Vernita Leslie, Executive Director of the Broadway Area CDC, front row center, with the Jumpstart grads

Start redeveloping Gary in your own neighborhood

Contributed By: The 411 News

The next step for the first graduates of Jumpstart Gary will take them out of the classroom, into the world of new home construction.

Broadway Area Community Development Corporation is among a growing number of community improvement organizations adopting the Jumpstart model to create opportunities for local residents to invest in real estate development.

First implemented in Philadelphia, Jumpstart, over the last decade, has been showing residents in distressed neighborhoods how to gain skills and access resources to help them revitalize their own neighborhoods.

With a portfolio that includes the Madison Avenue Townhomes, NWI Veterans Village, and currently, the Washington Manor Subdivision, the aspiring developers will be connected with mentors and a network of developers, said Vernita Leslie, Executive Director of the Broadway Area CDC.

The objectives of Jumpstart are to improve neighborhood safety and raise property values through blight reduction, and help first-time investors become more attractive to traditional lenders.

“Most importantly, Jumpstart will benefit the neighborhood by creating wealth locally,” Leslie said.

The training program for Jumpstart Gary’s 16 graduates focused on foundational skills in real estate development—including property sourcing, due diligence, financing, design and construction, leasing, and sales.

Classes met every Monday for 5 weeks.

Camisha Bell, the assistant director for the CDC said many of the participants had some experience in real estate with rehabbing properties. The graduates will get hands-on experience when they join in the construction of a new single-family home.

“Broadway Area CDC is in the process of working with Jumpstart to create a loan program so that we can provide funding for our graduates' projects,” Bell said.

Story Posted:04/20/2025