LaVetta Sparks-Wade is not just excited about her new job, but about the place where she gets to do it.

Sparks-Wade is the newly minted director of parks for the city of Gary, Ind., her “home sweet home,” to quote Meredith Willson in “The Music Man.”

Part of Sparks-Wade’s job is completing the first phase of a parks renovation program that she and the new administration of Mayor Eddie Melton hope will help make Gary a destination for residents and visitors.

Commonly known as the “Steel City,” Gary was founded by the U.S. Steel Corporation in the early 20th century and developed on drained wetlands on the south shore of Lake Michigan. Named after Elbert Henry Gary, who was the founding chairman of U.S. Steel, the city was established in 1906 as a company town to serve the steel mills, their workers and their families.

Along with Chicago, Gary was the end of the line for many African Americans during the Great Migration from the South. As people moved to the northern cities hoping to find good jobs in the industrial economy, the population of Gary swelled to nearly 200,000 at its peak. Sparks-Wade said that over the years, with the decline in manufacturing jobs, that number has dropped to about 68,000.

In the current era of revitalization, she noted that clean, safe parks are a part of what residents moving to Gary desire in their new hometown.

Gary has 56 parks that cover about a 50-square-mile area. For the last several years, city administrators have worked on a plan to revitalize the park system starting with six parks in six different districts of the city. Those locations have been dubbed Jewel Parks.

The renovation program began under the previous city administration but slowed in the months before a change of leadership in late 2023.

“We’re back on track now,” said Sparks-Wade, who met with contractors and the project manager immediately after starting her new position on Jan. 1. The current plan, she said, is to have ribbon-cutting ceremonies at the parks Memorial Day weekend. “A lot of work has been done, but there is still much to do to meet that goal,” she affirmed.

The challenge of renovating 56 parks was daunting, so the long-range plan narrowed the number to six as a starting point. One park in each of the city’s six voting districts was chosen to assure residents that each district would have a park that they could be proud of, Sparks-Wade explained.

She said a variety of improvements have already been made in each of the six parks, including new playground equipment, picnic areas, basketball courts and a splash pad. The pavilions at Roosevelt, Glen Ryan and Tolleston, in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, are ready for residents to rent for private parties: Renovations to the pavilions at Brunswick, Howe and Ironwood will be complete later this year.

Each of the parks has something unique to offer. Tolleston is known for its artesian spring that has quenched the thirst of children and their parents for nearly 100 years. Other features of the various parks include an outdoor roller rink, a patio picnic area and a sensory playground uniquely created for children with disabilities.

“All of these will improve the quality of life for Gary residents,” Sparks-Wade said.

Sparks-Wade is proud of her Gary roots and recalled playing in the parks that are now in her care.

“I played my first organized sports at Brunswick Park. I played softball there. The parks are a passion of mine.”

She said that the parks in Gary are a beautiful natural resource for an area that is considered to be hard-core urban. “We have 5 miles of beachfront – recreational beachfront. When you’re at Marquette or Miller, you don’t even realize you’re in a city.”

Marquette and Miller lakefront parks benefitted from earlier grants from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. Marquette underwent a $28 million renovation that included the pavilion that opened in 1924.

The Jewel Park project is funded by a portion of the $80 million awarded to Gary through the American Rescue Plan Act. Other money from that grant has been used to create a Gary mental health initiative, open a health and wellness facility, provide funding to nearly 100 local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and give down payment assistance to home buyers.

Not only is Sparks-Wade enthusiastic about the city park system, but she believes Gary is moving forward in all aspects of life there. With a background in community housing, she brings a wealth of community development to her position, and she is an enthusiastic supporter of Mayor Melton, who took office on Jan. 1.

“Our new mayor is a visionary leader who I believe will take us into the next decades. We are anticipating seeing young families moving back. We want the world to know that we are open for business.” As for the parks, Sparks-Wade emphasized the importance of safe, clean and updated parks for the city’s enjoyment. That means that once the six Jewel Parks are open and operating, “we move onto the rest of the parks.”

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