The City of Gary, the Airport Authority and AFCO/AvPorts will host a land planning charrette at Indiana University Northwest (IUN) Friday June 13 to bring together local and regional public officials, businesses, educators, real estate professionals, community leaders and representatives to craft a vision around development in and around the Gary/Chicago International Airport.
Only four months after the approval of the historic public-private partnership at the airport, which includes a $100 million long-term investment, this charrette establishes a broad development vision to lay the foundation for achieving specific job and revenue creating activities in and around Gary.
The morning will consist of sessions with key stakeholders working together in small groups to address topics in five critical subject areas. The groups will present their findings and ideas for review and discussion to a panel including:
- Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, City of Gary
- Rep. Ed Soliday, State of Indiana, Transportation Committee Chairman
- Denise Dillard, Gary/Chicago Airport Authority Board Member & Lake County Appointee
- Harley Snyder, Regional Development Authority, Board Member and PPP Ad Hoc Committee Member
- A representative from the Gary Redevelopment Commission
- Michael Zonsius, Chief Financial Officer, Chicago Department of Aviation
The public is invited to participate in the review of the recommendations from 1:00p.m. – 4:30p.m. in Raintree Hall Main Auditorium, Room 102. Community participants will be able to provide comments in each of the subject areas: on-airport development, off-airport development, workforce development and local hiring, environment and sustainability, and transportation.
The land planning charrette is timely given the recently announced partnership with Carmeuse Lime, the City of Gary, and the Gary Redevelopment Commission.
“The City of Gary is building momentum in attracting the types of private sector partners that provide job growth and business opportunities for Gary residents,” said Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson. “This charrette collects our ideas and in partnership with the public, private partners, and subject matter experts, we can bring these ideas from concept to reality.”
The event’s organization and execution was supported significantly by IUN, NIRPC , the Tri-State Regional Alliance, and the Chicago Central Area Committee. Following the charrette, a vision document will be produced summarizing the results, comments and feedback attained from the event. The completed document will be posted on the City of Gary web page and available at Gary City Hall in printed form.