The City of Gary and the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture’s Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative announced a “Vision and Action Plan” for downtown Gary during a news conference Tuesday (May 27).

The final report serves as a roadmap for Gary’s leadership to follow to reestablish the city’s building culture.

“Gary is a resilient city, and we are writing our comeback story,” Mayor Eddie Melton said. “The team from the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture has listened to and learned from our community and produced a vision that feels like home. We are looking forward to beginning the plan’s implementation as soon as possible, and reigniting a culture of thoughtful building and investment in downtown Gary.”

The plan builds upon a charrette conducted in August 2024. It presents a strategy for physical, economic and place-based regeneration in response to community members’ input, and it unfolded in four stages:

Stage 1: Analysis and community engagement — A study of existing conditions, considerations regarding the historic nature of the city, and meetings with local stakeholders and members of the community helped the team identify aspirations, hopes and needs.

Stage 2: Dean’s Charrette — Conducted in August 2024, this interactive design workshop uncovered concepts that were presented for immediate feedback. Designs were adjusted and presented again, and then edited further in response to community input.

Stage 3: Charrette follow-up — The team prioritized critical items such as preservation assessment, zoning code review and design template plans, and then created a strategy for immediate next steps, followed by the final report.

Stage 4: Implementation — This step includes reestablishing a historic preservation board, prioritizing the preservation of historic structures through blight reversal, identifying and supporting medium-scale mixed-use catalytic projects and establishing an infill housing strategy. 

“The ultimate goal of this work is to reestablish a culture of city-building in Gary which heals the community, is sustainable over time and delivers long-term value for residents and investors. These efforts both draw expertise from and provide knowledge to a regional coalition of cities confronting shared challenges,” said Marianne Cusato, director of the Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative.

“The pride the residents of Gary take in their city is an inspiration, and we are honored to work with the community to develop a vision that is reflective of the city’s real needs, mindful of barriers and limitations and respectful of its culture and character,” she said.

The city didn’t get into its current state overnight and it won’t be healed and repaired overnight, said Christopher Harris, executive director of the Gary Redevelopment Department.

Because downtowns are typically the primary source of a municipality’s tax base, reinvigorating Gary’s core with dense mixed-use development while honoring Gary’s architectural aesthetic is absolutely necessary for strengthening the city’s financial picture, Harris said.

“A vibrant, attractive and walkable downtown is essential to positioning Gary — and Northwest Indiana more broadly — as an attractive destination for talent and investment,” Harris said.

“This plan will take time to implement, but the final report and the development strategy that it proposes are foundational first steps to community regeneration and a reigniting of the culture of city building in Downtown Gary,” he said.

Media contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-993-9220