Community members strolled down the sidewalk on East 10th Avenue last week to a home that represented a stepping stone in the city’s redevelopment efforts.
A breeze of hope blew through the small crowd of people gathered outside the new house at 5544 E 10th Ave.
“Today is such a joyous day. It’s been a long time coming,” said Chris Harris, executive director of Gary’s Redevelopment Office. A year in the making, the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Aetna is part of a plan to build 15 new homes aimed at revitalizing the community. “It takes a village to be able to make this happen.”
For the past few years, Harris said, his office and community partners have worked to clear houses throughout the city, with much of that attention focused on Aetna. The early work centered on demolishing long-abandoned structures and has now shifted toward rebuilding. In Aetna, the average home was built in 1962, and the need for reinvestment is clear. Citywide, 27.7% of housing units are vacant, the highest rate in Indiana.
After issuing a request for proposals, the redevelopment commission approved the home proposal in June 2024. The new property, a four-bedroom, 2½-bath home, marks something they hope to do across the city: clear out blight and welcome new people to the town.
Longtime Aetna resident Penelope Love stood cheering as Harris and others spoke about the opportunities this project brings to the area. Love, who led the Aetna Manor Revitalization Program before it disbanded this year, said bringing new people and changes to the neighborhood has been a big part of the work she’s done.
In recent months, Aetna has celebrated the opening of a Dunkin’ on Melton Road, the ribbon cutting at Harvest Square Mall off Lake Street, which added several new food options, and the installation of new sidewalks along the main road to support more foot traffic.
“Our goal has been to improve the appearance and enhance the safety of the community,” Love said. Seeing the project come to life, she added, has given her jitters as she anticipates how the home could help build momentum. “Bring in the neighbors, this is going to be a great family home.”
Aetna native and real estate agent Frederick “Fred” Long shared a similar sentiment.
“To come back to the city and make an impact is very powerful,” he said. “We want to provide quality homes for the residents of the city of Gary.”
Long said he remembered growing up on Ash Place, riding his bike around the neighborhood before heading to the park. He hopes to bring those memories to new people coming to the neighborhood.
“You never leave home,” he joked. “This is still my home. It’s just very important to be able to come back to the city of Gary and sow good seed.”
Most of the houses in the upcoming project are planned along East 10th Avenue, and construction is expected to take 12 to 18 months. After completing this first home, the team now plans to build three houses at a time.
The second home, located two doors down from the new property, has already begun construction.
“We want the residents of Gary to know that Aetna is a blueprint,” Harris said. “We’re doing this neighborhood by neighborhood, one at a time, clearing the blight and encouraging investment for new construction.”
When asked what this means for the other neighborhoods in the city, Harris said the work in Aetna reflects what they hope to see across the city.
“There are so many people renting, and they could easily use that equity to be able to own homes,” he said, adding that the goal is for residents to find quality housing in Gary without leaving.
With funds from the American Rescue Plan Act expiring at the end of 2026 and offering a down payment assistance program of $30,000 to first-time home buyers, they’re hoping to bring more homeowners into the city.
“It’s important because we need to show people proof of concept that you can save a neighborhood,” Harris said. A Gary native who grew up in Marshalltown, Harris said residents across the city want similar investment in their communities and that progress will come “slowly but surely.”
“We have to start somewhere.”