Walking into the newly renovated Chesterton Town Hall chambers Monday evening, town council members were a bit stunned by the bright makeover.
“It’s so beautiful,” said Councilwoman Erin Collins, D-2nd.
To appreciate the Town Hall’s transformation, one must remember how it looked seven months ago before the work started.
The former Town Hall’s ambiance was once compared to a 1960s-era bus station by Councilman James Ton, R-1st.
“One that was underground,” Ton said, when reminded of his description of the former surroundings.
The dim lighting was matched by a drab color scheme and a worn-out tile floor. The entrance into the hall was cramped and closet-like. Councilman Dane Lafata, D-3rd, said the old Town Hall didn’t project an inviting image of the community.
Another distinguishing characteristic of the old Town Hall was the noise from passing trains, since the tracks are located about 30 yards north of the building. At times, it was so loud, it sounded like a train was about to break through the walls.
Chesterton’s Redevelopment Commission, which includes the Town Council and Duneland School Board representative Alayna Lightfoot Pol, met for the first time in the renovated Chesterton Town Hall chambers Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (Jim Woods/for Post-Tribune)
While council members were waiting to interview candidates for town boards and commissions before what was to be their first council meeting in the renewed chambers Monday, a train happened to pass. It sounded like a distant train and people could carry on normal conversations.
“It’s almost white noise,” said Council President Sharon Darnell, D-4th.
The Town of Chesterton spent $3,515,887.51, split evenly between the renovation of the Town Hall and the adjoining Fire Station. The firefighters on Dec. 15 moved back into their updated quarters, which included a two-story, 1,700-square-foot addition.
Town Hall’s size remains the same, but it was completely gutted. The exterior brick was even changed to a gray color to distinguish it from the neighboring fire station.
“The shell is the same, but we made the layout more efficient,” said Assistant Town Engineer Matt Gavelek.
The council chamber is now more like a small theater with the council dais moved to the north end of the building. The audience sits in comfortable theater seats, compared to the former setup of stackable steel chairs.
The back wall is blue, with large silver lettering that spells “Chesterton.”
The wooden ceiling is embedded with 38 LED lights, with additional spotlights along the edges.
Gavelek said special care was devoted to sound mitigation to combat train noise. That meant the installation of acoustical tiles and sound insulation, even spraying additional insulation on the roof.
The sound system, when it’s eventually finished, will have 26 speakers to ensure everyone in the audience can hear the proceedings. There will also be two large screens.
Windows were removed from the Town Hall, but more were installed in the lobby area to the west, which is well-lit and open with new restrooms.
Clear maple wood was used to build the dais and speaker’s podium. The carpeting is beige and blue.
The new lobby for the Chesterton Town Hall. (Jim Woods/for Post-Tribune)
Ton said that Darnell and Collins did “a great job” of overseeing the interior decoration of the renewed chambers.
“We painstakingly chose every little piece,” Collins said, noting that Town Engineer Mark O’Dell and Gavelek helped them through the process.
Larson-Danielson Construction crews are still doing finishing touches on the Town Hall. The council has planned a formal dedication ceremony for 5 p.m. Jan. 26.
Darnell, who has served 22 years on the council, provided the valedictory remarks at the end of Monday’s council meeting.
“I want to thank everybody in this room who has worked so hard,” Darnell said. “This is such a great place and such great people in this room, and all the great people who used to be in this room. I love this town; they’re such good people. God, I love this room.”
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
