Local group helps revitalize abandoned buildings

Abandoned for over 50 years, Gary Union Station is quickly being transformed into local art and community project.

APRIL 8, 2017 — I’ve lived in Northwest Indiana for most of my life and yet I’ve never done much exploring around the city of Gary. It is only a 15 minute drive from my house, and yet it’s so full of history and interesting architecture — that it is a local mecca for urban explorers and Instagrammers alike.

Union Station Exterior

The exterior of the building was designed and built in the Beaux-Arts style.

I came across an event advertised on Instagram a few weeks back asking for volunteers to come out and help clear up the brush and debris littered around the old Gary Union Station. The event itself was organized by the Decay Devils, a local Gary urban exploration-turned-preservation group, which received a grant to help transform the abandoned station into an art project.

When I arrived on that day in April, there were well over 50 people working collectively on a common goal — to preserve and protect our local history and heritage. It was amazing seeing the dedication and drive everyone had put into the project, some of whom have never met or heard of each other before.

Union Station and Freight Terminal

Pictured here is the passenger terminal (left), connected with the freight terminal by a short walkway.

I immediately got to work documenting every sort of angle of the building that I could find — including my beloved drone shots. It was my first time ever exploring an abandoned building, and even though there were people within earshot of me, it was still possible to experience history and feel alone in such a place — and I don’t mean in a bad way.

Abandoned buildings have their own certain charm to them — whether it’s the graffiti stained walls, trees growing through the cement foundation, or old newspapers and trash littered about. Although it may look relatively decent from the outside, much of the station’s interior is just piles of rebar, concrete, and rubbish.

This video took me a while to film — and even longer to edit, but I was extremely pleased the way it turned out. It was my first take on an abandoned exploration video — and certainly not my last. Hopefully you were able to learn something interesting that is happening right here in Northwest Indiana.

BTW, if you’re ever in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by and check out the amazing progress that has been done at Gary Union Station. It’s located right off Broadway, north of the Genesis Center in-between two active railroad bridges. Don’t forget to tell them I said hi! 👋🏼