City of Gary Accelerates Downtown Development with Multi-Site Demolition Plan

Mayor Melton’s long-term vision for downtown advances with simultaneous teardowns of long-vacant downtown buildings, setting the stage for a new train station, public safety facility, housing, and quality of life improvements.

The City of Gary, in partnership with the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) and contractor McDonagh Demolition, is moving forward with the coordinated teardown of the historic Genesis Convention Center site and the former Gordon’s Department Store complex. The initiative also establishes the timeline for a critical second phase of demolitions that includes the long-abandoned City Methodist Church and St. Mary’s Hospital.

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“When you look across downtown Gary today, I don’t want our community to only see what is coming down, I want you to see what is coming next,” said Mayor Eddie Melton. “From the Genesis Center and Gordon’s to long-standing safety hazards like St. Mary’s Hospital and City Methodist, holding onto unsalvageable buildings has cost our taxpayers millions and stalled our progress. We honor our history, and the generations of memories made here, but real revitalization requires courage and decisive action. By removing these barriers, we are protecting downtown and public safety, and making room for new housing, local businesses, and modern civic spaces.”  

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The decision to clear these legacy sites follows extensive engineering and municipal fiscal audits confirming that adaptive reuse was neither viable nor fiscally responsible:

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Genesis Center:  
State fiscal reviews established that the facility ran deep deficits for years, recouping only 33 cents for every dollar spent and costing taxpayers $8 million in operational shortfalls over five years alone. Subsequent decades of abandonment, failed private transactions, and rampant scrappers stripped all vital electrical and mechanical infrastructure, with Powers & Sons Construction estimating repair and stabilization costs in excess of $10 million.

Gordon’s Complex:  
Severely compromised masonry, collapsed roof profiles, and prolonged water intrusion turned the vacant department store complex into an imminent public safety hazard that hindered contiguous commercial development along Broadway.

Second Round of Strategic Removals: City Methodist & St. Mary’s Hospital

As Phase 1 work unfolds, the Melton administration is finalizing engineering surveys, environmental assessments, and procurement schedules for Phase 2 blighted property clearance:

• City Methodist Church (6th Avenue & Washington St): Following decades of severe structural degradation, selective clearance and site stabilization will remove catastrophic collapse hazards while working to integrate the historic site into a safe downtown green corridor.
  

• St. Mary’s Mercy Hospital (540 Tyler St): Long identified as a severe blighted anchor impacting neighborhood stabilization, full remediation and demolition will eliminate a dangerous public nuisance and open several contiguous acres for neighborhood reinvestment.
  

The Future of this Site:

The future cleared block will anchor a coordinated redevelopment vision shaped through collaboration with the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture:

1. Public Safety Facility: A modern municipal safety headquarters providing visible community security and civic services.

2. Mixed-Use Housing & Commercial Development: 150 residential units, ground-floor retail, a neighborhood mini-grocer, and dining options centered at 5th & Broadway, complemented by 90 units slated for 504 Broadway.

3. Multimodal Gary Metro Center: An upgraded transit gateway linking regional bus routes with the South Shore Line, fostering direct walkability and non-vehicular mobility.

4. Central Civic Plaza: An open gathering corridor connecting the Lake County Courthouse to the Hudson-Campbell Sports and Fitness Center, permanently commemorating the cultural history of the Genesis site.

Demolition Operations & Project Timelines

Work across all four downtown sites is proceeding in coordinated phases under contracts managed through the RDA:  

• Genesis Convention Center & Garage (401 Adams St.): Structural demolition of the main facility begins this week, with teardown operations for the parking garage following in early November. Contractor: McDonagh Demolition.
  

• Former Gordon’s Department Store (813 Broadway & 810 Massachusetts St.): Site preparation, utility disconnects, and dewatering continue through October, with structural demolition scheduled for late October and November. Contractor: McDonagh Demolition.
  

• Former City Methodist Church (549 Washington St.): Site staging, fencing, and abatement mobilization begin the week of October 12, 2026, with complete demolition and site restoration scheduled for completion by August 24, 2027. Contractor: Homrich Wrecking, Inc. (Note: The City Church Historical Marker will be preserved and relocated.)  
  

• Former St. Mary’s Mercy Hospital (540 Tyler St.): Abatement mobilization begins October 23, 2026, with structural removal and restoration running through August 24, 2027. Contractor: Homrich Wrecking, Inc.  

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Traffic Advisories & Safety Protocols

• Downtown Road & Sidewalk Restrictions: Active closures and traffic shifts remain in place along Washington Street, Adams Street, and adjacent alleys near the Genesis Plaza. Additional traffic control measures will be placed around 549 Washington St. and 540 Tyler St. as heavy equipment arrives.  
  

• Local Access Maintained: Full access will be preserved for the GEO Academy on Washington Street, Genesis Towers on the Gary Housing Authority campus, and neighboring Gary Police Department operations during all phases of demolition.
  

• Dust & Environmental Controls: Demolition teams are enforcing continuous water suppression, secure site fencing, and certified handling for all regulated materials under Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) oversight.

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These downtown projects complement Gary’s wider regional momentum, including the future 145,000-square-foot Lake County Convention Center adjacent to Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana on the I-80 corridor (established via Senate Bill 434) and targeted blighted property clearance across key historical structures including the City Methodist Church and St. Mary’s Mercy Hospital.

Further construction timelines, detour maps, and redevelopment briefings are accessible via the City of Gary’s official website at www.gary.gov.

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A Gary Story: Genesis Center Video