A new project near Gary’s Tolleston Park will be transformational and might draw national attention, said Jay Buckmaster, president and CEO at Crossroads YMCA.
“This is a long-term investment in the city of Gary,” Buckmaster said. “We’re building this for the people and for the community, and we’re really excited about it. This is a unique project.”
City of Gary officials and Buckmaster took part in a community meeting at the Tolleston Park Pavillion, where they gave updates on the Tolleston Opportunity Campus, a $40 million project that’s a collaboration between the city, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, and Methodist Hospitals.
The project has raised $30 million so far, with $10 million each from the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, the City of Gary and the State of Indiana. In 2023, the project received funding from Indiana’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, according to Crossroads YMCA’s website.
To raise the remaining funds, Buckmaster said they will launch a capital campaign.
More than 80 residents attended the community meeting at Tolleston Park Pavilion, either to learn more, support or express concerns.
Mayor Eddie Melton said he’s excited for the project and what it will bring to the city. He encouraged residents to support the project.
“Once this project is completed, we have a responsibility as a community to support it just like any small business that comes up,” Melton said.
The Tolleston Opportunity Campus, which is slated to have its groundbreaking in April, will help the Tolleston community thrive, Buckmaster said. Residents will “really be able to see” the facility in mid-August.
To complete the facility, crews will renovate the Boys and Girls Club facility. Buckmaster said they will demolish the east and north buildings to create space for the campus.
The Tolleston Opportunity Campus features will include a multipurpose gymnasium for sports, fitness classes and community events; classrooms and meeting spaces; wellness center; child development center; teaching kitchen; outdoor recreational spaces; and community gathering spaces, according to project details.
Some residents are worried about the cost of the facility and if now is the right time for it to be built. More than 10 community members spoke at the meeting to voice their support or concerns.
Robert and Tracy Coleman, a Gary married couple, both said they’re concerned about the cost of the project.
Robert Coleman said residents were originally told the campus would cost $30 million, so he’s now confused why the price has increased. He thinks the money should be used to upgrade other areas of the community.
Tracy Coleman said she heard that to sustain the YMCA, the facility would need 2,000 members per month, and she’s worried it might not happen. She asked for an honest conversation with the entities involved about the costs and needs of the Tolleston Opportunity Campus.
“I love feeling positive, I love camaraderie in this great city,” Tracy Coleman said. “But so many times, our community has been burned.”
Chris Billings, another Gary resident, said she appreciates the effort for the Tolleston Opportunity Campus, but she doesn’t think now is the right time. Billings would rather see the money used in other places, such as creating jobs within the city.
After Gary’s finances have improved, Billings said she would like to see a facility like the Tolleston Opportunity Campus.
“Right now, I don’t see this project as building us up,” Billings said. “I see it in the future as being another stagnation, which has happened over and over again to the city.”
Melton told residents Friday that they can’t paint a picture that a new development would bring down the city, and this project will help attract people to Gary.
“Let’s be open-minded and realistic at the same time,” he encouraged.
Claude Powers, president of Powers and Sons Construction, spoke in support of the Tolleston Opportunity Campus. The construction company will help with the project.
Powers called the project a step forward and said it will help improve the city.
“Let us make this happen,” Powers asked of the public. “Let’s commit to supporting it. Let’s commit to making it the best it can be for our kids, so we can bring people back to the community.”
