Vacant to Vibrant: Your Guide to Researching Land in Gary for Redevelopment

On a crisp December evening, the Gary Townmakers community gathered to tackle one of the city’s most significant opportunities: Vacant Land.

Presented by Cynthia Williams of Gary Townmakers, Johnette Gore, local real estate broker, and Chris Harris, City of Gary Director of Redevelopment, the "Vacant to Vibrant" workshop wasn’t just a lecture; it was a strategic blueprint for transforming blight into community assets.

If you missed the workshop, here is a breakdown of the strategies, tools, and pathways to help you research, access, and redevelop parcels in Gary.

Why Infill Matters

Vacant land is not just empty space; it is a blank canvas for community revitalization. The goal of "assembling" land is to rebuild on underused parcels within existing neighborhoods, filling in the gaps. 

Strategic infill development accomplishes several goals:

• Utilizes existing infrastructure (roads, water, sewer).

• Reduces blight and improves neighborhood conditions.

• Strengthens the tax base and property values.

• Increases housing and commercial options in walkable areas.

Step 1: Define Your Strategy

Before you buy, you should have a plan. The workshop emphasized a Block-Level Strategy. Rather than buying scattered lots, look for 3–8 adjacent vacant lots or a mix of vacant lots and occupied houses.

Warning: Be wary of "problematic lots," such as those tied up in family estates, complicated heirships, investor-owned housing, and overlapping or distorted property boundaries, as these can stall your assembly process.

Step 2: Master the "Four Pillars of Data"

Gore then walked attendees through the essential research phase. To evaluate a property, you must consult four specific data sources. The key to unlocking all of them is the PIN (Parcel ID Number), an 18-digit code unique to every property.

1. Lake County GIS (The "Where")

• Purpose: Visual search, location, and property boundaries.

• Action: Use this to confirm physical boundaries and identify neighbors for community engagement.

  
  

2. Lake County Assessor (The "Value")

• Purpose: Property card data, site dimensions, and assessed value.

• Action: Verify the lot size and frontage here. Never assume the physical look matches the legal description.

  
  

3. Lake County Treasurer (The "Debt")

• Purpose: Check tax balances and delinquency status.

• Action: If a property is "Delinquent," it may be headed for a tax sale. If it is "Current," you must negotiate with the owner.

  
  

4. Lake County Recorder (The "Ownership")

• Purpose: Deeds, mortgages, and liens.

• Action: Look for a "Warranty Deed" (clean title) vs. a "Quit Claim Deed" (potential risk). Watch for hidden contractor or utility liens.

  
  

Step 3: Choose Your Acquisition Pathway

Once you have done your research, how do you actually acquire the land? Speakers outlined three distinct routes:

1. The Private Market (Private Owners)

This requires negotiating directly with the current owner.

• Pro Tip: Use a qualified Realtor. They have access to the MLS (finding lots not on Zillow) and can act as a buffer during negotiations.

• Due Diligence: A Realtor helps navigate zoning, flood zones, and title work.

2. The City of Gary (Department of Redevelopment)

Chris Harris provided a walkthrough of the process for researching and acquiring city-owned properties and preparing them for developer disposal. He also highlighted the concentration of city-owned parcels in Midtown and Downtown, which are prioritized for redevelopment. The process for property acquisition was also detailed, emphasizing the need for applicants to demonstrate development experience and provide reliable references.

• Context: City-owned parcels are concentrated in Midtown and downtown areas due to historical slum clearance and redlining.

• Process: You must submit a "Letter of Interest" or respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP). Transparency is key, and you must demonstrate the ability and funds to develop.

• Side Lot Program: If you own a home, you may be eligible to acquire an adjacent city-owned lot for free or at a low cost to expand your yard.

• The City of Gary Zoning Map can be accessed here.

  
  

3. Tax Lien Sales (High Risk / High Reward)

If taxes go unpaid, Lake County sells the lien.

• Treasurer’s Sale: Involves total delinquent taxes + current taxes. The owner has a one-year redemption period to pay you back with interest.

• Commissioner’s Sale: Liens that didn't sell at the Treasurer's sale. The starting bid is often lower ($500), and the redemption period is shorter (120 days).

• Caution: You cannot rehab or resell a property until the redemption period ends, current year’s taxes are paid, and the court conveys the deed.

Key Takeaways & Next Steps

• Check Zoning:  City zoning differs from county zoning. Always verify with the City of Gary what you are allowed to build before buying.

• Scrub the Title: Online records are a start, but they are not perfect. You may have to visit the Lake County, Indiana, Auditor and Recorder of Deeds offices in Crown Point to research further. It is also recommended that you visit the City of Gary Clerk's office to check for any municipal liens. For full disclosures, it is recommended that you engage a title company.

• Support is Available: The City of Gary is working to update zoning codes to allow for more flexible lot sizes and is using Transit Development Districts (TDD) and Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) funding to support infrastructure.

Join us for the next Townmaker LAB, Legal Basics of Property Ownership

• Date: January 12, 2026

• Time: 6:00 PM

• Location: J’s Breakfast Club, 2601 Broadway, Gary, IN

>> REGISTER HERE!

Let’s work towards turning vacant spaces into vibrant places.