Special prosecutor probing Dunes pavilion construction claim

VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) - A special prosecutor will investigate allegations that a developer moved forward with a construction project at Indiana Dunes State Park without a permit.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports the Porter County prosecutor made the request because his senior staff members are acquaintances with developer Chuck Williams.

Williams was awarded a potentially lucrative privatization deal by the state to rehab and build out a historic pavilion at the park along Lake Michigan. But construction has stalled and the environmental group Dunes Action says a building on the pavilion grounds was partially demolished without a permit.

Williams didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

A judge named Senior Prosecutor David Thomas to the case. He's a former Clay County prosecutor who was appointed state inspector general by then-Gov. Mitch Daniels.

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