Northwest Indiana RDA plans update to Gary/Chicago International Airport in 2025 strategic plan

Established in 1939 by the Airport Board and the City of Gary, the Gary/Chicago International Airport was originally created as an interstate compact between Gary, Chicago, and Indiana. After years of limited commercial passenger service through the 1950s, the facility has since been classified as the “third airport” for the Chicago metropolitan area, supporting the Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport.

Over the past two decades, the Gary/Chicago International Airport has only continued to grow and improve. One of the biggest reasons for this growth is the airport’s collaboration with the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA), including a major expansion project in 2015.

David “Dave” Wellman, director of communications for the RDA, is excited that the organization will now get an opportunity to work with the Gary/Chicago International Airport once again.

“We’ve worked with the Gary/Chicago International Airport in the past,” Wellman said. “They’re a great partner, and the facility itself is just a continuing great opportunity for the Region. The RDA helped to fund the extension of the main runway and the relocation of the rail line several years ago. We’ve watched the airport continue to grow and bring in a new fixed base operator to build new facilities and hangars.”

The Gary/Chicago International Airport currently has a U.S. Customs facility to accept direct international flights. The airport has also worked with the UPS to build its air cargo business.

With the RDA currently in the process of developing its 2025 strategic plan, there are big plans for how the organization can make an impact on the Gary/Chicago International Airport as well as the surrounding community.

“The airport represents a terrific economic engine for the City of Gary,” Wellman said. “The more that we can drive business there, the more opportunities there are for jobs and economic development around the airport, which has been one of our main goals all along. There’s going to be conversations between the RDA, the city, the state, and the airport. We’ll work with them to see how we can boost what they need to get done as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”

A large-scale project like airport revitalization requires incredible funding and support to bring into fruition.

“There are a lot of funding partners,” Wellman said. “You have the federal government, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the city itself, and the RDA. The airport sits in its own special taxing district, and we’re starting to get a clearer picture of the resources we’ll have moving forward. Once we determine what the needs are, and we get agreement with the city and the airport, then we can pursue funding on both the federal and state level to continue to grow opportunities at the airport.”

One of the key elements in these plans for the Gary/Chicago International Airport is the role that partnerships have played to get to this point.

“It’s always a collaborative effort, which can be challenging at times with all the moving parts,” Wellman said. “That’s one of the resources that the RDA can bring to the table. We’ve had the rail project, which involved funding from the federal and state government. It involved RDA zone dollars, as well as local dollars in Lake and Porter County from 14 different municipalities. It’s a lot of work to assemble this funding package and bring that expertise to the table for this project.”

As of right now, the RDA and the Gary/Chicago International Airport are still working through the layout of what areas need to be addressed. However, Wellman and the rest of the RDA are excited to partner with the facility for the first time in a long time, with the ultimate goal to provide the best amenities for Gary residents and the people who come through the airport.

“We’re always excited to see growth there. We’re looking forward to seeing it get to be as powerful of an economic engine as it can be for both the city and the state,” Wellman said. “I’m excited about the idea of bringing out the airport’s full potential. We’ve done a lot of projects with them over the past two decades, but there’s still a lot more that can be done.”

For more information on the RDA, you can visit in.gov/rda.