City of Gary COMPREHENSIVE PLAN : 2008-2028 Department of Planning & Division of Zoning Rudolph Clay, Mayor December 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HONORABLE MAYOR RUDOLPH CLAY DEPUTY MAYOR GERALDINE TOUSANT GARY COMMON COUNCIL Marilyn Krusas, First District Kyle W. Allen, Sr., At-Large Shirley Stanford, Second District Ragen H. Hatcher, At-Large Mary Brown, Third District Roy Pratt, At-Large Carolyn D. Rogers, Fourth District Kimberly Robinson, Fifth District GARY PLAN COMMISSION William Cook, President Felix Realeza Slyvester Haywood, Vice President Moses Steele Reverend Charles Emery Alma V. White Mattiee Fitzgerald Bernard Williamson Ragen H. Hatcher GARY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMISSION Christopher A. Meyers, Chair Jackie Drago-Hunter Scott Upshaw Venus Cobb, Vice-Chair Luci Horton Jeffery Ward Dorreen Carey Caren Jones Jamal Washington Arlene Colvin Daryl Lampkins Latonya Williams James Craig Benjamin Robinson Rinzer Williams III Vanesse Dabney Joel Rodriguez David Wright DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & DIVISION OF ZONING Christopher A. Meyers, Planning Director James Craig, Zoning Administrator Comp Plan Team BauerLatoza Studio The Lakota Group S.B. Friedman & Co. RQAW Huff & Huff Blalock & Brown TABLE OF CONTENTS December 2008 Section 1: Introduction ....………..……………………………….01 Planning Mission Planning Process Planning Organization Plan Purpose Section 2: The Community…….……………..............................05 Community Context Governance Structure Community History Demographic Profile Land Use Setting Zoning Overview Section 3: Parks & Open Space........…....................................30 Open Space and Natural Resources Parks Pools Lake County Parks Trails & Greenways Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Programming & Volunteer Efforts Section 4: Transportation ....……………………………..…….….45 Roadway Network Bus Service Rail Water Air Section 5: Utility / Infrastructure ...………………………….……59 Wastewater Treatment Water Electric Gas Other Utilities i Gary Comprehensive Plan - 2008-2028 - Gary, Indiana TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 6: Historic & Vacant Properties .......………….……….61 Historic Properties: Miller & Marquette Park Downtown City Center Historic District Downtown Scattered Sites South Broadway & Historic Midtown Near Westside Historic Sites Vacant Properties Section 7: Environmental………………………………………….73 History Natural Areas: Federally Owned Lands County Parks City Parks Other Properties Wetlands Section 8: Community Facilities ...………………………………79 City School District Library District County Colleges and Universities Other (Community Centers) Section 9: Land Use & Market ...…………………………………85 Commercial Industrial/Business Residential Section 10: Focus Area & Neighborhoods .......……….……134 Study Areas: Lakefront Westside Development Downtown Business District Stadium District Miller/Glen Ryan/Aetna Area University Park ii Gary Comprehensive Plan - 2008-2028 - Gary, Indiana TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 10: Focus Area & Neighborhoods (cont.) Neighborhoods: Brunswick Ambridge-Mann Downtown West Emerson (Downtown East) Aetna Miller Westside Tolleston Central (Midtown) Pulaski Black Oak University Park Lakefront/Buffington Harbor Section 11: Opportunities & Constraints...…………….......….166 Constraints/Issues/Negatives Opportunities/Strengths/Positives Section 12: Gary in the 21st Century .......……………........…176 Future Vision Goals & Objectives Future Land Use Section 13: Planning Sub-Areas ..............……………........…185 Sub-Area 1: Marquette Park/Miller Neighborhood Sub-Area 2: Aetna Neighborhood/Route 12/20 Corridor Sub-Area 3: Pulaski Neighborhood/Interstate 90/65 Business Park Sub-Area 4: University Park Neighborhood Sub-Area 5: Central/Midtown Neighborhood Sub-Area 6: Downtown Sub-Area 7: Brunswick & Ambridge Mann Neighborhoods Sub-Area 8: Tolleston Neighborhood Sub-Area 9: Black Oak Neighborhood Sub-Area 10: West Side Neighborhood/Route 912 Business Park Sub-Area 11: Gary/Chicago Airport - Buffington Harbor Lakefront iii Gary Comprehensive Plan - 2008-2028 - Gary, Indiana TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 14: Implementation.......................…………….......…206 Action Steps Funding Sustainable Development Appendix A: Past Reports Appendix B: References iv Gary Comprehensive Plan - 2008-2028 - Gary, Indiana.