In The Shadow Of Chicago: Ambassador Apartments
By Kevin Robinson in Miscellaneous on Feb 16, 2010 8:00PM
Last Fall, we took a look at some of the communities and abandonments on the far South side and in Northwest Indiana. While the weather hasn't been amenable to walking the City of the Century, David Tribby has shared some of his photography of Gary with us. This week, we'll be looking at some of the notable abandoned buildings there. For a more in depth look at the architecture of the once-great city, check out his book, Gary Indiana, a City's Ruins.
Built in 1927 for newly arriving managers at U.S. Steel's Garyworks plant, the Ambassador Apartments were occupied and in decent condition as recently as 1985. In 1993, the Jefferson Park Community Development Corporation attempted to raise $4.3 million for rehabilitation as apartments for lower and middle income senior citizens. The building was to have 78 units for single and married seniors, with most financing coming from a Florida firm. While the groundbreaking for the project took place in 1995, it eventually stalled, and today it remains abandoned and unoccupied.