Unpacking Gary's 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update

The City of Gary has officially released its September 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update, a roadmap designed to guide the city’s long-term transformation over the next decade.

While building on the foundation of previous planning efforts, this update marks a pivotal shift in strategy. It moves beyond high-level visioning to offer concrete steps for stabilizing neighborhoods, growing the population, and building generational wealth.

If you are wondering what is in the new plan and how it differs from the 2019 version, here is a breakdown of the key updates, the reasons behind them, and the major strategies moving forward.

From 2019 to 2025: What Changed and Why?

The 2019 Comprehensive Plan served as a foundational document, outlining a broad vision for land use and revitalization. However, the 2025 Update was necessary to align that vision with the specific priorities of the Melton Administration and to integrate several major planning initiatives completed in recent years.

Key Updates Include:

• A New Redevelopment Chapter: The most significant addition to the 2025 plan is a dedicated chapter on Redevelopment. While the 2019 plan focused on general land use, this update identifies specific "shovel-ready" sites and priority areas for immediate investment.

• Alignment with Mayor Melton’s Priorities: The plan is structured around Mayor Eddie Melton’s four key pillars: Stabilization, Growth, Quality of Life, and Planning for the Future.

• Integration of Recent Wins: Since 2019, the landscape has changed with major wins like the modernization of the South Shore Line, new investments from companies like FedEx, and the securing of state funding (SB 434) for blight elimination. The update incorporates recommendations from recent specific plans, such as the Climate Ready Gary Plan (2024), Safe Streets for All (2025), and the Downtown Gary Vision & Action Plan (2025).

Core Pillars of the 2025 Plan

The plan is organized into several strategic sections, each providing a framework for decision-making.

1. Redevelopment: Turning Liabilities into Assets

This new chapter focuses on transforming vacant and underutilized land into community assets.

• School Sites: The plan identifies 10 priority former school sites (such as Horace Mann, Emerson, and Wirt) plus the Naval Armory for redevelopment. Strategies range from adaptive reuse to demolition for new housing or green space.

• Blight Elimination: Utilizing the $12 million from the Blighted Property Demolition Fund (SB 434), the city will focus demolition efforts on catalytic sites in Downtown and the Aetna neighborhood to clear the way for new development.

• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): A significant focus is placed on the Downtown and Miller Transit Development Districts (TDD). This includes replacing the aging Metro Center with a modern multi-modal hub and encouraging mixed-use density near the South Shore stations.

2. Land Use: A City of Neighborhoods

The updated Future Land Use Map balances the preservation of established neighborhoods with the need for new growth.

• "Missing Middle" Housing: The plan explicitly promotes diverse housing types, such as duplexes, townhomes, and cottage courts, to fill the gap between single-family homes and large apartments. This strategy is key to stabilizing core neighborhoods and increasing density without altering neighborhood character.

• Destination Districts: A new land use category, "Destination District," has been created for flexible, mixed-use areas anchored by cultural or civic assets, such as the Hard Rock Casino area and the university district.

3. Transportation: Connecting the Region

The plan reinforces Gary as a logistics and infrastructure hub.

• Metro Station & South Shore Line: The modernization of rail service is the linchpin of the transportation strategy, improving commuter access to Chicago and anchoring downtown revitalization.

• Safety & Connectivity: Leveraging the Safe Streets for All plan, the city aims to reduce traffic fatalities by 40% by 2042 through improved lighting, crosswalks, and "complete streets" that support pedestrians and cyclists.

• Freight & Logistics: The plan prioritizes the expansion of the Gary/Chicago International Airport and the redevelopment of Buffington Harbor into a modern industrial and intermodal hub.

4. Nature: Resilience and Restoration

Recognizing Gary’s location within the Indiana Dunes ecosystem, the plan prioritizes environmental health.

• Green Infrastructure: The plan integrates climate resilience goals, including reducing the city's carbon footprint and mitigating urban heat islands by expanding tree canopies.

• Trails & Greenways: Continued development of the Marquette Greenway remains a priority, linking Chicago to New Buffalo, MI, through downtown Gary.

Implementation: What Happens Next?

The final section of the plan outlines a phased approach to execution:

• Short-Term (0-3 Years): Focus on updating zoning codes, advancing the Metro Station replacement, completing blight demolition, and launching the "Safe Streets" initiative.

• Medium-Term (3-5+ Years): Expand TDD boundaries, build out complete streets, and execute larger-scale redevelopment of school sites and industrial corridors.

The 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update is a call to action. By aligning historical insights with current economic realities, Gary is positioning itself for a renaissance built on equity, opportunity, and sustainable growth. Click here to access the plan.