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Mayor says Hammond will issue demolition orders for two long‑vacant high schools
Summary
At the April 27 Hammond Common Council meeting the mayor said the city will issue demolition orders for Clark and Gabbard high schools after the school district failed to submit reuse plans by a March 31 deadline; the mayor said demolition could prompt litigation if the district contests it.
The mayor told the Common Council that the City has given the school district multiple opportunities to produce plans for the long‑vacant Clark and Gabbard high schools and that the district missed a March 31 deadline. "They didn't get back to us at all, so they have no plan at all," the mayor said, adding that the city will move forward with demolition orders if necessary.
Council members pressed the mayor on the implementation timeline and the possibility of judicial challenges. The mayor said the process "could be months" and could involve litigation but that the city’s building, fire and code departments will proceed with inspections and citations where appropriate. He framed the city's steps as enforcing state law for disposal or repurposing of vacant school property and said residents’ safety concerns about broken windows and illegal activity motivated the action.
The mayor asked council members to hold the school board accountable during the upcoming school‑board elections and urged constituents to press candidates on plans for vacant school buildings. The council did not take a formal vote on demolition at the meeting; the mayor said staff will update the council as legal steps or citations progress.
