Gary Comer Youth Center

Benjamin Trnka

When identifying assets within a community, it’s difficult to ignore Gary Comer Youth Center & College Prep (GCYC & GCCP) within the neighborhood of Greater Grand Crossing (GGC). The polychromatic walls of this money-infused complex contrast with the beige boards that plaster so many vacant lots in the area. This surrounding area, known affectionately as ‘Pocket Town’ (for its gang affiliation) is isolated from the rest of the Greater Grand Crossing due to its physical location, and more recently because of the creation of GCYC and GCCP. As we interviewed local community members with the aid and added commentary of Sam Binion – ‘Mayor of Pocket Town,’ respected community member and friend of the late Gary Comer – we realized that the center was becoming isolated within the pocket itself.

“They built it for the community, but now I’m not so sure,” stated a concerned senior citizen in the local neighborhood, a thought echoed by many other residents. Evidently, when the late Comer passed away, the center became less for the community members and more for business. With rising summer camp costs, alleged favoritism and exclusivity, some have gone so far as to say that the late Comer would fire all of the current administration were he still alive.

For a center with a 24 hour health center, reasonably priced farmers market, and full exercise facilities, you begin to wonder why the neighbors travel as so far as downtown to see a doctor, resort to buying fast food and can’t find facilities for recreation. At this point, there is no clear fault to be blamed, but some gap in communication and accessibility must be bridged in order for the community members to reap the benefits of such an asset.