Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch updates community on recent department successes, project developments, and statistics during 2026 State of the City address

Residents of Michigan City and community members came together to listen to Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch in her formal State of the City address at the Holdcraft Performing Arts Center. The presentation reflected on the successes of the past year, along with the reasons for optimism that have been noticed in this community.

“This is a record of what we have built together,” Nelson Deuitch said. “We celebrate our people, because nothing in the city moves without them. There is a lot of momentum going on right now in Michigan City. Cranes, trains, automobiles, paving trucks – you name it. We’re committing to massive change.”

Nelson Deuitch opened up the presentation with statistics regarding the city’s commitment to transparency through engagement and the ability to deliver results. With eight community town halls, monthly coffee with seniors, roundtable discussions for small businesses and contractors, and educational workshops, the City of Michigan City has been able to meet residents at eye level.

The two biggest concerns – neighborhood cleanliness and the unhoused population – were addressed with increasing coordination, expanded cleanup opportunities, Tire Amnesty Day, Operation Clean Sweep, and more. Regarding housing specifically, more than 2,000 housing units are under construction or permitted over the next five years. Over $1 million was reinvested into Michigan City through initiatives such as the Mayor’s Charitable Gala and a community development block grant.

“Over the last two years, and even the past couple of months, we’ve put back over $1 million into this community, and that’s super important to us,” Nelson Deuitch said. “We have families that don’t have the income for new doors, windows, or roofs, but the goal is to continue to reach more, and historically we’ve done that.”

The parks have been a bright spot for Michigan City over the past year as well. Between 274 programs and events in total, the community was able to invest beyond recreation in areas such as the Washington Park Zoo, public art displays, and a municipal golf course. Major capital investments included $5 million on Fedder’s Alley All-Inclusive Playground & Fitness Park, $7.97 million on the third phase of the Singing Sands Trail, and $1.08 million on the Water Tower Park Renovation.

“Our zoo is phenomenal, and I don’t think people realize how significant our city having one is,” Nelson Deuitch said. “There are so many things to do in our city, and the quality of life is why people want to live here.”

Nelson Deuitch also gave a shout out to the departments that work within city services for making Michigan City a one-of-a-kind destination.

“We have engineering, airport, transit – I don’t think people realize we have more amenities and services than any other city of our size, and it’s all because of these departments,” Nelson Deuitch said.

Special events such as Singing Sands, Oktoberfest, the Patriotic Parade and Family Fun Day with Braden Fiske, and the Festival of Lights helped bring people in the community together and simultaneously build pride. Since 2022, the City of Michigan City has continued to increase its corporate sponsorship dollars every year, with a target set for $120,000 in 2027.

City services have continued to work towards modernizing access and service for local residents. This includes zero-fare transit, which provides transportation without barriers through free rides for all, and the cemetery digital transformation, which helps honor the past of the community through technology.

Crime rates dropped over the past year by 4.4%. While Nelson Deuitch noted that the Michigan City Fire Department has been dealing with some recent structure fires, the team has been engaged with the community and increased training and development to tackle some of these problems.

“We have experienced doctors that assist in all those efforts, and hats off to our staff for making sure they’re trained and certified to keep those up. We need to make sure that water safety is always taught. Over the last year, they have expanded CPR instruction, completed more classes, and participated more in all of our community events,” Nelson Deuitch said. “They built a new propane training field with multiple live fire props. We have a lot of new firefighters and police officers, and this can help provide more scenarios for them.”

Since 2020, Nelson Deuitch reported that the Uptown Arts District has seen a $10 million capital investment. In 2025 alone, downtown Michigan City and beyond amassed $1.3 billion in capital investments. Projects such as the Ameriplax-Marquette Business Park and Tailwind Business Park will both call for more than $6 million in infrastructure investments. Other new projects include $3.3 million for NorthShore Health Centers facility coming to downtown, where the old HealthLinc building resided, and a master plan for construction over the next six months near the old Marquette Mall location.

Michigan City is devoted to creating a responsible, phased approach in its commitment to local residents. As a whole, resources coming to town are making this community stronger. Since 2024, there have been 20.73 lane miles paved and over $7.4 million invested in road paving. With over $8.5 million in grants, the City of Michigan City has maximized outside resources, leveraged partnerships, and, as a result, delivered for the people.

With Michigan City celebrating 190 years in the community, Nelson Deuitch is grateful for the city to build something more organic for the new generation for another year.

“Our employees have done such a phenomenal job over these past two years,” Nelson Deuitch said. “We learned a lot from the first year, and we found a lot of the gaps and missing pieces that weren’t documented or were neglected. We have set ourselves apart; that’s what being built to last means.”

For more information on the City of Michigan City, visit michigancityin.gov.