The town of Schererville is hoping more liquor licenses will help spur development downtown. The town council voted Wednesday to establish a riverfront district.
Town manager Jim Gorman said it'll pave the way for additional liquor licenses for new restaurants. "It would still go through the process of applying for a liquor license through the ATC, Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. And they will issue the licenses, but we will have the opportunity to approve those establishments on the board level here," Gorman told council members.
Schererville's riverfront district would include the north side of Joliet Street from U.S. 30 to Austin, with the Schererville Ditch serving as the "river." That's scaled back significantly from the proposal presented last month, which would've included much of the north side of U.S. 30 and stretched all the way west to the border with Dyer, since the town council wanted to focus on the downtown. But the district will include the largely industrial area to the north, including the town's public works and wastewater facilities — for anticipated development along Junction Avenue and the Kennedy Avenue extension.
Gorman said creating the district is the first of many steps before the new liquor licenses can be issued.
Schererville is just the latest community to discuss liquor licenses in recent months. Neighboring St. John established its own riverfront district last year for the same purpose. Valparaiso put a similar proposal on hold this month, after the business requesting it withdrew. And the Crown Point City Council debated whether the city's downtown liquor licenses should be held by landlords or the businesses themselves.
