HOBART – A metal recycling facility wants to operate in Hobart.
Jake Bronstein is pursuing the project to open Merrillville Metal Recycling at an industrial property on 83rd Place and near Minnesota Street.
Bronstein said the business would take in end-life metal material. It would then be processed into a usable product that would be sold.
Bronstein said the 83rd Place property is currently vacant and overgrown.
The project would involve the creation of an intake facility, a warehouse/processing plant and an office.
Bronstein said the decibel range for the machinery used there is below what’s permitted in city code. He also said the processing will take place indoors, so there should be no noise complaints.
There will be no outdoor storage of materials to keep the property aesthetically pleasing.
The business would follow steps to ensure the facility only takes in acceptable metal material, Bronstein said. He added Merrillville Metal Recycling will not be an auto salvage business.
Bronstein is seeking approval from Hobart’s Board of Zoning Appeals and Plan Commission to operate the facility. The panels could take action on the requests in the coming weeks.
During a recent BZA session, an owner of a business near the site of the proposed recycling center told the panel he is supportive of the operation.
If Merrillville Metal Recycling opens, it could make it easier on him and other nearby industrial facilities to dispose of their scrap metal, he said.
