With the budget for 2026 finalized, the Gary Common Council is turning its attention to its next major decision: a proposed rate increase from the Gary Sanitary District. The district says the higher rates are needed to fund a $300 million, 30-year plan required by the federal government to reduce sewage overflows into the Grand […]
Redevelopment
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy, Redevelopment
$15 Million Headed to Gary for Downtown Revitalization, Blight Removal
Gary will receive $15 million to help revitalize neighborhoods that have suffered from decades of disinvestment. The funding is part of a statewide initiative by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to support 17 projects with $131 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. The $15 million for Gary is part of a broader $250 million effort aimed […]
Posted inLocal Government, Politics & Policy, Redevelopment
Gary Council Rejects Redistricting Move, Questions Rezoning Proposal
In a resounding vote on Tuesday, the Gary Common Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing potential plans by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and the Indiana General Assembly to hold a special session and redistrict ahead of the 2030 census. “The fact they’re trying to redistrict within a 10-year period is unacceptable, and they publicly have […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Housing, Politics & Policy, Redevelopment
A Walkable, Mixed-Use Future : Inside the Plan to Rebuild Gary’s Downtown
What began as an opportunity last summer for Gary residents to share their hopes and conceptions for a reimagined downtown has become an in-depth master plan produced by the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture in partnership with the city. After weeks of talking with neighbors and months of behind-the-scenes preparations, the final blueprint […]
Posted inRedevelopment
What’s Next for Gary’s Genesis Convention Center? The City Turns to Residents for Ideas.
The city of Gary is looking to the community for help in bringing life back to downtown through a new project initiative. The city has issued a request for interest for the future of the Genesis Convention Center, located in the heart of downtown. “We are committed to creating a vibrant and thriving downtown Gary,” […]
Posted inCommunity, Public Services, Redevelopment
‘This Is a Jewel in Our Own Community,’ Residents Say as Preserve Gets $400K Upgrade
A Gary nature preserve will soon be getting a facelift. Tucked behind what may seem like one of the city’s many wooded areas is the Ivanhoe South Preserve, a sanctuary of wetland, unique plant life, and a globally rare dune-and-swale habitat just off Seventh Avenue and Colfax Street. Despite its vast landmass, the preserve sits […]
Posted inLocal Government, Politics & Policy, Redevelopment
FedEx to Build $60 Million Distribution Center in Gary
Mayor Eddie Melton delivered his second State of the City address Tuesday, using the milestone to highlight the city’s progress as it continues rebuilding. The address, delivered at Embassies of Christ Church, comes nearly 18 months since he took office and offered a shift from campaign promises to a review of the administration’s accomplishments thus […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Redevelopment
Sneak Peek: Inside Gary’s Future $35 Million YMCA Campus
City officials, community leaders, and residents gathered in Gary’s Tolleston neighborhood to mark the start of construction on a $35 million YMCA and Boys & Girls Club campus. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Wednesday at the site of the former Tolleston Middle School, where the 91,000-square-foot facility will be built. “When we invest in […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Redevelopment
From Eyesore to Opportunity: Gary’s Side Lot Program Gives Hope to Homeowners
Gaynette Ford remembers the day she danced in the street. After years of living next to a crumbling drug house, where strangers loitered, and needles littered the ground, she had all but given up on getting it torn down. Then, one afternoon, she came home to a sight she never expected: a demolition crew leveling […]
Posted inCommunity, Redevelopment
New $30M YMCA Coming to Gary’s Tolleston Neighborhood
Gary officials have unveiled plans for a state-of-the-art, 91,000-square-foot YMCA in the Tolleston neighborhood that they hope will serve as a community hub. The $30 million project, one of the largest recent investments in the city, will provide fitness programs, health care services, and educational resources for the youth. On Friday morning, residents filled the […]
