Real Estate

As part of its extensive planning for the West Lake Corridor Project, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) has determined that 157 total parcels need to be acquired along the corridor (either full or partial takes) in order to implement the Project. NICTD began providing offers on properties in 2019, and is anticipated to complete this process in 2021.

NICTD is following the guidelines of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, along with state regulations to ensure fair and cooperative agreements for property acquisitions between NICTD and property owners.

If a property purchase is required, the acquisition process is as follows:

  • NICTD contacts the real property owner or owner’s representative to explain the acquisition process, including the right to accompany the appraiser during inspection of the property, and provides the owner with a written notice of NICTD’s intent to acquire the property. (Consultant Beam, Longest and Neff prepared independent appraisals of affected properties.)
  • NICTD provides the owner with a written offer of the approved estimate of just compensation for the real property to be acquired and a summary statement of the basis for the offer.
  • NICTD gives the property owner an opportunity to consider the offer for at least 30 days.
  • NICTD conducts negotiations without any attempt to coerce the property owner into reaching an agreement.
  • NICTD provides the property owner or tenant with at least 90 days’ written notice to vacate the property before NICTD takes possession.
  • If negotiations with property owners are not successful, NICTD may acquire the property through eminent domain. If eminent domain is necessary, NICTD will follow the procedures set forth under state laws including Indiana Eminent Domain (Indiana Code § 32-24) and Relocation Assistance (Indiana Code § 8-23-17).

The NICTD real estate team can be reached by leaving a voicemail on the West Lake real estate hotline at 800-382-5206 or by email.

Read more about your rights under applicable federal laws: