Gary Tolleston Opportunity Campus
See more renderings at https://crymca.org/ymcatolleston
Tolleston Opportunity Campus Receives $30 Million to Serve Community
"What does it look like to have a healthy community?"
That was the question on everyone's mind when representatives from the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana, Methodist Hospitals, the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, Goodwill Industries, and the Crossroads YMCA first began talking about a partnership, YMCA CEO Jay Buckmaster recalled. Now some six months later the group's vision of a grand wellness campus is moving forward.
The Tolleston Opportunity Hub is located on a 31-acre former Tolleston Middle School site. The school building currently hosts a Boys and Girls Club. The opportunity hub, still in the planning stages, will include quality of life, economic, education, health & wellness and public safety opportunities and programming.
Who
Announced below, the Tolleston Opportunity Hub is a partnership among Methodist Hospitals, the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, Crossroads YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana and the City of Gary.
Funding
The $10 million in ARPA funds from the City of Gary will be matched by $10 million from the Dean and Barbara White Foundation and $10 million in state funding, awarded through the READI (Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative) grant.
Original Announcement: March 14, 2023 - Gary
Approximately $30 million has been allocated to fund the Tolleston Opportunity Campus in Gary, Indiana. The Tolleston Opportunity Campus will establish a convenient, visible, and inviting “front door” to a wide range of opportunities that are easily accessed through a central location. The project will encompass resources of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana, Methodist Hospital, and the Crossroads YMCA to provide childcare, exercise classes, community programing, and health care clinic.
“Crossroads YMCA is very excited to be involved in the development of the Tolleston Opportunity Campus. We greatly appreciate the commitment from the City of Gary, State of Indiana and Dean & Barbara White Family Foundation to provide more opportunities through the Tolleston Opportunity Campus. We are thankful to partner with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana and Methodist Hospitals to create a safe place for all to learn, grow, and thrive. We look forward to serving more kids and families in Lake County, IN through programs. YMCA at the Tolleston Opportunity Campus will be a place for all ages to enjoy wellness, activity, movement, and family time.” Said Jay Buckmaster, CEO Crossroads YMCA.
Tolleston Opportunity Campus is one of 34 READI projects for Northwest Indiana being funded with $50 Million dollars awarded to the Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation which translates to well over $600 Million in total investment over the next 3 years. Indiana launched the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), a bold, transformational initiative that will dedicate $500 million in state appropriations to promote strategic investments that will make Indiana a magnet for talent and economic growth. The full, statewide READI program is expected to result in a projected $9.8B in total investment including local public, private and philanthropic match funding, which will propel investment in Indiana’s quality of place, quality of life and quality of opportunity.