New station building and parking garage added to South Shore Line stop in Northwest Indiana

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (WGN) — A new station building and parking structure have been added to the South Shore Line’s 11th Street Station in Michigan City, Indiana.

Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch cut the ribbon during the grand opening of the 11th Street Station and garage Thursday.

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The station building offers seating, restrooms, a history exhibit tracing the South Shore Line’s milestones, a model train display and vendor spaces. The parking garage features 542 parking spaces, including 437 priority spots reserved for Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) passengers, available between 6 am and 2 pm, Monday through Friday.

While the 11th Street Station’s platform was opened in early 2024, a spokesperson for the South Shore Line and the City of Michigan City said the added building and garage now offer another level of comfort and accessibility for riders.

“This is all about partnerships, perseverance and community spirit that have made this project possible,” Deuitch said. “Thank you to so many who had the vision and early commitment to make this project possible and our residents who have endured a lot of construction. Thank you for your patience, support and engagement, which have helped change this project into something truly reflective of our community.”

The 11th Street Station’s grand opening is the next step in the Double Track Northwest Indiana project—a collaborative effort between the South Shore Line, City of Michigan City and Flaherty & Collins.

“This station is beautiful inside and out, with the preservation of the historic and original façade that was always part of the project,” South Shore Line President & CEO Michael Noland said. “This station is the vision that so many people shared when we originally sought funding. We transformed this train stop into an anchor for residential redevelopment and economic success.”

Adjacent to the newly opened station is The Franklin at 11th Street Station high-rise mixed-use project, which is the first Transit-Oriented Development in the state. The $101 million project, led by Flaherty & Collins, includes more than 220 tower apartments, 5,600 square feet of commercial retail space and amenities, such as rooftop lounge, outdoor spaces, private balconies, co-working café and dog park.

“We pride ourselves on doing very complex, mixed-use, private-public partnership projects. This is our 8th TOD, but the first in the State of Indiana—our home state—so this one is very special to us,” said David Flaherty, CEO and Principal at Flaherty & Collins. “With this investment, we expect an economic impact of $150 million over the next five years for Michigan City and the surrounding areas.”

The South Shore Line is an electrically powered commuter rail line operated by the NICTD between Millennium Station in the Loop in Chicago, and the South Bend Airport station in South Bend, Indiana.