Imagine a city that was bombed and then abandoned — and you have parts of Gary.
Once celebrated as the "Magic City," Gary lost more than half of its population after 1960, mostly because of declining steel jobs. Its streets are dotted with once-stately buildings now falling to pieces, overrun by trees and prairie grasses.
Gary has tried many tactics to boost growth — including building a convention center and a baseball stadium — while still struggling with stubbornly high unemployment and crime.
Last summer, Gary/Chicago International Airport finally completed a project 15 years in the making to extend its runway to 8,900 from 7,000 feet. The longer runway meets new federal safety requirements and allows for the takeoff and landing of larger, heavier jets.
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and other local officials believed that if they built it, growth would come. They hope the extension and new business activity related to the airport could bring more than 2,000 jobs by 2025.
Nine months later, operations are up, though the numbers are not huge. The airport saw a 5.6 percent increase in operations for the first quarter of 2016 compared with the first quarter of 2015. Airport officials are in talks with five commercial carriers, one of whom could start flying passengers out of Gary in early 2017, said Dan Vicari, the airport's executive director.
"I don't know if it's going to be the savior. It's definitely going to be an economic engine for us," Vicari said of the extension. He would not name the interested carriers but said things could change "overnight."
"A lot of things need to fall into place, but it will definitely be a catalyst for a lot of things to happen in Gary," Vicari said. The airport has not had commercial flights since 2013, when Allegiant Air pulled out.
The airport is not just hoping for commercial flights — it also is trumpeting its advantages for business aviation and cargo jets. Those include fuel costs that are about half of what is charged at Midway and O'Hare International airports, lower jet parking and landing fees, easier air and highway traffic, and a 35-minute trip to downtown Chicago.
Vicari notes that there's not much room for more corporate jet travel at landlocked Midway, which devotes the vast majority of its space to passenger air travel, especially from Southwest Airlines.
"Our volumes are increasing almost every month. It's been great," said John Girzadas, president of B. Coleman Aviation, a 3-year-old fixed base operator for business jets at Gary. He said the runway extension and the attention it has drawn are attracting new business.
Wil Davis, owner of 25-year-old Gary Jet Center, the airport's other fixed base operator, is more guarded in his enthusiasm. He does not foresee a big business boom, though the extension certainly has not hurt.
"We're not an airline airport," said Davis, whose company has sued the airport's private operator, AvPORTS, over increased fees. He thinks business at Gary will increase incrementally, "but I don't see the floodgates opening up here, or this unbelievable increase in traffic."
The runway extension required overcoming enormous physical and logistical obstacles. Removing a railroad embankment and rerouting freight traffic required the cooperation of three railroads — CN, CSX and Norfolk Southern — who ordinarily would not want to sit in the same room together, Vicari said.
Other big jobs were cleaning up contaminated soil, moving a major power utility substation, burying overhead power lines and restoring wetlands.
The $174 million expansion was paid for with federal and local funding, including a municipal bond sale. The Chicago Department of Aviation — which regards Gary as Chicago's third airport and has a 21-year-old compact to pay Gary a percentage of its passenger facility charges — supported the extension.
Plans for an alternate third airport in Peotone are dormant, despite the state spending more than $85 million on land. The Peotone project remains "under review," according to Guy Tridgell of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The longer Gary runway can accommodate not just big jets but jets traveling farther, Vicari explained. That's because when planes are heavier due to more fuel, they need a longer runway.
"Any aircraft that's manufactured now can take off from our runway, full weight," Vicari said.
What's needed next is a customs facility. Aircraft coming from abroad currently must clear customs at another airport before coming into Gary, which is a hindrance for commercial and general aviation growth.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection office has approved Gary's floor plan and assigned a project manager, and city officials are preparing to put the facility out to bid. Construction could start later this year, Vicari said.
Davis is concerned over talks about a possible immigration detention center on private property near the airport, which would hinder future extension of a 3,500-foot runway running northeast and southwest at Gary that could accommodate landings in prevailing southwest winds.
Freeman-Wilson has withdrawn her support for the proposed center, despite the prospect of 200 new jobs. The Gary Common Council did not approve the center last week but will vote on it again May 4.
"I think it really limits us," said Davis, referring to the lack of a longer crosswind runway. "It's not funded yet, but we have to look at the future."
Meanwhile, Vicari said the airport will keep spreading the word about what it can offer.
"As soon as people come out here and see what's available to them, they're hooked," he said.
Pilot Ryan Coomer, who flies a private jet in and out of Gary, agrees, saying the airport offers fewer traffic delays than Midway and lower costs.
"I hope it helps the city," Coomer said of the runway extension. "I know the city needs the help."