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Mayor’s office reports Towson Opportunity Campus timeline, streetlight and Narcan vending updates
Summary
Chief of staff Ellis Dumas told the Gary Common Council on March 18 demolition at the Towson Opportunity Campus is set to begin at the end of March, relighting and street paving plans are underway, and the city will install a Narcan vending machine at the Metro Center as part of overdose‑prevention efforts.
Ellis Dumas, chief of staff to Mayor Eddie Melton, briefed the Gary Common Council on March 18 with a series of operational updates on behalf of the administration.
Dumas said demolition at the Towson Opportunity Campus is scheduled to begin at the end of March and that the project team expects the consolidated facility—incorporating YMCA, Boys & Girls Club and Methodist‑affiliated spaces—to be completed as early as fall 2026. “The goal of this meeting ... was to ensure that we were given a timeline and final renderings and design to the public,” Dumas said, describing amenities that will include multiple basketball courts, therapeutic pool space heated to about 95.5 degrees for rehabilitation use, and extensive interior remodeling of the Boys & Girls Club area.
On public infrastructure, Dumas said crews are relighting primary corridors and replacing broken or rotted poles along Broadway and other main streets; line markings and staging observed in the field are part of the replacement process. He also said the city has completed a PESA road‑rating assessment and that paving and sidewalk projects funded by a Community Crossroads grant and other resources will be announced as schedules are finalized.
Dumas addressed traffic‑signal timing and hardware delays, noting that some intersections may not meet automatic warrants based on traffic counts but may still be safety priorities after a separate safe‑streets study. He told council members the state Department of Transportation must authorize work on Broadway because it is a state route and that long lead times for poles and fixtures have delayed some installations.
On public‑safety and health measures, Dumas said the city will begin installing Narcan vending machines with the first machine placed at the Metro Center. “The goal is to save a life. Know that free Narcan cannot hurt or harm anybody,” he said. Dumas asked residents who experience slow responses to enter service requests through the city’s 311 system, (219) 881‑1311, to help the administration track response times.
Council members added operational notes during the report. Councilman Williams asked whether crews are using cold patch or hot mix for pothole repairs; Dumas replied that crews are still using cold patch and that hot mix will begin once milling and millings delivery allow hot patch to be used.
President Latham publicly acknowledged recent demolitions in the Aetna neighborhood and Sparkletown and thanked the redevelopment director and contractors for the work.
Dumas said planning and development has caught up on its backlog and that the administration will continue publishing timelines for capital and redevelopment work as they are finalized.
