Business View Magazine
11
involves development on airport property, but it also
covers a significant portion of the airport footprint and
part of that footprint involves an industrial area that is
adjacent to it.”
Freeman-Wilson believes that manufacturing and
heavy industry is still viable in Gary, pointing out that
U.S. Steel is still the Steel City’s largest employer. “But
in addition to that industry, we’re looking to advantage
our transportation assets,” she says. “And it’s not just
the airport and the development of the airport, but it’s
also advantaging the existence of three Class One rail
lines, four Interstate highways, five national trucking
interests that have terminals here, and the develop-
ment of a port that will work with the private ports that
have already been developed and have already been
used on Lake Michigan. So, transportation is one of
our major areas, and we’re looking to use all of that
to our advantage. And we don’t have to create a lot of
this; the interstate already exists, the trucking termi-
nals already exist, and we are pushing to develop the
lakefront. And that can then feed into employment for
residents. Because any time you’re engaged in eco-
nomic development, the end game has to be the em-
ployment of local residents. And that’s always at the
forefront of any development that we do.”
Another one of Gary, Indiana’s nicknames is the
“Magic City.” And some naysayers opine that it will
take some nifty magic to produce the Steel City’s re-
bound. But Mayor Freeman-Wilson and her team are
not under any illusions that Gary’s long decline will be
reversed overnight; they know the challenges that face
them. However, what they have done over the last few
years is to begin to ameliorate the effects of the city’s
decade’s-old vanishing act, while helping to put some
steel back into the spine of its municipal government.
“We are doing great things,” Freeman-Wilson declares,
“and Gary’s best days are ahead.”
PREFERRED VENDORS
Gateway Partners (AKA 504 Redevelopment)
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way Partners LLC is a privately held, urban markets
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diana that develops real estate assets as an Owner or
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Northwest Indiana, Chicago and the Midwest. Gateway
leads the way on behalf of itself or the Owner in seek-
ing partnerships and services from the local govern-
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Centier Bank
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Methodist Hospitals
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Republic Services
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