On Monday, April 13 2026, Gary Townmakers hosted a workshop to share tools, maps, and research tips to help investors avoid buying parcels with legal and environmental challenges that can prove costly.

On March 9, 2026, Gary Townmakers hosted the first of two Let’s Transform Your Neighborhood workshops from our GreenRoots Initiative. It was an evening that brought residents, local developers, environmental experts, and community partners together to deepen our shared understanding of brownfields, redevelopment, and the future we’re building in Gary. Click here to view the presentation document. This workshop was held in partnership with Jamie Zouras, Jenny Par, and Gillia

This LAB unpacked the steps required to safely buy, sell, inherit, or invest in a city where off‑market deals, heirs’ property, and environmental concerns are part of the landscape.

On a crisp December evening, the Gary Townmakers community gathered to tackle one of the city’s most significant opportunities: Vacant Land. If you missed the workshop, here is a breakdown of the strategies, tools, and pathways discussed to help you research, access, and redevelop parcels in Gary.

Part III of the November 14, 2025, GreenRoots Initiative workshop brought a deep dive into one of the most powerful tools available to anyone working with environmental history in Indiana.

...brownfield redevelopment is not abstract policy work. It’s a puzzle of land history, environmental risk, ownership patterns, and economic timing, and the region has tools to help communities navigate it.

On November 14, 2025, community members, local partners, and environmental professionals gathered for Part II of the GreenRoots Initiative, an immersive workshop series focused on identifying and researching the ecological and environmental histories of properties in Gary.

On October 17, 2025, Lori Bebinger of the Indiana Brownfields Program presented, "What's in My Neighborhood?", a powerful overview of the state's resources for identifying, researching, and understanding brownfield sites, which are vital for the redevelopment of vacant and abandoned parcels in Gary.

On October 17, we at Gary Townmakers were thrilled to host John T. Morris, Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator for the Indiana Brownfields Program (IBP). John's message was one of great opportunity and the availability of financial resources!

On October 17, Gary Townmakers hosted a dynamic workshop, "Brownfields 101," featuring guest speaker Beth Grigsby, the Assistant Regional Director for Kansas State University's Technical Assistance to Brownfields (KSU TAB) program. The session offered a comprehensive look at how Gary can identify, assess, and redevelop brownfield sites, and underscored a powerful resource available to the city: KSU TAB's services are completely free.