Gary teams up with Notre Dame in new push to revive downtown

Gary teams up with Notre Dame in new push to revive downtown

Gary has heard promises of revitalization before — and has often been left waiting. But this time, there’s real money behind it and real momentum.

GARY, Ind. - Gary has heard promises of revitalization before — and has often been left waiting.

But this time, there’s real money behind it and real momentum.

What we know:

The city has partnered with the University of Notre Dame to reimagine its downtown. 

Students and faculty from the university’s School of Architecture spent a year working on the plan, holding public meetings and design workshops to shape the vision.

The goal: a walkable downtown filled with shops, public art and community gathering spaces.

A key step was reinstating the city’s historic preservation board to determine which buildings should be saved and which should be demolished.

Mayor Eddie Melton said this idea will only work if the people of Gary keep showing up and staying involved. 

"This plan is for us as a community. It belongs to all of us, every single one of us in the city. This plan is going to help residents, entrepreneurs, churches, faith leaders, cultural leaders and developers. And it gives us a shared road map to move forward together," Melton said.

What's next:

Next up: updating zoning codes to allow new construction.

There’s no final timeline yet, but the project has secured funding from the state and Hard Rock Casino. Demolition is already underway.

For more details on the 10-year plan, click here.