A major housing development is in the works in La Porte!
On Monday, La Porte City Councilmembers saw early plans for a new apartment complex with 400 market rate, high-quality units.
It'll be sandwiched between the Briar Leaf Golf Course and the Cassidy Motel and RV Park off State Road 39.
It'll be one of the first things drivers see when they get off the Indiana Toll Road heading towards downtown La Porte.
The city did a housing study a year and a half ago, and the results showed there's a general need for housing across the board at all income levels and housing types.
"We have a significant need for housing in the city of La Porte and the surrounding area," says Craig Phillips, Community Development and Planning Director for the City of La Porte. "We think this is a great opportunity to provide for some of that need."
The chosen architect for the project offers a style familiar to Michiana, as seen at the Villas on Fir in Granger and Park 33 in Goshen.
"The buildings themselves look like large houses rather than standard apartment buildings," explains Phillips.
It'll be the newest apartment complex in the city since 2023, when the Banks Apartments were built.
The sheer demand for those 200 units was a sign that the city shouldn't stop there.
"There was a significant waiting list for housing when that was developed and that development remains full and I think has a little bit of a waiting list as well, so there's definitely the need for that type of housing in our community," Phillips says.
It also doesn't hurt that there is major development happening in and around La Porte bringing in workers who will need a place to live.
The Microsoft data center in town will soon be online, and 20 minutes down the road is New Carlisle, home to the Amazon data center and another one on the way.
"We're the nearest larger town to that development, so we're hoping to provide that need for those employers," says Phillips.
There won't be a sticker price for the project until the site design is complete.
The council will have a second reading on the rezoning proposal during their August 4th meeting.
Since it's still early days, there's not a timeline set in stone yet, but Phillips says they're anticipating breaking ground on the complex sometime next year.