April 13–GARY — In about a week, city officials say residents will start to notice progress on one of Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson’s campaign promises: the demolition of the Sheraton Hotel.

Working through the winter, contractors have been busy removing asbestos within the building.

Joseph Van Dyk, director of the city’s redevelopment department, expects the work will be completed by the end of this week. Contractors then will begin asbestos remediation on the outside, which could be done by June.

The building will be demolished starting from the top down, like removing blocks from a Lego tower.

“Really, floor-by-floor demolition is the only way we could do it,” Van Dyk said. “Implosion or a wrecking ball would be too dangerous.”

Demolishing the former hotel, which has sat vacant for 20 years, carries a $1.8 million cost. Funding to cover the cost comes from an Environmental Protection Agency brownfield revolving loan fund, a neighborhood stabilization grant, Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority funds, and money from the city’s green urbanism program.

If the project stays on schedule, the Sheraton could be gone by October.

Brenda Scott-Henry, the director of the Department of Green Urbanism and Environmental Affairs, said the city will design multiple plans to install green infrastructure.

“Whatever goes in will be green infrastructure,” Scott-Henry said. “It will be something that is natural, and it compliments our area. It could be installed to manage stormwater, or dealing with impervious surfaces, it could be a rain garden.

“The most important part is it will be something tangible, and the community will have input into what the green infrastructure will look like.”

Freeman-Wilson has said the sight of the tallest building downtown sitting empty sends a poor message to people passing by on the Indiana Toll Road, especially because, on some floors, people can see through to the other side.

Demolishing the building will send a strong message, Van Dyk said.

“The mayor has done a lot for the city,” Van Dyk said, “but it’s hard for citizens to grasp the things they’re doing behind the scenes. Removing such a large blight from the downtown area, we can start positioning ourselves for redevelopment.”