HAMMOND | Mayor Thomas M. McDermott, Jr., is willing to up the ante in an effort to keep a Lake County satellite courthouse in Hammond's downtown district.

McDermott said a proposal to move all Lake County offices and courtrooms to Crown Point would devastate plans for the downtown's rebirth and he's willing to offer county officials a variety of incentives to maintain a presence in the area.

"I'd be willing to use incentives. I'd be willing to use casino revenue," McDermott said. "Why is it that we always talk about moving away from north county when that's where the population is?"

McDermott said he's looking at the county building the same as he would with any business in offering economic development incentives. McDermott said just as a major retailer brings people to an area, the courts bring employees, litigants and lawyers to the area and in turn spur the development of legal offices and service-oriented businesses to serve their needs.

While he'd prefer seeing satellite courthouses in East Chicago and Gary also remain open, McDermott said he's also open to the idea of using downtown Hammond as a northern Lake County government hub.

"If they're dead-set on consolidation, I'm going to offer Hammond as a site," he said.

As for the larger plan for downtown revitalization, McDermott said he's eying the possibility of a remonstrance, basically a battle of signatures. While no specifics have been set in stone, nor has a timetable been put into place, McDermott said plans could involve relocating City Hall to the Calumet National Bank Building and the possible purchase and possible demolition of the Grand LaSalle Hotel.