The sound of hammers and conversation filled the corner of Washington Street and 22nd Avenue on Friday as dozens of Gary residents gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of Brothers’ Keeper’s new homeless shelter.
Isaac Mootye, Brothers’ Keeper executive director, greeted guests and officials with a smile on his face. Ahead stood the new construction site dedicated to helping out homeless men, notably veterans.
“I am happy beyond measure,” he said with emotion in his voice during the ceremony. “I’m really proud of the city of Gary. … Now this dream has become a reality.”
Since 1986, Brothers’ Keeper has provided services to men experiencing homelessness, including clothing, food, overnight shelter, and connections to insurance and other resources. The organization’s longtime location at the northeast corner of 21st Avenue and Broadway houses 25 overnight beds, operates a food pantry four days a week, serves hot meals, and partners with outside organizations to connect clients with additional services.
As the needs of those they help outgrew the aging building, community officials jumped into action to help the organization.
“We are not just breaking ground for a new building; we are breaking ground for hope, healing, and new beginnings,” said Linda Barnes Caldwell, Gary Common Council president. “This project reflects our shared belief that every person deserves dignity, safety, opportunity, and a chance to rebuild their life.”
Last year, city officials began discussing sustainable, high-impact ways to spend the remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds. Those conversations led to a proposal to build a new Brothers’ Keeper shelter about a block from the organization’s current location.
“This is going to be the first brand-new structure that the city of Gary is being a part of developing,” Mayor Eddie Melton said. “We are setting the stage for new growth and development, but we have to make sure we take care of the most vulnerable population in the city.”
The city has committed $3 million to the project, including $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding and more than $2 million in Community Development Block Grant money. Other faith-based organizations in the community are raising money to help furnish the facility, including appliances, bedding, and other needed items, Melton stated.
“Expanding our services to serve our homeless population is very critical,” Melton said.
The new two-story building is expected to double the shelter’s capacity from 25 beds to 50. In addition to expanded dormitory space, the building will include counseling offices, interview and conference rooms, multipurpose community space, storage areas, a larger kitchen, an urban garden, warming and cooling areas, and additional Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible features.
For Alexis Flowers-White, an architectural designer on the project, the groundbreaking marked a full-circle moment.
“Just to be able to do this for my community that pours so much into me is very rewarding,” she said.
A West Side graduate, Flowers-White left Gary for school before returning to the area to work at Cordogan Clark & Associates. She said she is among the roughly 2% of Black architects in the profession, according to data from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
“I grew up here, and to see all of the changes is making me hopeful for our success,” she said.
Although construction began before Friday’s ceremony, the event symbolized the city’s vision for the future. The project is expected to be completed later this year.
During his remarks, Melton also said the city is working with a local nonprofit to address homelessness and emergency housing needs for women and children. He said more details are expected later this year.
