Gary Townmakers Kicks Off “First Mondays at J’s” with Bold Vision for Neighborhood Revitalization

On September 8, 2025, Gary Townmakers kicked off its new season of First Mondays at J’s with an energizing event titled Unleashing the Power of Townmaking. This monthly gathering marks the launch of a hands-on training series designed to equip residents, small-scale developers, and community leaders with the tools to transform vacant parcels into vibrant, inclusive spaces. The evening introduced three cornerstone initiatives, Townmaker LABs, the GreenRoots Initiative, and BIG Idea Weekend, all aimed at moving Gary from planning to action.

Townmaker LABs

The Townmaker LAB series will offer practical, skill-building workshops that demystify the development process and expand access to technical expertise. Monthly topics will include:

• From Fresh to Forgotten: Fighting Food Deserts

• How to Access, Assemble, and Redevelop Vacant Parcels

• Digital Mapping Tools for Neighborhood Planning

• Legal Basics: Title Clearing, Liens, and Affordability Covenant

• Zoning and Permitting in Gary, Indiana

• Creating Infill Housing with Pre-Approved Designs

• Resilient Infrastructure and Green Building

• Financing Your First Development

• Community Engagement and Planning Labs

The Townmaker LABs will continue monthly, offering a collaborative space to build capacity, share knowledge, and activate change.

GreenRoots Initiative

Also unveiled was the GreenRoots Initiative, a community-centered effort to identify, map, and remediate brownfield sites across Gary. With support from partners like Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields (KSU TAB), Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC), Indiana Brownfields Program, and Delta Institute, the initiative will make data on contamination publicly accessible, train residents in environmental assessment and cleanup, and help guide land reuse decisions that prioritize health, equity, and opportunity.

Workshops will kick off October 17, 2025, so join our Facebook group page, Gary Townmakers, for registration information, or if you are on our mailing list, look for an invitation via email.

BIG Idea Weekend

Complementing these efforts is BIG Idea Weekend, a new civic design sprint that invites residents, artists, and planners to co-create bold, block-level concepts for housing, business corridors, and green infrastructure. These weekend intensives will generate actionable prototypes and collaborative development plans rooted in Gary’s cultural identity and community aspirations. More details will follow!

Held at J’s Breakfast Club, the kickoff event brought together residents, artists, planners, and policy shapers to co-create a new vision for neighborhood revitalization—one rooted in equity, culture, and incremental development. With no prior experience required, attendees were invited to step off the sidelines and into the process of transforming Gary’s landscape one person, one project, one block at a time.

As you plan your calendar for the upcoming months, consider which events align with your interests and goals. Remember, every connection you make could lead to a new opportunity. So, get out there, engage with others, and make the most of these upcoming events!

Post workshop socializing with participants.