FOCUS is an innovative partnership between LISC, the Central Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indianapolis Coalition for Neighborhood Development and the City of Indianapolis. This city-wide collaboration is making changes in the planning, advocacy, and delivery of economic development projects. The goal is to build long-lasting relationships that connect neighborhoods with businesses and new resources to revitalize urban markets.

Through this partnership, the FOCUS initiative, an acronym for Fostering Commercial Urban Strategies, is creating vibrant neighborhood business districts and establishing long-lasting relationships that connect neighborhoods with businesses and new resources to revitalize urban markets.

Mission
To jumpstart commercial development in urban neighborhoods of Indianapolis and create dynamic models for community–supported revitalization.

What FOCUS Provides
To stimulate economic development activity and create positive change in urban neighborhoods, the FOCUS initiative provides:

• Financial and technical assistance to neighborhood-based organizations to support their community and economic development efforts
• Alternative sources of funding to small business owners located in core urban areas
• Resources to equip community developers and small business owners with the tools needed to revitalize vacant or underutilized properties

Neighborhood Business District Program
The City of Indianapolis and LISC have jumpstarted a new neighborhood business district revitalization program to stimulate development of commercial retail in urban neighborhoods as part of the second stage of the FOCUS Initiative. Enhancing the work accomplished in the initial phases, the three-year program will build on the groundwork to date and enable communities to tackle the more difficult, higher impact initiatives. Further transformation of targeted neighborhood business districts from “improving? locations into vibrant “destinations?will occur through creation of new business activity and development opportunities. The program complements LISC's and its partners?years of community development work in urban neighborhoods, with involvement in housing development and retail development pilot projects. Learn more.