A great example of what Michigan City has been able to achieve with respect to the attraction of out of state spend is Michigan City’s Annual Great Lakes Grand Prix Event. A total of 249,400 people visited the 2021 12th annual event held Aug. 4-8, generating $17.7 million for LaPorte County’s economy. An Economic Impact report done by Certec, Inc., a marketing analysis group based in Lexington, Kentucky, shows that visitors from out of town (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Florida), spent $11.8 million during 2021 Grand Prix Event on direct expenditures such as food, beverages, shopping and transportation, accounting for a large portion of the total $17.7 million in earnings. In addition, local residents attending the event contributed an additional $913,000 in direct spending and jobs related to the Great Lakes Grand Prix generated more than $3.9 million in wages to LaPorte County workers. Annual State & Local tax revenues attributable to the event exceeded $3.6 million.

YAB Development Partners have committed to work with Michigan City and the LaPorte County Convention & Visitors Bureau to use the additional 5% Local County Innkeepers Tax (estimated to be in excess of $700,000 per year) paid by the YAB Redevelopment Project to develop, sponsor, promote and host additional tourism events in Michigan City that in the aggregate will match or exceed the annual economic impact attributable to the Great Lakes Grand Prix.

Two recent investments into the area are making a difference and are at the core of this explosive interest:

The Indiana Dunes National Seashore. The designation of the Indiana Dunes National Seashore as our nation’s 61st National Park is drawing thousands of people and is exceeding all expectations.

Doubletracking the South Shore Line. The multi-governmental $650,000,000+ investment into the doubletracking of the South Shore Line to connect Michigan City to downtown Chicago has been touted as the most significant economic development event in the last 100 years of northwest Indiana.