East Chicago completing makeover of Lake Michigan waterfront

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) - A 25-foot-tall beach ball sculpture is among the new additions that a northwestern Indiana city is adding to its Lake Michigan waterfront.

It is part of a $15.5 million transformation of East Chicago's marina and lakefront that also includes a permanent stage on the beach, a new harbor walk and umbrella sculptures. New piers at the marina will offer cable television and Wi-Fi, new social spaces for boaters and a site for personal watercraft and kayak rentals.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports city officials expect to finish many of the improvements by May and complete others over the summer.

Marina director Natalie Adams says that previously only boaters had a reason to use the marina and she hopes the new features will become a big draw.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com