Cooper’s Hawk, an upscale winery and restaurant with locations currently in 11 U.S. states, is coming to Schererville.

The Schererville Plan Commission recently greenlighted the business for the Shops on Main development at U.S. 41 and Main Street. The business will be located off of Main in the northeast quadrant of the property and directly east of Dick’s Sport Goods over the adjacent railroad tracks where
several homes used to be.

“It is the last undeveloped parcel there and we’re really thrilled about them coming here,” said Schererville Town Councilman Tom Schmidt, D-4th. “It’s a classy business and fits well with the other Shops on Main businesses.”

Schmitt expects construction to start at the end of 2024 or early 2025 and be open for business sometime next year. He noted that the new Cooper’s Hawk won’t replace the location at Hobart’s Southlake Mall on U.S. 30.

Cooper’s Hawk will construct a nearly 10,000-square-foot building to house its winery and restaurant on 2.14 acres, according to Town Manager Jim Gorman. The business includes seating capacity for 259 patrons with 100 additional parking spaces at the northeast corner of Shops on Main. Valet parking will also be available.

Gorman estimated the business will bring in an additional $150,000 in property tax revenue for the town.

Schmitt acknowledged that Cooper’s Hawk will impact a busy retail corridor. That’s why he believes it’s important the town move as fast as it can on the Kennedy Avenue project that will extend the road down to U.S. 30 and thereby alleviate traffic on U.S. 41 and Main.

The town continues to purchase property along Kennedy and is on schedule to build a bridge over a set of railroad tracks located north of Avenue H, Schmitt said. The town received an $8.4 million U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program to help fund the bridge project.

Kennedy Avenue will be done in four phases, with completion of the project still several years out.

Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.