What can be done to improve Gary? (Indianapolis, Hammond: car insurance, crimes)

[CHICAGOLAND92]

With it's proximity to Chicago (about 25 miles from downtown) and on the shore of Lake Michigan Gary could easily be a city with many things to do, without having to make the commute to Chicago.

. . If it's cleaned up. The city has so much potential. It could easily help the economy of Northwest Indiana! Don't get me wrong though. Gary is making improvements, but at a very slow pace.

What can REALISTICALLY be done to improve Gary?

Please, no race cards. People can't choose their race. If they happen to commit crimes, it's because of their PERSONALITY, not their skin color. Not all people of one race commit crimes!

[rrah]

What an interesting question! I don't have any real answers as a number of things have been tried over the last several decades. (and I'm not talking about a beauty pagent.) Off the top of my head--I think I would begin with a single neighborhood. One that has some wonderful old homes that could use some TLC. (and there are lots of them) Perhaps some sort of tax incentives for businesses and people that are willing to buy homes in that neighborhood. Create a sense of being "urban pioneers." Similiar things have happened in Indianapolis and Chicago over the years--probably no incentives though. One neighborhood at a time.

I also think Gary needs to exploit IU-Northwest. There's a real push in Indiana to move towards being a leader in biotechnology. It's happening at the Bloomington campus. It would be nice if some of the money ended up in Gary also.

Just a few random thoughts--probably not worth a lot.

[domergurl]

Gary is just a sad. I have older members of my family who remember when it was a big deal to go shopping in Gary. I'm afraid that the 70's completely killed the place and the powers that be in the state of Indiana didn't care, still don't. There's just nothing there except steel mills and yuck. The little area called Miller is nice, but that's just a microcosm. The Miller bakery is one of the best restaurants in Indiana if it's even still there. It's every bit as corrupt as New Orleans was/is.

What to do about it? Well, Trump tried casinos and beauty pageants and they have a nice minor league baseball stadium. The one neighborhood at a time idea is great, but nobody is willing to even be an urban pioneer in Gary. You have to find people willing to take the risk.

[Purdue1906]

Originally Posted by domergurl

Gary is just a sad. I have older members of my family who remember when it was a big deal to go shopping in Gary. I'm afraid that the 70's completely killed the place and the powers that be in the state of Indiana didn't care, still don't. There's just nothing there except steel mills and yuck. The little area called Miller is nice, but that's just a microcosm. The Miller bakery is one of the best restaurants in Indiana if it's even still there. It's every bit as corrupt as New Orleans was/is.

What to do about it? Well, Trump tried casinos and beauty pageants and they have a nice minor league baseball stadium. The one neighborhood at a time idea is great, but nobody is willing to even be an urban pioneer in Gary. You have to find people willing to take the risk.

Gary native here. In my opinion, it starts at the top. Gary needs new leaders who are free of the "steel mill" mentality and who are more concerned about the needs and progress of the city than their lining their own pockets.

That minor league baseball stadium is nice........its also cost $25 million dollars MORE to build than the original estimate (org. estimate was $20 mil, would up costing over $45 mil and Gary taxpayers will be paying for it forever). Meanwhile, Scott King and his cronies cleaned up, then King jumped ship. Leadership like THAT HAS to be eliminated b/f my hometown can rise again.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by Purdue1906

Gary native here. In my opinion, it starts at the top. Gary needs new leaders who are free of the "steel mill" mentality and who are more concerned about the needs and progress of the city than their lining their own pockets.

That minor league baseball stadium is nice........its also cost $25 million dollars MORE to build than the original estimate (org. estimate was $20 mil, would up costing over $45 mil and Gary taxpayers will be paying for it forever). Meanwhile, Scott King and his cronies cleaned up, then King jumped ship. Leadership like THAT HAS to be eliminated b/f my hometown can rise again.

I hear and agree with you! But, as you know, Lake county politics has been dirty for decades. They still run things like Chicago was run when old man Daley ran the show.

[Southside Shrek]

Gary making a comeback? Ugh!!!

Republicans don't care about Gary, and Dem politicians care about it even less. It's been an urban wasteland for years.

at least the Southside of Chicago is slowly making a gradual comeback although it's going to take many more years to get the job finished.

[artemis]

The decline started with Mayor Hatcher. ugh

I don't know anybody who would be willing to live there. I have a client who lives in the Roosevelt HS area whose car insurance is nearly $5000 per year for an Olds Alero. Who could afford it? She is living with her elderly parents.

[Purdue1906]

Originally Posted by artemis

The decline started with Mayor Hatcher. ugh

I don't know anybody who would be willing to live there. I have a client who lives in the Roosevelt HS area whose car insurance is nearly $5000 per year for an Olds Alero. Who could afford it? She is living with her elderly parents.

Let's tell the entire story.....when Hatcher was elected, MASSIVE "white flight" to the burbs (Merrillville, Hobart, Portage, Highland, Griffith, etc.) began. With this white flight, many of the businesses that were in the city moved (out to US 30 and points beyond). Couple these factors, the decline of US Steel, and the rising drug epidemic in the 80's, particularly with crack cocaine, and you have Gary today. Like many cities, Gary was a one-trick pony (manufacturing) and when the mills scaled back the city had NO other industries to help pick up the slack.

$5000 dollars for an OLDS ALERO?? Is that full coverage or just liability?? I know Gary insurance rates are high as all hell, but 5K? Is this person under 25, a male, has a bad driving record, etc, etc? Let's not try and just pin in ALL on location without telling the other factors, that just over dramatizing the point you're trying to make, IMO.

I would be willing to move back to Gary, but the quality of life would have to change DRAMATICALLY. It's hard to live elsewhere where the quality of life is better (meaning you have basic needs such as grocery stores, Wal-Marts and Targets, and decent dining IN YOUR CITY) and then come back to a place where we cant even keep a grocery store open longer than 4 months. I know TONS of people in my age and educational range (22-30, undergraduate and graduate degrees) that would LOVE to come back home but can't get over the QOL issues, and higher insurance and property tax rates. I believe Gary will rise again one day. I'll probably be an old man, but it can and will happen.

[domergurl]

I agree with you, but it also doesn't help that the government of this state doesn't care about NW Indiana either. They never tried to help out that area of the state when things got bad. They have been on their own for decades. I would even venture to speculate that most of the mill workers in Gary don't live in Gary. You have to have a population base that actually works in the city to get the ball rolling, not just people who come, work or watch a game and then leave.

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by domergurl

I agree with you, but it also doesn't help that the government of this state doesn't care about NW Indiana either. They never tried to help out that area of the state when things got bad. They have been on their own for decades. I would even venture to speculate that most of the mill workers in Gary don't live in Gary. You have to have a population base that actually works in the city to get the ball rolling, not just people who come, work or watch a game and then leave.

it's no wonder that all the folks up in NW Indiana are Chicago Bears fans. can't say that I blame them when the pols in Indy don't care about them. any chance that Chicago can just annex Gary, East Chicago and Hammond?