EDITORIAL: Raze Sheraton to raise Gary's opportunities

Gary's new mayor proposes to raze the former Sheraton Hotel next to City Hall. She's right. Get rid of this eyesore in the city's downtown and prepare the city for redevelopment.

There are some abandoned buildings worth saving for their historical value, such as the old St. John's Hospital, the first hospital opened in the city for black Americans. That building, which now sits vacant, is a reminder of the racism that was once rampant. It has been listed as one of Indiana's 10 most endangered landmarks.

The Sheraton building, though, is a reminder of Gary's decay. It must be razed.

There have been proposals for reuse of that building over the years, but they have all fallen through. It will be easier to find a new use of that site with the monument to decay razed and the rubble removed.

It is a new day in Gary, as Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson is fond of proclaiming, and that new day means removing evidence of past failures.

Knock down abandoned buildings that deter development in the city by their haunting presence. This strategy must apply to the city's downtown as well as to neighborhoods with derelict houses, apartment buildings and other structures beyond redemption.

Vacant lots, rather than vacant buildings, will be easier to redevelop.

Freeman-Wilson's idea for the Genesis Center, turning it into a government complex, is a sensible solution for that downtown landmark.

The mayor's plan to offer one-stop shopping — putting city offices in the same vicinity rather than scattered across the city — would make life easier for residents and others seeking to conduct business with the city.

Most important, don't just plan these changes but actually start the action necessary to bring them to fruition.

It's important to begin with a plan, but seeing tangible signs of progress will begin to change public perceptions of Gary for the better. Razing the Sheraton will be a sign that the city's rebirth is under way.