City of Michigan City, Lake Michigan Gateway Implementation Strategy

Location

Michigan City, Indiana

Owner

City of Michigan City

Team

Market and Feasibility Advisors; Selbert Perkins Design Collaborative; Nelson\Nygaard; DLZ

Awards

Merit Award, Planning and Analysis, Illinois Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects, 2014-2015; Outstanding Plan, Hoosier Planning Awards, Indiana Chapter American Planning Association, 2015; Community Achievement Award, Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, 2015

Project Description

The Lake Michigan Gateway Implementation Strategy aligns the city’s abundant resources, enormous regional marketplace, and the passionate interests of key community stakeholders to accomplish the city’s ambitious goal: to become Indiana’s Great Lakefront Destination Community. The Strategy features a long-range lakefront vision and stresses step-by-step short-term community actions that will communicate the brand, develop year-round attractions, simplify connections, create a memorable appearance, and sustain momentum. In addition to urban planning and design, Hitchcock Design Group provided project leadership for a multi-disciplinary team that included experts in tourist attraction market analysis, branding and environmental graphics, transportation planning, and engineering.

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“Communication, creativity, meeting timeliness, meeting institutional expectations; we’re not an easy client. Hitchcock goes out of their way to work with us.”

Ann Ziegelmaier

Landscape Architect-Northwestern University

“With Hitchcock, I felt like they really went above and beyond, and they’re extremely responsive. They take more of a leadership role, which is helpful, especially with a complicated project.”

Mike DeRouin

President, FitzGerald Associates

“One of Hitchcock’s strengths is the amount of work they put in when they’re getting to know a community. They show you they really understand the issues your community is considering. They’re very thorough in their approach. It’s clear they’ve done their homework.”

Craig Phillips

Director, Planning & Redevelopment, Michigan City

“They’ve earned our trust. They listen to us and come back with solutions that really meet our needs. They let you start to dream …”

Doug Sampson

University Architect/Director-Missouri State University

“They work in a very collaborative manner in discussions and presentations. They make sure you fully understand it. If there are any questions at all, they can help you with it.”

Patrick Lyons

Director of Construction-Advocate Healthcare

“Hitchcock goes out of their way to make sure they’re responsive, helpful, and doing things that aren’t necessarily their responsibility. They’re just all-around quality. Any project that I do going forward they will always, always be included in my RFP, whether it’s city or suburban.”

Jonathan Kubow

Development Manager, Lennar Multifamily Communities

“Some architects will just say ‘how dare you!’ but Hitchcock encourages changes. Relationships and creativity is what it boils down to—it’s why I like them the best and what sets them apart from others.”

Steve Gulden

Village Manager, Village of Romeoville

“What keeps coming back to me is their willingness, their ability, and their responsiveness to help manage the situation at hand.”

Tim Brennan

Senior Associate/Retail Practice Area Leader, Gensler

“Their work comes with a level of empathy with the user to say ‘it’s more than plants. How can this be an uplifting space? How can this invigorate someone?’ That’s different. That’s unique.”

Cee Cee Hodgson

Lead Architect–C.C. Hodgson Architectural Group

“Hitchcock thinks beyond straight lines and 90-degree angles.”

Jim Basala

COO, Lake County Parks & Recreation Dept.