Gary Blight Elimination Program begins, plans to revitalize the city’s economy and landscape

The first of two major demolitions in Gary is officially underway as a means to help rejuvenate the city’s local economic scene. Otherwise known as the Gary Blight Elimination Program, it will see the removal of structures at 1700-1704 Broadway, as well as 700 and 716-22 E. 5th Avenue by contractor C. Lee Construction Services, paving the way for new businesses to establish operations in the city’s downtown and surrounding areas.

Demolition on the first location, which once housed Lovell’s Barber College, began on Tuesday, August 19. Once this portion is complete, the demolition at the second site, a former ambulance repair shop, will follow suit. 

“Gary unfortunately has a number of structures that need to come down. The more room that we can create for developers to come in and build new structures, the better we can set the stage for future development,” said David “Dave” Wellman, director of communications for the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA), the organization managing the program. “That is also essentially phase two of this project. Once we get these properties taken down, we can look into bringing new businesses and new developments here.”

The sites for the Gary Blight Elimination Program, a project brought to life by Mayor Eddie Melton, were chosen for their locations in the downtown Gary Transit Development District (TDD), a special taxing district set up to encourage transit oriented development around the South Shore Line station, according to Wellman.

“The Gary Blight Elimination Project was created by Mayor Eddie Melton during his time as a Senator downstate in the Indiana State Legislature,” he said. “This was among three or four different programs that he put in place to help Gary out and to get the city back onto a positive trajectory. Mayor Melton has a very clear vision of what he wants to see happen in downtown Gary, such as making the city a more walkable community and opening up Broadway for more businesses, new restaurants with outdoor dining, and things along those lines. We’re looking to support his vision and make sure that it has every opportunity to happen.” 

A total of $12 million has been allocated to complete the program. Local funding, significantly contributed by the Hard Rock Casino, covered the first half. Due to the locations of the demolitions, the program was able to match another $6 million in funds, provided by the RDA, a key organization working alongside the City of Gary to bring this project to fruition. 

The RDA has played a pivotal role as a financial agent in many similar projects across the area, from the Commuter Rail Line Project to the Hard Rock Casino to the new Gary hotel and convention center. The organization wanted to become involved with a project set to revitalize a major Region city as well.

“We at the RDA have been working with the city to determine what properties should be targeted by the funds, and we’ve hired the company Egis to manage the project for us,” Wellman said. “We’re overseeing the Blight Elimination funds and making sure that all the funding is spent as appropriately, efficiently, and effectively as possible. It’s a similar role to other projects we’ve been involved with, and we’ve brought those projects in on time and on budget. We’ll be acting as the state’s fiscal agent and making sure that all the money is spent appropriately and effectively.”

With the Gary Blight Elimination Program officially in action, Wellman only sees great things ahead for the city. It’s one of the first stepping stones in creating a better tomorrow for Gary’s businesses and people, who make up the heart and soul of the city. Creating more space to welcome businesses and other newcomers starts a cycle that allows them to consistently pour into the city’s economy, creating new opportunities and improving the quality of life for all in the area for generations to come.

“We’re very excited about this opportunity and that the first project is finally getting off the ground. We’re looking forward to identifying more opportunities in downtown Gary. Reviving the economy, and of course, bolstering its tax base and increasing revenues to the city are the ultimate goals,” Wellman said. “You create a virtuous cycle; the more new businesses, residents, and opportunities we can bring to Gary, the more money the city can make in terms of tax revenues. The more revenues the city makes, the more it can invest in further improvements and incentives for development. Once you get that virtuous cycle going, you can really start to see some great things happening.”

To stay updated with the progress of the Gary Blight Elimination Program and other ways the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority is working to revitalize the Region’s landscape, please visit in.gov/rda.