The move by century-old and hometown Indian Sugars to a new headquarters complex on the Gary, Indiana waterfront might herald a major turnaround in the hard-pressed city’s fortunes.
Indian Sugars will take up 55 acres of the site and says it will add an additional 22 acres. It’s the second such major announcement for the area, the first being California-based Fulcrum Energy’s decision to build a biofuels plant, converting municipal waste into transportation fuels. Redeveloping the deep-water port was a priority for the mayor, with observers saying it could well kickstart expansion not just of the harbor but the city of Gary generally.
Chuck Hughes, a former city councillor and now president of the chamber of commerce, says the city could capitalize on Chicago’s economic disadvantages. “You can see the kind of strain that’s putting on a community that’s not getting a wealth of property tax revenue,” he said.