Gary, Indiana, Approves Demolition of Historic City Methodist Church After Failed Preservation Efforts
The City Methodist Church in Gary, Indiana, once the largest Methodist church in the Midwest, is slated for demolition over 50 years after its closure. The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority awarded a $5.3 million demolition contract to Homrich Wrecking. This decision follows numerous unsuccessful attempts to preserve the historic structure. In 2018, city officials and Chicago-based architecture firm Bailey Edward explored redeveloping the site into an open-air ruins. Later, in 2025, Gary and the University of Notre Dame’s Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative envisioned incorporating the church’s bell tower into a proposed City Renaissance Park, part of a broader plan to revitalize Downtown Gary. The city’s redevelopment commission even approved $112,500 for stabilization plans. However, a crucial $4.2 million funding partner for the stabilization effort was never secured, leading Gary leaders to deem the building unsafe and unrecoverable. Gary Mayor Eddie Melton prioritized addressi... 
