When I first served on the Town Council from 1991 to 2003, things felt far simpler than they do today. Our biggest debates were whether to buy Chevy or Ford police cars, what color the Street Department trucks should be, and how to stretch a modest budget to keep town services running.
One major milestone back then was purchasing the former Tepe’s Catalog Showroom at 78th and Broadway and converting it into our new Town Hall and Police Department. That move relieved the overcrowding at the old school building on 73rd Avenue, which today proudly serves as the Ross Township Museum. This was a big deal back in 1994, but residents supported the idea because they knew that our old building would not last much longer and it was not ADA compliant.
Those years also saw strong, thoughtful growth. We approved housing developments like Sedona and Westwood Estates and created one of our first TIF districts near U.S. 30 and Merrillville Road. That effort led to road improvements and helped attract Meijer—their first Northwest Indiana location. As someone who spent a lifetime in the grocery business, I remember explaining what Meijer was and how to pronounce it! It was an exciting time. The town was growing, residents were happy, and businesses were thriving.
Fast forward to today, and the scale has changed. We’ve approved an Amazon Last Mile facility and now see Rivian electric vans delivering packages all over town. We have 200+ acre subdivisions like Liberty Estates, massive warehouses, and even our county’s first building over one million square feet. That facility is now Amazon’s second Merrillville operation, serving multiple states.
Merrillville is clearly back on the map. We felt a real loss with the closure of Star Plaza, the Radisson Hotel, and the twin office towers. While the cleared 42-acre site was tough to see, we’re hopeful and excited about what may be coming next. More details soon.
Today’s challenges are far more complex. At our January 13 Town Council meeting, residents expressed strong concerns about reports suggesting an ICE processing center could be considered for Merrillville. Let me be clear: we have received no official confirmation from any federal agency, despite reaching out. Like many of you, I never imagined this would even be a topic here, but we are paying close attention. I don’t support an operation like this in our town. I fear complications, protests, calls for police service and it being a burden on our other town services.
We’ve also heard concerns about potential data centers. Decades ago, they didn’t exist. Today, they support nearly everything we do—from banking and streaming to healthcare and emergency services. With that comes valid questions about water use, electricity, noise, and land impact. We are encouraged by commitments to closed-loop water systems and new power generation that would keep data centers off the residential grid—but we will verify every detail before any decisions are made.
Yes, things are different. With a $44 million town budget, decisions are more complicated and the needs always seem to outpace resources. Still, through careful planning and responsible use of TIF funds, we’ve been able to invest in equipment, avoid tax increases, purchase new police vehicles, and approve a well-deserved 10% pay raise for our officers.
And yes—we hear you about the leaves. We’re reviewing options for one more town-wide pickup and will give plenty of notice so you can get them to the curb. Details are coming soon.
Times may have seemed simpler years ago, but looking at Merrillville today, I don’t think many of us would want to turn back the clock. Well… maybe just far enough to grab a great pizza at the Old Mill. I’d be okay with that.
–Rick Bella – Town Council President, Ward 5 Representative