Gary Nurse Helps Bring New Life to Former Colonial Gardens Site

Leah Lewis stepped carefully over a crack in the pavement as she pointed to the remains of a crumbling home — one of several still standing on the old Colonial Gardens site.

“We need to knock that one down next,” she said, motioning toward a house about 800 feet away.

Six years ago, when the city of Gary began tearing down deteriorating buildings in the former public housing complex, it was unclear what the site would become. Today, Lewis Construction Co., a local firm that Lewis and her family own, is about to break ground on 80 lots of housing. The new housing project will offer opportunities to rent, own, or rent-to-own through local banks and credit unions that aim to assist anyone seeking a home. 

As owning a home seems further out of reach for many community members, the company sought to create opportunities for everyone to have new and clean housing. 

As someone who grew up in Gary and still lives here, this project is close to her heart. “If someone used to live in Gary, I feel like they should come back and try to give back,” Lewis said. 

A graduate of Merriville High School, Lewis has always wanted to give back to the community in some capacity. After graduation, she went on to Purdue University Northwest to get her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Now, the 24-year-old is a full-time cardiovascular registered nurse in the Gary community. Her experiences, growing up on the East Side of Gary and losing some close family members, push her to make a change in the community. 

Especially this project.

In the 1960s, Gary witnessed the emergence of housing projects like Colonial Gardens, which primarily served as public housing for city workers, low-income individuals, and people migrating from the South in search of better opportunities. The housing community along 49th Avenue had over 100 single- and double-bedroom units, where families thrived until the buildings became rundown, crime increased, and residents began moving out. By 2016, the property had become abandoned, and it remained so for more than three years before the majority of the homes were torn down in 2019. 

The remaining buildings were fenced until Lewis Construction Co. purchased the land in 2023. 

“I felt like I needed to do something for my brother,” Lewis stated. A “gift” to her brother, Ray, a victim of gun violence who lost his life on Aug. 10, 2015. A few years later, her grandfather, with whom they were all close, passed away as well, leaving a hole.

They launched the Ray Lewis Foundation, of which Lewis is the president, to help prevent gun violence in the community and give back to its members. The foundation hosts back-to-school giveaways, supports for-profit and nonprofit housing projects, and contributes to revitalization efforts. With her, her brother, and other siblings, plus most of the family being raised on 49th Avenue, the group feels like the development project is about returning home to their roots. 

“It means a lot to have land on 49th and being able to do that for the community,” she stated.

New beginnings for Colonial Gardens

The Lewis Estates and Townhomes, the logo of which includes two birds representing her brother and grandfather, whose presence will always be on the land, is expected to break ground on Aug. 21.  

“We’re from this community, and we’re trying to give back to help our community as well,” Lewis said. For weeks, she and her sister have been attending community meetings, posting updates on social media, and making themselves known in the community. In her words, they must do a lot of the connecting work in public.  

“It’s very important to put your face out there to the community so they’ll see, ‘Oh, they’re out there doing it, meaning that they care about us,” she said. “It’s deeper than just building houses and getting money from it. It’s us giving back, healing our wounds from our loved ones, and supporting the community in any way we can.”

Planned in partnership with Chicago-based Inherent Homes, the project, which is expected to be completed in spring 2026, will feature new 1,200-square-foot, modular, single-family homes with two to three bedrooms, as well as new appliances in each home. The site will also include multifamily homes and town homes. In addition to the new homes, some of the salvageable homes on the old Colonial Gardens land will be revitalized and sold. 

Other community amenities include a residential clubhouse, community room, pool, playground, exercise facility, convenience stores, community garden, day care, amphitheater, and other development amenities. All of their plans will span the 80 plots of land that they can utilize. 

Now, with the groundbreaking approaching, they are in Phase 1. This includes bringing in modular homes, revamping existing homes, and laying foundations for additional dwellings. Phase 2 and on will consist of building the amenities and other buildings until they are officially ready to open.

Interested individuals will have the opportunity to rent, own, or rent-to-own through local banks and credit unions that aim to assist anyone seeking a home. With homes starting at $200,000, each sale will help fund a scholarship for students in the Gary area. 

While Lewis might be the one you speak with, it’s her 19-year-old sister, Aniah, who can be seen across different social media platforms, showcasing the work they are doing and spreading the word about what the future looks like for the city. As the real estate agent, it’s her job to help future property owners find what they’re looking for. 

“It just feels like the right time to do this,” she stated. In her words, it’s working with her family that has kept her going and motivated for this project. “It’s a generational thing that we’ll be able to pass down to our kids, nephews, and future generations of the family.”

As they walk through the grounds of the development, the sisters said they know they made the right choice to take on this project. They see memories of their brother and childhood, and want to create something new for the city.

“I feel like the 49th community kind of raised me in a way to who I am today,” Leah said.
For more information about the developing project, please visit Lewis Construction’s website.