Renovated I-65 welcome center provides view of Northwest Indiana

Monarch butterflies, the Indiana Dunes, steel and wind turbines are among the many details incorporated into the design of the new Kankakee Welcome Center as an homage to Northwest Indiana and its residents.

Officials including Gov. Eric Holcomb gathered Tuesday at the site on southbound Interstate 65 just before the Indiana 10 interchange in Demotte to dedicate the newly renovated $38.4 million welcome center. All except for about $4 million of the project was federally funded, Holcomb said.

He touted the Welcome Center and other quality of place investments the state has been able to make in its infrastructure.

The site is the flagship of the state’s planned $600 million investment into its rest areas and welcome centers currently underway. The facility, which has been closed for about two years for construction, is now open to the public.

“Just think about how far we’ve come in the course of the last few years,” Holcomb told the crowd. He lauded the partnerships between state, federal and local officials that have helped pave the way for projects like the welcome center, the new Indiana State Police Lowell Post, also unveiled Tuesday, and the $1.2 billion Westville correctional facility project, which had a groundbreaking in late September.

“Think about all the different major projects, not just road construction,” Holcomb said. “That just shows all the progress that we are making.”

The governor said he is thankful for a growing economy that is allowing the state to tackle needed projects that have sat on the shelves for too long.

The welcome center renovation is part of a statewide improvement plan that includes more than $600 million in federal funding for improvements to 21 rest areas and welcome centers to be completed in 2024. The Kankakee Welcome Center is the second in the state’s plan to open. Clear Creek in Vigo County and Black River in Posey County currently are under construction and will have similar amenities to the Kankakee Welcomes Center.

There are now 150 truck parking spots on the southbound side Welcome Center and 75 at the northbound side. The southbound side includes a dog park, walking path, playground area and a welcome center with restrooms and exhibits. The northbound side features parking and restrooms.

“It’s really about safety,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith, adding the facilities provide truck drivers with a safe place to rest instead of having them use the shoulders on off ramps, which in turn keeps all motorists safe.

The new facility also offers families with children a chance for respite on a road trip, Jermaine Hannon, division administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, said.

The project was completed by Hasse Construction. Fosse and Associates Architects and Janssen and Spaans Engineering designed the new facility.

“Through its Rest Area and Welcome Center Improvement Plan, INDOT is committed to providing safe, relaxing environments where travelers can rest and recharge as they enter and drive through Indiana,” Smith said.

The new welcome center replaces the previous facility built in 1988, is ADA compliant and energy efficient. The design of the center is inspired by Northwest Indiana landscapes and the wind power industry, represented through the building design resembling a wind turbine and blades, the dunes through three brick textures on the lower building section and the rolling roof, Lake Michigan through the upper blue glass, and the Kankakee River through the blue terrazzo flooring and custom restroom wall tile.

The moving wind turbines near the entrance to the building are working turbines that generate power for the facility, helping to increase its energy efficiency.

“This has been an opportunity to work with state and local partners to provide a glimpse of all Northwest Indiana has to offer in the ways of industry and tourism. We appreciate the hard work of the project team who helped make the new welcome center come to life, and we’re looking forward to the facilities yet to come,” Smith said.

cnapoleon@chicagotribune.com