The City of Gary and the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture’s Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative have a vision for downtown Gary.

Gary city officials will use the action plan as a roadmap to reestablish the city’s building culture.

“Gary is a resilient city, and we are writing our comeback story,” Mayor Eddie Melton said in a press release. “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.”

Melton said city leadership will start implementing the plan as soon as possible.

“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,” Marianne Cusato, Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative director, said.

“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,” Cusato said.

The plan focuses on physical, economic and place-based regeneration. The plan has four stages.

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

Stage 2: Conducted in August 2024, a design workshop uncovered concepts that were presented for feedback. Designs were in response to community input.

Stage 3: The team prioritized items such as preservation assessment, zoning code review and design template plans, and created a strategy for next steps, followed by the final report.

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

According to Christopher Harris, Gary Redevelopment Department executive director, reinvigorating Gary’s core with dense mixed-use development while honoring Gary’s architectural aesthetic is necessary for strengthening the city’s financial picture.

“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.”