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.

A November 4, 2025, Bloomberg article entitled, "Can Anyone Save Gary Indiana?", frames Gary’s revival around thoughtful growth, small-developer empowerment, adaptive reuse, narrative change, and community-rooted planning.

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.