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Developer reports early sales, experiments with energy-efficient small homes in Etna
Summary
Developer David Sudter told the Gary Redevelopment Commission that two Etna homes built on city-awarded lots have sold — one for $268,000 and another went under contract at $271,000 — and described a smaller, energy-efficient prototype he plans to complete this summer.
David Sudter, a developer working in Gary’s Etna neighborhood, told the City of Gary Redevelopment Commission on June 1 that his team has sold the first of two recently built houses for $268,000 and taken a full-price contract on a second house listed at $271,000.
Sudter said the first property, a four-bedroom, 2½-bath home, closed after an atypically long process that lasted about 100 days. “I funded a majority of the project personally,” Sudter said, describing difficulties securing financing and noting that the building department and utility companies have been responsive during construction.
The developer said the next home will follow a different model: an 875-square-foot, energy-focused house designed to heat and cool for less than $100 per month by using improved insulation, high-efficiency mini-split heating and cooling, tankless water heating and pre-wiring for electric vehicle charging. Sudter said he is still deciding whether the smaller house will be sold or rented.
Commissioners and staff pressed Sudter about market pricing and buyer pipeline. Staff noted the city’s down-payment assistance program, funded with ARPA dollars and reportedly offering up to $30,000 in assistance, as one tool to help buyers enter the market. City staff and Sudter said clustering new builds in a concentrated area is intended to signal momentum to potential buyers and encourage further private investment.
Sudter told the commission he expects the next two projects to proceed in the coming weeks and that he has hired an architect and begun soil testing for additional lots. He also described a substantial personal commitment to the initial projects and said his team has had extensive contact with utilities, the assessor’s office and public-safety departments while developing the Etna properties.
The commission did not take a vote on the presentation. Commissioners highlighted that the city’s forthcoming zoning-code updates may offer greater flexibility for accessory structures and secondary units, and staff urged Sudter and other developers to coordinate with planning and zoning before final designs are submitted.
The commission’s next regular meeting is expected to continue routine agenda business and does not yet schedule any required follow-ups on Sudter’s projects.
