The city of Gary will collaborate with the Notre Dame School of Architecture’s Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative to revitalize Gary.

“This partnership is a unique opportunity to create a new master plan for our great city,” Mayor Eddie Melton said in a press release. “This partnership will equip our community with tools to envision a sustainable plan for development that brings opportunities for businesses and residents to thrive in the heart of downtown.”

The partnership will kick off with community listening sessions and a public urban planning session. The process will result in a vision and action plan for downtown Gary's revitalization.

“Our initiative works closely with cities throughout the Region to assess the conditions, listen to community aspirations and balance fiscal realities to develop an inclusive and equitable vision for the built environment,” said Marianne Cusato, director of the Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative.

The Housing & Community Regeneration Initiative partners with communities within 100 miles of the University of Notre Dame. It guides leadership and community members and assists with the city’s community development efforts. The initiative has led to partnerships with La Porte, Elkhart and other communities.

“Today, we start the work of rebuilding and maximizing the potential of our downtown,” said Chris Harris, city of Gary director of redevelopment. “Our goal is to ultimately attract new businesses and talent to invest, live and work within our urban core.”

The collaboration includes developing a vision and implementation plan for the regeneration of Gary. It will create designs for the Broadway corridor, workforce housing units, commercial spaces and the new intermodal transit facility.

“Achieving this goal starts by designing a built environment that inspires a pride of place, creates economic opportunities and offers safe and attainable housing options,” Cusato said.

(Photo provided by the city of Gary)