In his first State of the City address, delivered shortly after taking office, Mayor Eddie Melton laid out a vision for Gary’s future. A year later, he highlighted major development wins, including a $60 million FedEx distribution center, as the city competed for the Lake County Convention Center. On Tuesday, in his third address, Melton […]
Eddie Melton
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Services, Redevelopment
Gary Is Betting Faster Graffiti Removal Can Stop It From Spreading
Bright pink and soft blue bubble letters stretch across the brick façade of the now-closed New Angel of Faith Missionary Baptist Church. The graffiti spreads across the building’s red brick and glass block windows, facing south toward Fifth Avenue, where cars and trucks rumble along the one-way street. Graffiti has long been a familiar sight […]
Posted inPublic Services
Gary to Build $1.4M Animal Control Facility to Replace Aging Shelter
One of Gary’s most vulnerable communities — its animals — will welcome a new home this year after a collaboration between community partners. Gary officials announced Thursday that the city will build a $1.4 million animal control facility to replace its deteriorating animal shelter at 625 W. Ninth Place and improve services for animals and […]
Posted inRedevelopment
Citywide Demolition Plans to Clear Dozens of Unsafe Buildings
Snow fell lightly Monday as an excavator’s steel claw hovered and tore through a century-old house, shattering windows and siding that had been warped by years of neglect. The three-story home, which once stood at 674 Harrison St., was the first of 60 structures to fall during this year’s Citywide Blight Blitz scheduled to take […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy, Sports
Chicago Bears Move One Step Closer to Northwest Indiana
The Chicago Bears’ long-running stadium search moved closer to becoming reality in Northwest Indiana on Thursday, as state officials signaled Hammond as the preferred site and lawmakers advanced legislation designed to support construction of a new NFL stadium. The shift comes as excitement around the franchise has surged following a strong season that included a […]
Posted inCommunity, Housing
Brothers’ Keepers Looks to the Future With New $3 Million Facility
Sunlight spilled across the Brothers’ Keeper shelter on Broadway on Monday as community members packed into the building for an announcement that could redefine how the city serves homeless men and veterans. The gathering centered on plans for a new Brothers’ Keeper facility, a project leaders said will expand services and create a more stable […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy, Public Safety
Mayor Melton Talks ICE Raids, Genesis Center, and Convention Center
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton updated residents on redevelopment projects, city services, and his administration’s stance on recent immigration enforcement actions during a packed community forum Tuesday night at Indiana University Northwest. The event came near the end of Melton’s second full year in office and provided updates on some major city initiatives, including the Genesis […]
Posted inCommunity, History, Politics & Policy
Gary Renames Grant Street in Honor of Former Mayor Richard Hatcher
A partly cloudy sky Monday could do nothing to damper the beaming pride of a city as it honored one of its brightest stars, former Mayor Richard G. Hatcher, with a rechristening of Grant Street as Richard Gordon Hatcher Boulevard. Gary Mayor Eddie Melton — just the seventh mayor since Hatcher — recalled seeking the […]
Posted inBusiness, Economic Development
‘Just The Beginning’: Gary Breaks Ground on $60 Million FedEx Distribution Center
Less than six months after announcing its arrival during his State of the City address, Mayor Eddie Melton christened what will become Gary’s new FedEx distribution center. Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony at 1 Buffington Harbor, which took place even as crews were at work on the 317,000-square foot facility, was attended by officials from every level […]
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 […]