In the beginning, the Genesis Convention Center reigned over downtown Gary as a symbol of ambition and pride.
Opened in 1981, officials promised it would revitalize the city’s sagging economy and bring live entertainment, conventions and region wide events to the heart of Gary.
That promise didn’t last long and the hulking Genesis Center became a steady drain on city resources, not a revenue generator.
Facing mounting costs, Mayor Eddie Melton announced in April, the 45-year-old structure would be demolished.
“I made this decision, let me be clear about that,” Melton said. “I own it, no other entity, no other person. I made the decision, but that site we’re going to make ready for the future.”
The Genesis Center is now weeks away from demolition and a nearby 40-foot statue called The Fusion is linked to its fate.
Commissioned to mark the city’s centennial in 2006, The Fusion isn’t facing a wrecking ball, but Gary redevelopment director Chris Harris said it could be relocated “to maximize the development potential of this block.”
The city hasn’t selected a developer for the site yet.
Built of steel, bronze and glass by famed Chicago artist Omri Amrany, The Fusion sits near Broadway on the Genesis Center plaza.
U.S. Steel and the city partnered to cover its $650,000 cost with U.S. Steel donating the 75,000-pound steel ladle that anchors the piece.
Then-mayor Scott King hoped the public work of art would spark an economic revival.
Amrany, who sculpted the Michael Jordan statue at the United Center and Harry Caray’s statue outside Wrigley Field, said it represents the cultural unity of the many ethnic groups who built Gary and labored in the steel mill.
The Fusion depicts three 9-foot-tall workers in protective masks pouring melted steel from a ladle.
“They’re standing next to hot steel, so if they weren’t covered, they’d die. But also, because they’re covered, you don’t know if they’re black, white, Hispanic or what,” Amrany said in a 2006 Post-Tribune interview. “There’s no difference among us.”
The workers are flanked by 50 pieces of cast glass flames and granite butterflies representing the world’s cultures.
McKenya Dilworth-Smith, director of the Gary Historical Society and chairwoman of the Gary Arts Council, said the city should take public input if it plans to relocate The Fusion.
“The art work has traditionally reflected the essence and collective identity of the city,” she said. “I know it’s kind of been picked apart as art can be, but I have a real appreciation for it.”
“If relocated, perhaps somewhere close like the Gary Land Building or in Midtown. I think those two places would make sense,” she said.
Like the city, The Fusion endured rough patches.
In 2007, a chunk of granite fell off the butterfly and needed repairs. It returned in 2008.
In 2013, more granite pieces fell off and laid on the ground surrounded by yellow tape for a few months before repairs were completed.
The Fusion stood silent witness to Genesis Center’s neglect.
Two former Genesis Center directors stole money from its coffers in 2017 and 2018. Both pleaded guilty to federal charges. Deborah Black had to pay $16,000 in restitution, while Victoria Wilson agreed to repay the city $12,000 in her plea deal.
Faced with few bookings, the Genesis Center struggled to keep its doors opened while city leaders spent budget dollars on its maintenance.
It once hosted Whitney Houston and Prince concerts and Donald Trump’s Miss USA pageants but closed for good in 2020. Its final big event came in 2019 when it welcomed mourners at the funeral of five-term mayor Richard G. Hatcher whose administration built the Genesis Center.
Vandals moved in after it closed. Last year, the city installed a $9,000 camera security system at the center.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
