The Mayor of Gary, Eddie Melton, says there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the growth of his city.

After Nippon Steel acquired U.S. Steel Corp. earlier this year, they said they would invest $11 billion into U.S. Steel plants across the nation by 2028. Out of that, Gary Works will receive $3.1 billion. That’s the largest of the projects that Nippon has promised.

“That $3 billion alone will be a shot in the arm to help our economy. When you think of a city that was built on steel and the industry and the significance, not just in northwest Indiana, but around the nation it’s important that the steel industry continues to flourish. They’re advertising for jobs, but if that deal did not go through, I mean the economic impact would have been a tragedy,” said Melton in an interview with Gerry Dick on Inside Indiana Business.

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana just reached a five-year agreement with the city last week. The company is donating $3 million toward the purchase and upgrade of 83 patrol cars for the Gary Police Department.

Inside Indiana Business reports that Hard Rock will also operate the Lake County Convention Center. The company will contribute $1.5 million for 20 years towards the project, which also includes a new, 300-room hotel.

“We’re right next to a major interstate where over 200,000 cars travel each and every day. That and other reasons really made this the best solution to put the convention center here,” Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana President and CEO Matt Schuffert said. “[At] Hard Rock we do this in so many other locations around the country [and] around the world.”

Melton also mentioned their $12 million Gary Blight Elimination Program.

“[We’re] tearing down abandoned, blighted structures to make downtown a site ready location for future development,” said Melton.

Melton was also pleased with the Gary Air Show, which he says brought about a quarter of a million people to his city.