Gary’s Comeback Story: Tolleston Opportunity Campus Opens Its Doors

Gary, Indiana is positioning itself as one of the great comeback stories of the century. For decades, the city, once home to the country’s largest steel supplier to the automotive industry, was left choking in the smog of an industry that eventually abandoned it. Diminished investment, a fleeing population and years of unflattering media coverage crippled the community from the inside out. That narrative is now changing under new leadership, new investment and the excitement of opportunity.

Years of planning, difficult decisions, extraordinary generosity and remarkable collaboration across the Northwest Indiana region culminated Wednesday night, Sept. 2, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Tolleston Opportunity Campus in Gary. Community members, city officials and leaders from local and national organizations turned out for the event to usher in a new era for the city, in the hopes of bettering outcomes for its residents and the Region.

The campus marks the first of several planned investments in the Gary community, and the night carried a strong sense of pride and renewal, a testament to what collaboration and resilience can do for a community, especially in the wake of the recent storm events that plagued much of the Midwest.

The new Tolleston Opportunity Campus sits on the site of the former Tolleston High School, long a cornerstone of education for Gary residents and now reimagined as a resource for the
community’s future.

For Kelly Powers Baria, who sits on the board of directors of Methodist Hospital, one of three major partners in the facility, the connection is personal. Baria was born at Gary Methodist, and her parents brought her home just a few blocks away to Tolleston. She recalls riding bikes through the neighborhood with her brother until the streetlights came on, growing up in a community that genuinely looked out for one another, she is immensely proud to be part of that continued effort today. The new facility, she said, is an extension of that same spirit. Baria is the third generation of her family to serve on Methodist’s board.

“Methodist believes deeply in its mission of providing compassionate, quality healthcare to all of those in need, and it is an incredible privilege for me to be able to continue that legacy today,” Baria said.

“Methodist understands that improving the health of a community means reaching beyond the walls of a hospital,” Baria added. “It means meeting people where they are and creating access to the resources to help individuals and families thrive. And with the promise of a brighter future, this campus brings together health and wellness, education, youth development, recreation, child care, workforce opportunities, and spaces for people to simply come together as a community.”

The new site is part of the Crossroads YMCA network, which serves all of Lake County across 12 locations. The Tolleston campus is, by design, a dynamic, multi-use space built around community connection and partnership, and other benefactors, collaborators and supporters of the cause make this campus unique.

The Boys & Girls Club, which has served Gary for the better part of 75 years, will continue before and after school programming to support working families. Methodist Hospital will provide on-site clinic services to expand access to medical care for residents and members. WinTrust Bank will take on-site residency as a financial wellness partner offering financial literacy education for members. Juice Jung, the on-site café partner focused on nourishing residents and club members, catered Wednesday night’s event, offering investors and advocates of the cause a taste of what members will come to love.

The joint venture brings together three of Gary’s most established institutions with a shared goal: revitalizing life in Tolleston, in Gary and across Northwest Indiana. The YMCA, one of the nation’s most recognizable brands, operated in Gary from 1909 to 1976 out of its Historic Fifth Avenue location. The loss of a local YMCA left the community without a third space and community center for over 50 years, and with this ribbon-cutting ceremony, that changed. The city of Gary and the national YMCA are welcoming the organization back with the Tolleston Opportunity Campus. Susan McCormick, president and CEO of the national YMCA, traveled to Gary for the opening.

“Gary is going to be an example for communities across this country, which is one of the reasons I wanted to be here,” McCormick said. “I want to be able to tell your story to other communities, and bringing people together from all walks of life has been central to our mission since our founding.”

McCormick said she hopes to return in 10 years to see firsthand how many lives the campus has touched.

Mayor Eddie Melton of the city of Gary and his chief of staff, Ellis Dumas, describe the Opportunity Campus as a “one-stop shop” designed to serve residents from infancy through their senior years. By housing three major nonprofits under one roof, the campus is meant to deliver comprehensive wellness services and build a stronger, healthier community. 

Dumas emphasized that the campus is intended to serve the entire region, not just the city of Gary, part of a broader effort to build a strong pool of shared resources that draws more people to the area.

“It’s creating a place of opportunity,” Dumas said. “People can come to this location, as it will become an anchor for the community, for people to just be here, gather, enjoy the space, and have all of their needs met.”

The investment in the campus, upwards of 50 million dollars, will be felt for generations to come, speakers in attendance said. Few, though, were more proud of what that investment stands for than Melton himself.

“We’re building a city where quality-of-life investments go hand in hand with economic development, where neighborhoods give people a reason to stay, a reason to come home, a reason to be involved and engaged,” Melton said. “That storm tested us in many ways, not just here, but throughout this region. But it does not define who we are. Our response will define us. This YMCA is more than a new facility, it’s a promise to our future.”

Melton was referring to the Aug. 11 storm that crippled Northwest Indiana, and while much of the surrounding area is still recovering from the damage, the opening of the new facility is a
beacon of hope and a testament to the resilience of the city of Gary.

The new Crossroads YMCA facility, led by Jay Buckmaster, president and CEO of the organization, proves that his organization’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities, supporting health advocacy and creating accessible spaces for community members to gather across the Region, knows no bounds.

The campus is more than a building; it is a testament to what is possible when people and nonprofits come together. Organization leaders in attendance were unanimous that while each has made an impact individually, it is through their collective effort that each mission will reach further, wider and more families together.

The true measure of the campus, organizers say, won’t be found in its walls or its renovations, but in the young person who finds a new sense of community there, the family that finds support, and the children who feel safe. It’s meant to be a place where children are encouraged, families are strengthened and futures feel a little more possible.

Mike Jessen, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, said the new partnership and facility represent a commitment to a community worthy of the cause.

“A commitment to keep showing up, to keep investing, to keep partnering, and to keep creating opportunities for every child and family in a Greater Gary,” Jessen said. “Together, let us fill these halls with hope, purpose, laughter, learning and possibility.”

Denise Koebcke, vice president of philanthropy, outlined the scale of the organization, which operates eight clubs across the region and 13 Kid Stop sites within schools, making it the largest organization of its kind in Indiana. Its primary mission is to provide affordable, high-quality child care to support working parents and to offer upstream prevention that guides youth toward successful careers and character development.

The partnership aims to shift away from traditional nonprofit competition toward a model of coordinated effort, increasing what organizers call “impact power” by sharing resources rather than siloing them. The combined partnership also allows for quicker mobilization during emergency weather events, or simply in an effort to help people.

“I feel so lucky to be in this region because people answer the call. People care about kids and they care about families here,” Koebcke said.

The organization serves as a regional hub connecting Porter and Lake counties. Beyond local child care, it is building connections with higher education through several initiatives, including mentorship programs with Valparaiso University, internship collaborations with Purdue University Northwest and Indiana University Northwest and the development of specialized spaces for “tween” youth and workforce development.

Koebcke said that without organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA and wellness facilities like Methodist’s, the community would suffer. She credited local partners for making the opportunity campus dream a reality: associates at Bergland Construction, the Northwest Indiana Forum (READI), the Urban League, the Legacy Foundation, and resident donors, family estates, financial institutions and the regionally recognized Dean and Barbara White Foundation, whose investments have made other projects in the area possible.

“Our organizations come from the philosophy of we can do better together, we can do more together, we can serve more people together,” Koebcke said. “It’s all about impact. So it’s really not about us. It’s not about our organization or a different organization. It’s about coordinated efforts and missions to serve the community, and then you have a bigger impact and you help more people. And that’s really what the nonprofit world is supposed to be about.”

The opening of the Tolleston Opportunity Campus is part of a larger, sustained effort to revitalize the city of Gary. The mission doesn’t begin and end with the new Crossroads YMCA campus; it’s merely the beginning, paving the way for Gary residents to lead healthier, happier and more community-focused lives for generations to come.