I’ve got some exciting news to share about a fantastic initiative happening right here in Gary, Indiana. Notre Dame is stepping in to help us breathe new life into our downtown area. Yep, you heard it right – Notre Dame!
The goal of this partnership is to give our businesses a boost and make sure our residents are thriving. If you’ve driven through downtown Gary lately, you’ve probably noticed the blight.
There’s an old, crumbling church right next to an apartment building where many of our senior citizens live. It’s a stark reminder of the beauty Gary once had and still holds, despite the decay. Mayor Eddie Melton, who’s a true Gary native, shared that there are big plans on the horizon to revamp our downtown.
Just this Tuesday, city officials announced the first phase of this revitalization project. It’s a team effort with Notre Dame’s School of Architecture and their Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative.
Marianne Cusato from Notre Dame put it beautifully: “Together, we will create a vision and an action plan for the future to provide opportunity, hope, and pride of place.” Gary’s leaders believe that a lively downtown is key to the city’s economic health.
For too long, this area has been neglected. Chris Harris, our director of redevelopment, emphasized how this collaboration will help us plan for a more walkable, mixed-use downtown. This is a big change from the traditional corridor development we’ve seen along Broadway and Fifth Avenue.
Starting this August, there will be listening sessions where Gary residents can share their thoughts and ideas for the revitalization. Your input will be crucial and will help shape the final action plan. But don’t expect overnight results – this is a long-term project that will unfold over several years.
Cusato also mentioned that there are many in the community who remember Gary’s heyday and have been fighting to preserve its historic structures. This project will honor those memories while looking forward to a brighter future.
Notre Dame has been involved in similar projects in other Midwest towns, always with the aim of making community members central to the revitalization process. So, let’s get excited and get involved – this is our chance to reshape downtown Gary into a place we can all be proud of.
