Photo caption: THE COMPLETED ROOF of the soon to be constructed building.
Contributed By: The 411 News
Djuric Trucking will literally be raising the roof on its new home in Gary this week.
The company from Hammond chose Gary for its new headquarters since its current location is being taken over for the South Shore Line’s West Lake Corridor project. Hammond has been Djuric’s home since its inception 40 years ago.
At the groundbreaking ceremony held the morning of Tuesday, October 3, 2023, Mayor Jerome Prince recalled when he was at the property 4 years ago. In January 2020, the newly-elected mayor held his first press conference at Edison School that had been long abandoned and become a dumping ground.
The Edison School site on west 5th Avenue, Mayor Prince said, was one of the properties in the city his administration had identified early on to make better.
“Fast forward four years later, we’re here today,” Mayor Prince said. “This is something that is going to benefit not only this community, but the entire city and the region, and is an example for anybody who’s looking – Gary is an excellent place to make a smart investment.”
Plans for Djuric’s new headquarters show a multi-story facility with space for administrative offices, warehousing, and a maintenance shop. Surrounding the building will be truck parking and landscaped greenspace.
Already completed is the building’s roof. Later during the week, the roof will be raised using a hydraulic lift system, said vice president Stevan Djuric. The roof will be placed on top of pre-formed concrete panels that will form the structure’s exterior walls.
Laying the asphalt for truck parking will have to wait until spring, Djuric said. Construction completion is expected in April 2024. “We’re hoping to be operational by then. Especially with what’s going on in our Hammond property. They are rushing to get us out. We’re doing our best to finish and get to that point,” he said.
Djuric’s move to Gary faced opposition. The company also wanted to purchase Ivanhoe Elementary School on west 15th Avenue, but community members came out strongly against a trucking company in their neighborhood and the city yielded.
Calumet Township Assessor Cozy Weatherspoon grew up in the Brunswick neighborhood and attended Edison. He was the 2nd District’s city councilman when the project was proposed. “We are here today because all the neighbors came out and supported it,” Weatherspoon said. “This project is going to be the start of the revitalization of this business district.”
“We are excited for this new chapter in Gary as part of the next generation of business,” Djuric said.
