The pool at Tolleston Park was built for two ages of swimmers. A large pool sits beside a youth pool, and both run on a filtration system the city upgraded to serve the two pools separately. Gary's own 2023 Parks & Recreation System Master Plan says that pool area was last operable in 2019, that it appeared to have been properly closed, and that its slide was "fading and showing signs of aging."
On Oct. 28, that closed water park became part of the largest single award in a new round of Lake County grants. The paperwork names it the "Tolleston Opportunity Campus Legacy Park & Art Walk," not Tolleston Park. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana administer the grant in partnership with the City of Gary, and the outdoor space is now being planned as the second half of the campus that opened this fall.
A park that has changed hands on paper before
Tolleston Park has gone through several versions of itself. The record, in order:
- 1926. The city builds the park, according to the 2023 master plan.
- July 24, 1998. The park is rededicated. The same plan describes it as a Land and Water Conservation Fund property and one of the "Jewel Parks" in Gary's Department of Public Parks, with "a remarkable aquatic feature in the Tolleston neighborhood."
- 2019. The pool runs for the last time.
- July 2023. The master plan lists the park at 17.67 acres. Its amenities include a pavilion, the pool, five basketball courts, four tennis courts, a baseball field, a playground, two picnic shelters with grills and horseshoe pits. The plan notes the pavilion had been renovated with Community Development funding, including the restrooms, kitchen and large meeting room.
- Sept. 16, 2026. The Tolleston Opportunity Campus cuts its ribbon. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana covered the ceremony.
- Sept. 28, 2026. The Gary YMCA at the campus, 1771 Taney Place, opens to the public.
- Oct. 28, 2026. Legacy Foundation awards $1 million to the Legacy Park & Art Walk.
The city's parks directory lists Tolleston Park at 1709 Ellsworth Place, with a pool, an indoor pavilion and picnic shelters. The 2023 plan gives the address as 1500 Rutledge Street.
The money went to the campus partners, with the city alongside
This is the change most likely to affect what Tolleston looks like a few years from now. Lakeshore Public Media reported that the grant is administered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana in partnership with the City of Gary, and that it expands what the outlet called Gary's "broader $50 million Tolleston campus."
The campus already has its partners. In its March 2025 announcement, the city named Crossroads YMCA, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana and Methodist Hospitals, with the club on site identified as the John Will Anderson Club. The outdoor project now sits inside that same group. Mike Jessen, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, and Ellis Dumas III, chief of staff to Mayor Eddie Melton, spoke together about the award at the Oct. 28 announcement.
Lakeshore Public Media describes an outdoor project that "converts a blighted former water park into an expansive green space featuring walking trails, community gardens, and an Art Walk with sculptures." The Chicago Crusader's account lists:
- a splash pad and waterpark
- swimming pool restoration
- pickleball courts
- running track upgrades
- outdoor fitness stations
- an inclusive playground
- safety fencing around the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana playground
Both reports tie the space to the children and families the campus already serves. The playground fencing on the Crusader's list is fencing around the club's own playground.
Dumas made the case for the outdoor investment in terms that go past the park fence. Speaking after the press conference, he told Lakeshore Public Media:
"People flock to these spaces. Foot traffic means more businesses, more restaurants, and local jobs. It acts as an anchor that helps feather out growth across the entire city."
Gary's share was the biggest in a crowded field
Legacy Foundation called the program "Love Where You Live." Lakeshore Public Media reported that it was funded with support from the Lilly Endowment and was the largest competitive grant distribution in the foundation's history. Of 55 applicants, 11 finalists presented and seven were funded. The Chicago Crusader reported that the winners were announced at a press conference at IBEW Local 697.
Gary's award was the largest of the seven. Here is how it compares with the projects nearest in kind:
| Community | Project | Award | What it builds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary | Tolleston Opportunity Campus Legacy Park & Art Walk | $1,000,000 | Outdoor campus space on the former water park site |
| Highland | Kennedy Commons | $886,300 | Green space on a long-vacant gas station lot by the Erie Lackawanna Trail |
| Hobart | Festival Park Playground Improvement Project | $500,000 | All-inclusive ADA-compliant playground on Lake George |
| Griffith | Griffith Courts Year-Round Multi-Sport Recreation | $500,000 | Resurfaced Broad Street courts with a refrigerated winter ice rink |
| Lowell | Historic Town Square | $300,000 | Rebuilt downtown square with a veterans memorial brick plaza |
| New Chicago | Twin Oaks Park Basketball Court Revitalization | $168,500 | Restored public basketball court first built in 1976 |
The seventh grant went to Hammond's Optimist Lake Project, led by the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. It will turn lakefront space behind the Indiana Welcome Center into an outdoor recreation and event destination.
Most of the other six awards fund a single feature in a town square or park. Gary's grant is the one attached to a campus whose indoor building is already open and running classes.
Swimming in Tolleston has already moved indoors
Lap swimming in the neighborhood already happens at the campus building. The Gary YMCA at Tolleston Opportunity Campus is marked "Now Open!" at 1771 Taney Place, Gary, IN 46404, phone 219-600-2046. Its posted class schedule includes:
- Water. Lap Swim on three lanes, and Open Swim.
- Courts. Pickleball on Courts 1 and 2, Open Gym, half-court pickup games, shoot-around, and Open Net Volleyball.
- Classes. Cardio Drumming, Cardio Kickboxing, Step & Tone, Zumba, Zumba Gold, Yoga and Yin Yoga.
- Kids. Kids Zone for ages 6 weeks to 5 years, Kids Club for ages 6 to 12, and Youth Sports.
On the schedule posted for Monday, Nov. 9, both pickleball courts were set aside from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pickleball also appears on the Crusader's list of outdoor plans, so the game is set to run on the campus both indoors and out.
Membership rates, forms and an interest form are on the Crossroads YMCA site. Class times change week to week, so check the posted schedule before you go.
Where the Art Walk starts
Lakeshore Public Media reported that its sculptures will include "branded local heart sculptures starting with Legacy Foundation." The first heart carries the funder's name, and others can follow along the walking trails and gardens in the same plan.
Kelly Anoe, president and CEO of Legacy Foundation, framed the whole grant round around everyday use. She spoke to the room of civic leaders, park directors and community partners, as Lakeshore Public Media reported:
"The investment starts with construction, but its value will show up in everyday moments. A child finding a favorite place to play, neighbors meeting for the first time, teenagers having somewhere to go."
For Tolleston, that means the 1926 park with the closed two-pool water park is now planned and funded as part of the campus on Taney Place. The Boys & Girls Clubs administer the grant, the City of Gary is its partner, and the first heart sculpture carries Legacy Foundation's name.
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