Launching the Lagoon: A Decade in the Making

Some projects begin with a grant or a plan. Others begin with a question, a community goal, and the patience to see it through. Launching the Lagoon is the latter, a project that represents the culmination of more than a decade of vision, advocacy, planning, and collaboration in the Miller neighborhood of the City of Gary, Indiana.

(ID: Plan of the UD Kayak Launch and Lagoon Outlook Garden designed by Causes for Change International and Peggy Blackwell.)

What started as a goal identified by the Access Miller Working Group through the Miller Spotlight initiative has grown into one of Indiana’s most meaningful examples of universally designed public waterfront access.

(ID: Image of the accessible circular seat that is beautifully adorned with designs from local artist, Casey King. The seat is in the garden and the backdrop is the lagoon and kayak launch.)

From Community Vision to Phased Implementation

The original goal was simple but powerful: create equitable, accessible access to the Grand Calumet Lagoon and River, so that more people, of all abilities, could experience and enjoy the water.

(ID: Members of the Access Miller planning committee discuss their goals.)

Turning that vision into reality required time, trust, and partnership. The project was implemented in stages starting in 2016, led by Causes for Change International in close collaboration with the Northwest Indiana Paddlers Association, and the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District (MBACD). Key public partners included the City of Gary, the City of Gary Parks Department, the Barrier Free Beach 2020 Committee and the Indiana Dunes Park.

(ID: Accessible chessboards, designed with art from Casey King.)

Together, these organizations navigated funding, design, environmental stewardship, and community engagement to create the first universally designed kayak launch and greenspace in the State of Indiana, located within Marquette Park.

(ID: The Lagoon Out Look Garden and UD Kayak launch highlighted by a winter's sunset.)

Today, the site is lovingly maintained by the Miller Garden Club and VOCART, ensuring the space continues to thrive as both a recreational and community asset.

(ID: Accessible Sunset Paddle with the Bling Social Center, Northern Lights Eco Adventures, VOCART and the Indiana Dunes Park Rangers.)

Evaluating Impact: The Launching the Lagoon After Study

In 2024, Nexus Strategy & Implementation was commissioned to conduct the Launching the Lagoon After Study, a comprehensive evaluation designed to assess and communicate the project’s community, environmental, and economic impacts.

The After Study reflects Nexus’s boutique approach to planning and evaluation, combining:

• Quantitative analysis (economic impact, accessibility outcomes, sustainability metrics)

• Qualitative storytelling (community voice, equity, cultural significance)

• Visual communication to translate data into narratives that resonate with the public, funders, and decision-makers

(ID: Jessica Renslow and Gretchen Sipp sit with Causes for Change President, Zully JF Alvarado, discussing long term planning for the LOG.)

A Documentary That Took the Story Global

To extend the reach of the After Study, Nexus partnered with Almost Fairytales Films to produce a short documentary that captures both the planning process and lived experience of Launching the Lagoon.

(ID: Film posters listing all the festivals Launching the Lagoon has been shown at and the awards it has received.)

Funded through the Unearthed Fellowship, an Indiana Humanities initiative focused on Hoosiers’ relationship to land, the film showcases how collective action and long-term commitment can lead to lasting community transformation.

(ID: Collage of scenes form the 2024 Indy Shorts Film Festival.)

The results have been extraordinary:

• Premiered at Heartland Film Festival’s Indy Shorts Fest 2024 (an Oscar-qualifying fest)

• Screened globally between 2024–2025

• Won multiple awards at US and international film festivals

• Currently under consideration for additional 2026 film festivals

(ID: Collage of scenes form the 2025 Unearthed Film Tour.)

The documentary has also served as a practical tool, helping other Hoosier communities envision and launch their own universally designed greenspace and water-access projects.

(ID: Jessica Renslow discussing the film with podcaster, Ken Barry.)

Recognition and Ongoing Influence

The impact of Launching the Lagoon continues to grow:

• After Study findings presented at the APA Indiana Fall Conference (2025)

• After Study currently under consideration for multiple 2026 planning and communications awards

• Communities across Indiana using the study and film as inspiration and guidance for equitable waterfront and greenspace projects

(ID: Students from Indiana University's Main Campus in Bloomington travelled to Gary to study the LOG and UD Kayak Launch as a test case for feature projects.)

Why This Project Matters

Launching the Lagoon is more than a kayak launch and sensory garden. It is proof that:

• Community-led goals can shape public investment

• Equity and accessibility can be designed into natural spaces

• Long-term partnerships yield durable, meaningful outcomes

• Storytelling is as essential as data in planning work

(ID: The site is fun for all ages and abilities and enjoyed in all seasons.)

At Nexus Strategy & Implementation, we are honored to have played a role in documenting and amplifying this story and in supporting a project that reflects what thoughtful, inclusive planning can achieve.

(ID: Jessica Renslow wearing a white sundress and Gretchen Sipp sporting a black pantsuit and vest at the Black Carpet event at the GIBFF. The film won The Best Midwest Documentary Award.)

This is what it looks like when vision meets persistence and when a decade of work results in a space that truly belongs to everyone. (Watch the film here.)

(ID: Jessica Renslow giving a thumbs up with Zully JF Alvardo at the UD Kayak Launch's ribbon cutting in 2016.)