Indiana Brownfields: What’s in My Neighborhood?

On October 17, 2025, Gary Townmakers hosted Lori Bebinger of the Indiana Brownfields Program. Her presentation, "What's in My Neighborhood?", provided 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.

Why This Matters for Gary

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has been working to clean up contaminated properties since 1986. To help Hoosiers access information about these efforts, they created the "What's in My Neighborhood" online resource. 

For a city with a rich industrial history, this is a game-changer. Lori pointed out that while brownfields (properties with "recognized environmental conditions from past uses") are generally not found in dense residential areas, they are far more common in commercial and industrial zones. This includes sites that are common in our landscape:

• Gas Stations

• Dry Cleaners

• Manufacturing sites

• Auto Service shops

These properties are often underutilized due to known or suspected contamination, and these tools are the first step toward revitalization.

A Practical Toolkit for Our Community

Lori's presentation focused on the IDEM Interactive Map, a key tool available on the "What's in My Neighborhood" website. She provided a simple, step-by-step guide for how community members can use the map to:

1. Search an Address: The map allows you to enter a specific address. Lori used "3400 BROADWAY, GARY" as an example.

2. Find the "Layer List": On the map, you click the icon that looks like a stack of papers to open the "Layer List".

3. Select Your Data: From this list, you can select what you want to see. For this topic, you check the box for "Brownfields Sites".

4. View the Results: The map will then populate with dots, showing "Active" (orange) and "Inactive" (blue) brownfield sites in the area.

From Data to Documents: A Gary Example

Lovell's Barber College, 1700-04 Broadway, Gary, Indiana

This tool is more than just pins on a map. Lori highlighted a local example: Lovell's Barbershop, an active brownfield site at 1700-04 Broadway in Gary.

When you click on a site like this in the map, a box appears with the site name, address, and an "AI #" (Agency Interest number). Most importantly, it provides a link to "Documents".

This link is a direct gateway to the IDEM Virtual File Cabinet (VFC), an online repository with over 2 million public records. For the Lovell's Barbershop site, Lori showed how this VFC link gives you access to the entire public file, including:

• Past investigation reports

• Legal documents and agreements

• Applications and completion documents

This transparency is the program's greatest strength. It empowers community groups, residents, and potential developers to understand a property's history and its path toward cleanup.

Key Takeaways

Based on the presentation, it's important to understand that the "What's in My Neighborhood" interactive map is "only one part of a larger due diligence" process.

The map only identifies known sites for which reviews and assessments have been performed. But for a complete understanding of a property's history and potential environmental conditions, Lori noted that "A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment is the best way to understand the history and past use of a property". This assessment is designed to identify "Recognized Environmental Conditions (on and offsite)" that may not be listed in the IDEM database.

We want to thank Lori Bebinger for sharing these invaluable resources! For anyone interested in learning more, Lori encouraged attendees to reach out to her directly: Lori Bebinger, LBEBINGER@IFA.IN.GOV, 317-234-8099.

Also, be sure to join Lori in our next workshop on November 14, 2025. Click here to register. Ahead of the next workshop, use the "Brownfield ID Form" to identify potential sites in your neighborhood and email them to Lori for research and discussion.

To access workshop handouts, view Brownfields Fact Sheets here.

To download a step-by-step site navigation guide, click here.

NOTE: A video of this training will be uploaded soon!