GARY — It has been decades since the City of Gary last conducted major work on its streetlights. That's about to change.
The city officially announced Wednesday the launch of a nearly $3.5 million initiative funded by the federal American Rescue Act Plan signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021 to "relight the city," pledging to fix all city-owned streetlights by the end of the year.
Gary has faced criticism over its rampant crime despite reports from the city's police that the number of violent offenses, including homicides, have decreased in 2024. Meanwhile, the Gary Police Department announced last week it is investigating seven missing persons cases from 2024, including four juveniles.
One factor in Gary's above-average crime statistics has been its lighting. Approximately 900 of the 2,000 streetlights owned by the city don't turn on at night, Mayor Eddie Melton said, effectively meaning that roughly 45% of Gary sits in darkness for 15 hours each day in the dead of winter.
The federal funds will allow the city to "repair, replace or upgrade" all 2,000 streetlights by the end of 2025, Melton said. Functioning incandescent lightbulbs will be upgraded with brighter, energy-efficient LED bulbs. Broken LED lightbulbs will be repaired by installing brand-new LEDs. Damaged or missing light poles — of which there are approximately 70 on Broadway and 150 in total — will be completely replaced. Many existing fixtures were installed more than 20 years ago.
The LEDs will glow brighter and more efficiently, saving the city money on electricity. Melton said it's too early to know just how much cheaper the new lights will be.
The city has enlisted the services of East Chicago-based contractor Midwestern Electric, which began work Jan. 6 prioritizing the lighting on Gary's main Broadway corridor. Phase one of the project will target Broadway, 5th Avenue, 4th Avenue, Ridge Road and Grant Street. The city will then fix light fixtures in Gary's neighborhoods during phase two.
Gary's poor street lighting has long been a concern for city residents. An audit conducted by the contractor TWiG Technologies in March 2024 found that of 1,996 municipally owned lights, 1,293 had less efficient non-LED bulbs, 868 were non-functional and 77 had been downed by weather or vehicle accidents, The Times previously reported.
"As a resident, born and raised in Gary, for years we struggled with darkness, primarily in our major main corridor areas," Melton said. "So it was always my vision and plan to work with the Gary Common Council to appropriate American Rescue Plan dollars (for streetlights)."
When Melton took office on Jan. 1, 2024, Gary hadn't employed a full-time city engineer in approximately 15 years, he said. The new mayor changed that when he appointed William Allen, a former employee of the City of East Chicago Engineering Department, to his cabinet.
Melton first announced plans for the overhaul of the city's lighting infrastructure during his inaugural State of the City address in May.
The following month, the Gary Common Council voted unanimously to set aside just under $3.5 million from the city's federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to replace streetlights.
Though social media reaction was overwhelmingly positive, the announcement did not come without criticism. Some shared their opinions on what public safety issues they believed should be addressed instead.
"The main issue wasn't lights it's abandon(ed) building(s) every(thing) looking like an apocalypse," one person commented on the city's Facebook post announcing the kickoff of the streetlight project.
Others expressed frustration with the condition of the city's traffic lights and roads.
Gary Councilman Darren Washington said that while he disagreed with critics of the project, he was appreciative that citizens expressed their opinions and showed passion for improving safety in the city.
"We have to look at foundational issues first," Washington said. "I look at streetlights and operating streetlights as a foundational issue."
For years, fiscal challenges have plagued Gary, preventing officials from addressing even basic foundational issues. Revenue and the declining property tax collection rate due to the shrinking population have caused challenges in addressing Gary's many infrastructure needs, including roads, abandoned buildings and sidewalks.
"I think this is a parallel track, not one before the other," Melton said. "We all know that a well-lit, illuminated area deters crime, it helps with the feel of public safety and feeling safer in areas. This is going to help our businesses and the patrons that go to those businesses."
The federal grant for streetlight repairs is a massive break. But it still seems as though Gary can't catch one.
Indiana State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla told the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday she recently learned her office, and her predecessor, mistakenly distributed casino tax revenue to Gary during the 2022, 2023 and 2024 state budget years that should have gone to East Chicago and Michigan City.
In all, Gary received $12.2 million more than it was due while East Chicago was shorted $6.5 million and Michigan City $5.7 million, records show.
Gary has adopted a 2025 city budget that includes approximately $6 million in extra revenue that will now likely be correctly distributed by the comptroller to East Chicago and Michigan City at the June 30 end of the 2025 state budget year.
The long-term consequences include potentially compelling Gary to return the $12.2 million in excess revenue it received over the past three years so it can be properly distributed to East Chicago and Michigan City.
"Now we've got to struggle with (possibly) losing that money that could've went to public safety," Washington said.
But the funds from the American Rescue Plan allow Gary officials to commit to getting the streetlights fixed regardless of what might happen elsewhere in the city's budget in the near future.
"It took us 20 years to get here. It's not going to happen overnight," Melton said. "We're extremely excited that it's happening... by the end of 2025 we'll be able to see the fruit of that investment, and I'm sure neighbors, individuals and businesses are going to feel more comfortable and confident."
© Copyright 2025, nwitimes.com, Munster, IN