Technical Assistance Report For Gary, Indiana Released

2009-07-31

Vision for Broadway
New Report Encourages Equitable Development for Gary, Indiana

The Planning and the Black Community Division (PBCD) of American Planning Association released on June 29 its technical assistance report for Gary, Indiana.

Throughout the 20th Century, the City of Gary became known as the “City of the Century due to its advanced design, forward-thinking development plan, ethnic diversity, and miraculous growth.  However, forty years of urban disinvestment and flight left hundreds of abandoned buildings and devastated the city’s downtown.

The City of Gary is an urban center within the nation’s “rust belt.” Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Gary boasts many attractive features including miles of lakefront property, strong transportation infrastructure, striking architecture, and a large available workforce. The city’s major transportation artery, Broadway, formerly was a symbol of Gary’s strength. Presently, the street features the most obvious expressions of the city’s decline. Anticipating a comeback, the City of Gary; GECH Empowerment Zone; and the Department of Minority Studies, Historic Midtown Project requested assistance to develop a community vision that would strike a balance between encouraging development while protecting the sense of place.

The technical assistance team, assembled by the Planning and the Black Community Division of American Planning Association, provided the fore mentioned groups with options to address arterial enhancements along a one-mile span of Broadway. The project identified strategies, including equitable development; smart growth; context sensitive design; and heritage preservation, that local officials could consider to facilitate development along the urban corridor while protecting the cultural heritage and cherished institutions which could be leveraged to create a “place-making dividend” for the city. The assistance educated participants about sustainable practices, presented development scenarios for the corridor, and shared techniques for equitable development that can be applied to ensure Gary’s citizens have access to safe and healthy environments in which to live, work, and play.

PBCD Project Manager
Carlton Eley
202-566-2841
eley.carlton@epa.gov

Local Contacts
Dr. Earl R. Jones
Indiana University Northwest
Associate Professor of African American Studies Department of Minority Studies and School of Public and Environmental Affairs
219-980-6704
ejones@iun.edu

Ben Clement
GECH Empowerment Zone
Economic Development and Marketing Administrator
219-881-6286
ben_clement_99@yahoo.com

Consultant Team

Sanford Garner, AIA, NOMA, A2SO4 Architecture, LLC
Denise E. Gilmore, Jazz District Redevelopment Corporation
Mike Hill, Virginia Tech/Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center
Daniel Kildee, Genesee County Land Bank
Jennifer Leonard, National Vacant Properties Campaign
Steven McCullough, Bethel New Life
Eric Shaw, Louisiana Recovery Authority
Dave Walker, Assoc. AIA, AICP, W A L K studio

Read The Report