Abandoned Indiana train station to be revived

GARY, Ind. (AP) - A century-old train station in northwestern Indiana may get a new tenant after sitting empty for more than 50 years.

The Decay Devils, an arts collective and urban preservationist group, has secured a $3,500 Efroymson Family Endangered Places Grant from the Indiana Landmarks organization to help fund a study of the potential rehabilitation of Gary's Union Station, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

Engineering firm Arsee Engineers will assess what's needed to make the building habitable again. The station was designed by architect M.A. Long and is modeled after Neoclassical structures at the Chicago World's Fair.

"This will really get the ball rolling," Decay Devils president Tyrell Anderson said. "It will give us a baseline of what the current condition is, what they suggest we do with it, and how much it will cost. Once we know what's needed to make it stable, we can go to potential funders and sponsors and get the restoration underway."

Decay Devils expects to get the assessment results next month and aim to send grant application letters by August.

The group made multiple improvements to the station last year, including graffiti murals, a park bench and a sign detailing the structure's history.

The organization also collected ideas from the public for repurposing the station. Suggestions included creating a community center, farmers market, art galleries or classrooms. The organization has also considered hosting a business incubator, steel museum or railway museum in the building.

"Whatever goes inside, we want to make sure it sustains the maintenance and the utility," Anderson said. "It doesn't need to make money, but we want a structure that can sustain itself and won't depend on grant funding."

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com