The Indiana Department of Workforce Development and the landlord of the department's WorkOne center in Gary are in lease negotiation talks, but a department official declined to comment on the reason for or status of negotiations.

Department of Workplace Development spokesman Marc Lotter confirmed discussions are taking place, but couldn't speak to whether the state is attempting to renew its lease or negotiate to move to a different location.

The office is located in The Village Shopping Center, near 35th Avenue and Grant Street. WorkOne services include job-search assistance, career development programs and workshops along with unemployment insurance claim processing.

"We're fully committed to having a WorkOne center in Gary," Lotter said.

A spokesman for New York-based Emmes Group of Companies, a real estate investment firm that has the Village as one of its properties, didn't return a call seeking comment Tuesday.

A supervisor reached Tuesday at the WorkOne Gary center referred calls to the Center of Workforce Innovations in Valparaiso. Center of Workforce Innovations CEO Linda Woloshansky and Krystal Levi, regional WorkOne manager, couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

Full service WorkOne Northwest Indiana centers operate in Gary, Hammond, Portage and LaPorte. Express centers operate in Crown Point, East Chicago, Michigan City, Valparaiso, Morocco, Knox, Rensselaer and Winamac.