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.

One of the most practical tools shared during the bootcamp was the developer pitch package, a structured way to communicate projects to lenders, investors, partners, and community stakeholders.

Week 4 of IncDev's Small Developer Bootcamp focused on the capital stack, partnerships, lender relationships, and the practical steps that move a project from concept to construction.

Detroit, like Gary, is a legacy city shaped by population loss, demolition, and decades of disinvestment. The result? Thousands of small, irregular, or narrow lots that no longer fit the zoning code written for a much larger city. Before Detroit adopted a small-lot infill ordinance in 2005, many of these lots were effectively unbuildable  because: Minimum lot sizes were too large Setbacks were suburban in scale Parking requirements were excessive Building types allowed by zon