The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority issued a notice to bidders for demolition of Gary structures.
The notice is for the former Gordon’s Department Store Annex at 810-50 Massachusetts Street, the Gordon’s store at 813-59 Broadway and the former Genesis Convention Center and parking garage at 401 Adams Street.
The projects are funded by the Gary Blight Elimination Program, which was authorized by the Indiana legislature in 2023 when Mayor Eddie Melton was a state senator. Gary and the RDA each dedicated $6 million to the fund, which was originally $12 million.
Since then, the program has received an additional $15 million from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s READI 2.0 program. The additional money will fund additional demolition work and renovations to the Hudson Campbell Sports and Fitness Center, which will also house the Gary Health Department.
Melton has said numerous times, including at his April 29 State of the City address, that blight elimination is a priority for his administration. Blight elimination is part of his plan to make Gary the “safest, cleanest and most resilient” city in the region, according to Post-Tribune archives.
“We’re enhancing the quality of life for residents and growing economic opportunities for all,” Melton previously said. “That’s something I’m very proud of because of the work that we’ve been doing collectively, as a team throughout this entire administration.”
According to the RDA, bids will be accepted through 1:31 p.m. May 29. Bids will be publicly opened.
The RDA held a pre-bid site meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday that included site visits to make visual assessments, obtain measurements and “otherwise inform the bidding process.” Bidders were required to attend the Tuesday meeting.
Project work can include removal and disposal of hazardous and regulated materials; demolition; removal, transport and disposal of associated debris; backfilling; grading and site restoration; traffic maintenance; and soil erosion and sedimentation control.
The city has not yet announced plans for the Gordon’s sites.
Melton announced that the city would demolish the structures at his April 29 State of the City address, in addition to the City Methodist Church and Mecca building. The city has received multiple bids for development at the Genesis center, but Melton said it’s necessary to demolish the structure and adjacent parking garage.
When he first came into office, Melton said “one of the first things” he did was tour the Genesis center.
“All the plumbing, all the copper, the wiring, the mechanical, it was all pretty much dead,” Melton said. “We took Powers and Sons Construction along with us, and they did a formal assessment and gave us a quote. They said, ‘At minimum, just to get the building back functioning and open, it’s going to be $10 million.’”
The Gary Redevelopment Commission has received six proposals for construction at the Genesis center site.
Proposals include from Agape Education Foundation for a mixed concept that includes sports, entertainment, housing, retail and offices; Gary Cultural Center for the Arts focused on arts and culture; CDC Construction for an entertainment center, ballroom and bowling; TRINITY Group Construction for sports entertainment and housing; Luxe Life with an early concept for housing and a long-term concept for mixed use retail, restaurant, hotel and cultural programming; and New Frontier Ventures Corporation for senior housing and mixed use spaces.
“All six proposals had the element of mixed use, which is great,” Corrie Sharp, Gary’s director of zoning, said at an April redevelopment meeting. “They understand this core concept of what we’re looking for.”
milkins@chicagotribune.com
