On March 7th, the City of La Porte was awarded $220,000 for a Destination Development Grant through
the Indiana Office of Tourism Development to support enhancements to the Dunes Event Center. The
Dunes Event Center is located in NewPorte Landing which is the former site of the city’s one-time
largest industrial employer, Allis-Chalmers, and its long-awaited renewal as a commercial and
recreational hub in the center of the city is set to transform our community. “The Dunes Event
Center brings families from all over the Midwest to a formerly neglected corner of our city, serving as a
catalyst in the redevelopment of NewPorte Landing as a destination for recreation and healthy living,”
stated Beth Shrader, La Porte’s Director of Community Development & Planning. “As the city continues
to invest in the remediation and redevelopment of the former industrial area, we are thrilled to have
partners like the Dunes Event Center, the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte, the Indiana Office of
Tourism Development, and the LaPorte County Convention & Visitors’ Bureau that share our vision for
reclaiming Clear Lake as a hub for outdoor recreation for La Porte residents and visitors alike.”
In addition to regular visits by club teams for practices, the Center will host 20+ multi-day events in
2019, drawing 300-1,500 people from throughout the Midwest for each event. “The Convention and
Visitors Bureau is excited to be part of the partnership,” stated Jack Arnett, Executive Director of the
CVB. “Dunes Volleyball has already demonstrated that they can move the needle when it comes to hotel
room occupancy and this grant will allow them to expand upon that, continuing to drive up the
economic impact of this project.” The planned site improvements will also make it possible to expand
beyond volleyball to host other large events like basketball, soccer, and beach volleyball tournaments,
auctions, running and cycling races. The total project cost is estimated to be $830,089 and includes
upgrading the event space with signage, landscape, and parking and linking visitors to trails, parks, retail,
restaurants, and the Clear Lake waterfront. The improvements will secure the Dunes Event Center as a
premier destination statewide for large scale indoor sports tournaments, recreational sports camps, and
club sports. The newly constructed Dunes Event Center is already drawing visitors into La Porte, but the
impact of the proposed site improvements will help those visitors explore all that La Porte has to offer.
The project will be complete before end of the summer 2020.
For more information contact LEAP at (219) 324-8584 or angelar@laportepartnership.com.