Why Gary?

Gary secured a $15 million Lilly Endowment grant through Indiana's READI 2.0 program in fall 2025 for the Blight Elimination and Reinvestment Project. The funding covers three initiatives — the "Going Vertical" public-private downtown development, renovation of the Hudson-Campbell building into consolidated city office space, and targeted blight removal in the Holy Angels neighborhood.

FedEx broke ground on a $60 million distribution facility in Gary in fall 2025, projected to create roughly 600 new jobs. The city has committed to a 20% local hiring goal, prioritizing Gary residents for positions at the new facility, which is scheduled to open in 2027. The project leverages Gary's unique position at the intersection of I-65, I-80, I-90, and I-94.

Gary/Chicago International Airport has the second-longest runway in the Chicagoland region after O'Hare, at roughly 9,000 feet. UPS has operated daily cargo flights out of Gary since 2020 and recently extended its long-term lease for at least five additional years. The airport now ranks third in Indiana by freight volume, with an $24M Phase 1 cargo apron capable of holding 18 wide-body aircraft.

Lake County commissioners approved a $100 million convention center project for Gary in May 2025, which will include a 145,000-square-foot convention center, a 300-room Hard Rock hotel, two additional hotels, and two restaurants. Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana has been Indiana's top-earning casino since opening in 2021. Opening scheduled for September 2027.

In 2024 alone, Gary issued 4,366 permits for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing work — nearly doubling the 2,642 permits issued in 2023, generating over $1.27 million in city revenue. Mayor Melton also announced a 2026 demolition campaign targeting 100 abandoned homes in ten days across the Aetna, Marshalltown, and Tarrytown neighborhoods, clearing land for new construction.

Homicides in Gary have fallen sharply — down 37% year-over-year per City Journal's January 2026 analysis, with a 77% homicide closure rate significantly outpacing the 58% national average. The trajectory is backed by real infrastructure: Gary's Real Time Crime Center opened in November 2023 with over $1 million in new technology — license plate readers, stationary surveillance, and body-cam integration. Gary PD also completed a four-year DOJ Public Safety Partnership in September 2025, and received a $500,000 state grant (NWI Times, Aug 2025) to expand LPR coverage and patrol laptops.