SOUTH BEND — The University of Notre Dame shone a spotlight on its School of Architecture's efforts to revitalize downtown Gary in an ad that aired during the Fighting Irish football game against Syracuse, reaching a national audience.
An ad in the University of Notre Dame’s “What Would You Fight For?” series aired on the jumbotron at Notre Dame Stadium and nationally on NBC and Peacock as the Fighting Irish romped to a 70-7 victory that bolstered the Irish's College Football Playoff case.
Gary Redevelopment Executive Director Christopher Harris, who's featured in the 2-minute commercial talking about his family roots in the Steel City, said the project could help relieve some of the stigma Gary has faced and lead to positive change.
"It was deeply emotional to help share Gary's story and chip away at the negative algorithm that the city is usually dealt with. Although we have several significant wins, we want to bring more visibility to the world that downtown Gary still has value in its walkable infrastructure, our access to multiple modes of public transportation is unmatched in the Region," he said. "We also couldn't have asked for a better game for our commercial to air. We have much gratitude to the University of Norte Dame and its Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative embarking on this journey as we execute Mayor Melton's vision of building a downtown for everyone."
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton also appeared in the ad, called "Fighting for Community Regeneration," that chronicled how Gary is partnering with Notre Dame’s Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative on revitalizing the Broadway commercial corridor downtown and stabilizing neighborhoods.
“This is our moment to truly transform and turn the story around,” Melton said. “I tell folks all the time: This is going to be the greatest comeback story in American urban history.”
University of Notre Dame School of Architecture professors and students visited Gary and made suggestions for zoning, blight reduction and historic preservation like saving the tower of the landmark City Methodist Church and razing the rest of the crumbling church and school that's become a symbol of the city's blight.
Harris talked in the Notre Dame ad about how his family has lived in Gary for four generations since 1918 and how his father would share stories about its glory days. He addressed some of the challenges it faces, such as economic decline and abandoned buildings, before saying he was hopeful for the future.
“When our final recommendations were shared with the public, there was a resounding round of applause because there was a moment where we felt like we got it right,” Harris said. “The Notre Dame School of Architecture was able to listen in a way that the community felt their voices were heard.”
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