‘Bye Bye to Blight’: Gary’s Aetna Residents See Hope as Demolitions Continue

Since 2015, Penelope Love and her fellow neighbors of the Aetna Manor Revitalization Program have worked to restore the neighborhood through various cleanup projects. But eliminating blighted structures would take more than they could muster alone.

Now, an ongoing city initiative fueled largely by volunteer efforts gives Aetna the boost Love sought.

“It’s a good feeling when someone comes alongside to support consistent efforts or to do what you could not do,” Love said.

“We thank everyone as we, the Aetna Manor community, continue to say bye bye to blight, hello to beauty.”

Shortly after sunrise Monday morning, a sea of elected officials, company heads, city workers, and volunteers gathered in Aetna for what they hope will be the dawn of a new day for the neighborhood and the entire city.

With spring on the horizon, Gary is ramping up efforts to tackle blight and revitalize the city one neighborhood at a time. Mayor Eddie Melton and U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan joined volunteers as crews demolished abandoned properties — one of many initiatives, including Love Your Block, aimed at restoring the city, reinforcing a sense of hope among residents, and signaling a renewed commitment to cleaner, safer communities.

“This initiative isn’t just about tearing down buildings — it’s about building up our community,” Melton said.

“By eliminating these hazardous structures, we’re creating safer neighborhoods today and laying the foundation for new homes tomorrow. And we’re just getting started. Gary’s revival continues with more targeted demolitions coming to Midtown and Emerson this year.”

Demolitions are typically costly, but on Monday, crews from local construction firms — including Hasse Construction, Actin Inc., RMD Construction, Superior Construction, the Lake County Highway Department, and Rieth-Riley Construction — stepped up, volunteering their time and resources to clear Aetna’s blighted properties.

“This gets a little emotional for me because this is where I grew up,” said Jim Wiseman, a marketing specialist with Rieth-Riley.

“I’m very fortunate that my company, Rieth-Riley, shares my vision of a better tomorrow for Gary. When I say a better tomorrow, it’s all about the children. Children are our future, and we’re giving back to them, our residents, our people, and all Northwest Indiana. Gary was, is, and always will be the economic force of Northwest Indiana.”

The city plans to demolish 20 homes in the coming weeks, adding to the 35 Aetna structures demolished in 2024. Structures are selected for demolition by the Department of Redevelopment, which under Indiana statute requires assessing the condition of each structure and notifying  

“When you tear down blight, it’s not just the demolition and moving the trucks,” said Mrvan. “What you are doing is creating a new tomorrow for affordable housing, for community parks, for business attraction.”

“As a member of Congress representing Gary, Indiana, I commit fully and wholeheartedly to continue to bring resources back to Northwest Indiana so that we can have more great days like this,” he continued.

As the city continues its efforts to bring down abandoned structures in Aetna, the Gary Parks Department is working alongside them to restore green spaces for community use.

During the first week of demolition, multiple city departments provided additional support to the Aetna neighborhood. The Gary Fire Department is implementing the Red Cross smoke alarm program, while the Police Department is providing enhanced patrol presence and drone documentation. The Health Department is conducting rodent abatement, and Public Works crews are addressing infrastructure needs, including road patching and sign installation.

Meanwhile, the Environmental, Park, and General Services departments are collaborating on cleanup efforts, debris removal, and public space improvements throughout the area.

On Monday morning, just a few blocks from ongoing demolitions, crews were at LaBroi Park at East 13th Avenue and Fayette Street, clearing trash, tires, and debris while also removing hazardous trees to make the park more inviting.

The cleanup is part of the Parks Department’s work alongside the city’s blight removal efforts, making sure that as vacant homes come down, parks and green spaces in Aetna are cleaned up and revitalized.

“We’re here to bring parks back to life,” said Parks Director Mattiee Fitzgerald. “Parks are for people, and if we can make each park in our city more welcoming, families will come back and use them.”