Knight Foundation Awards Gary, Ind. With Grant For Art And Culinary Center
GARY, Ind. (CBS) --There is some encouraging news about place that often captures headlines because of tragedy and heartache.
Gary, Indiana is getting a new development thanks to an award from a prominent foundation, reports CBS 2's Jim Williams
Where some see desolation and urban decay, the mayor of Gary, Indiana sees a trigger for a cultural renaissance: block after block of popular destinations.
"This is an awesome day," Mayor Karen Freeman Wilson said.
"Awesome" because somewhere in Gary an art and culinary center will be built with a $650,000 grant announced Tuesday from the Knight Foundation.
"Beauty is something that everybody deserves and what better to have than to have beauty and food," said Lori Berko.
Lori Berko and Isis Ferguson are with the University of Chicago's Art and Public Life Initiative, which is guiding the project.
"They believe that Gary has the will to make change," Ferguson said. "It means that Gary has an unemployed population that is ready for work."
In this town, with its countless abandoned buildings, there are signs of hope, some vitalized housing and parks, and soon it'll have what's called Arthouse: A Social Kitchen. Emphasis on social, the mayor says, bringing people together right here.
"To have them wrap their arms around a concept in the city of Gary is really exciting," Freeman-Wilson said.
Gary high school students will be trained at the art and culinary center and it will include a restaurant. The hope is that it'll create a ripple effect in the community encouraging other developments to follow.
The work there is expected to start this summer.