The city followed the advice of acclaimed urban planner Jeff Speck in redesigning the streetscape between Sibley and Russell streets. The goal is to slow traffic to 20 miles per hour and encourage more pedestrian activity to give it more of a downtown feel and dissuade drivers from just speeding through. Hohman Avenue was rebuilt, restriped and reduced to two lanes through the heart of the city's urban core.
Forty angled parking spots were added in the middle of the street. Parallel parking was added to each side of the street. The sidewalks were widened; decorative lights and trees were added for beautification.
"It's open after a long time of construction. We thought it warranted a celebration but I didn't want to do a celebration because it took way too long," Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said.
"Obviously, we're happy that it's open and that the Banc apartments are now leasing. Obviously, it's a long time coming. We worked very hard for it to finally come to fruition.
" It's Just Serendipity owner Karen Maravilla, who previously led the Downtown Hammond Council, said the end of construction was a welcome relief. "We're very, very excited it's open. People started to find new routes and hopefully will get back into the groove," she said.
"It's now beautiful, pleasing and inviting people to stay and pass through at a slower speed. It's walkable and safe. Traffic was going extremely fast.
Hohman Avenue was a speedway, but now they lowered the speed limit to 20 miles per .