FOCUS Indy: Neighborhood Business District Program

	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. The program will combine staff, business development, community organizing, targeted marketing, and beautification projects to achieve results. Under the program, a work plan that outlines a strategy for implementation and assigns roles to involved parties will guide activity for each corridor under a single vision. Additionally, an in-depth market analysis will assist in directing neighborhood business district development, by identifying the potential for feasible retail development. Project managers are slated to work on the corridors to execute the work plan and guide people to the resources available through the program. Existing resources for urban commercial development, created by the FOCUS Initiative, will be combined with technical assistance vouchers and a façade improvement rebate program to form the program resources. The Neighborhood Business District Program is focusing on the following seven districts: East 10th Street 16th Street Fountain Square Irvington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North Meridian Street West Washington Street
	East 10th Street - Once a thriving neighborhood commercial district, East 10th Street is working to revive retail and other activity within its boundaries. The corridor boasts of beautiful historic storefronts and the Rivoli Theater dating back to the 1930’s. While some of these properties have been restored, many of the remaining untouched buildings are targeted for renovation. The business association has established streetscape, signage, and building design standards which will guide renovations on the corridor, bringing the district to life once again. Display the East 10th Street building inventory. East 10th Street Corridor Plan East 10th Street Corridor Maps Temple Ave. to Oxford St. Oxford St. to Gray St. Gray St. to Tuxedo St. LaSalle St. to Olney St. Contact Information Tammi L. Hughes Director East 10th Street Civic Association 2236 E. 10th St. Indianapolis, IN 46201 Tel: 317.633.8162 Fax: 317.633.3006 thughes@teneast.org
	16th Street - 16th Street serves the Indianapolis community as a major thoroughfare connecting the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and all points in between. Because of its high use, a variety of prominent features are located on the corridor creating a mix of activities including a hospital, parks, a grocer, and restaurants. The diverse neighborhoods surrounding the area include well established historical areas and another with all new development; providing a diverse residential base for corridor businesses to serve. Display the 16th Street building inventory. 16th Street Corridor Plan 16th & Central Urban Design Plan 16th Street Corridor Maps Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. to Capitol Ave. Capitol Ave. to Talbott St. Talbott St. to Park Ave. Park Ave. to Cornell Ave. Bellfontaine St. to Dr. Andrew J. Brown Ave. Contact Information Chris Barnett Economic Development Coordinator Near North Development Corporation 2123 N. Meridian Street Suite 100 Indianapolis, IN 46202 Tel: 317.927.9881 ext. 126 Fax: 317.927.9978 chris@nearnorthcdc.org
	Fountain Square - New and long-time residents in the growing art community call Fountain Square home -- where the area is a bustling center of activity containing cafés, antique stores, art galleries, and ethnic restaurants. Several festivals and events are held each year on the sidewalk and in the restored Fountain Square Theater. The area continues to receive city-wide recognition as an up-and-coming neighborhood and an important part of the Indianapolis art community. Display the Fountain Square building inventory. Fountain Square Corridor Maps Virginia Ave. from I-65/I-70 to Prospect St & N. Side of Prospect St. from Leonard St. to Shelby St. S. Side of Prospect St. from Leonard St. to Shelby St. & Shelby St. from Prospect St. to Orange St. Shelby St. from Orange St. to I-65. Prospect St. from Shelby St. to Spruce St. Prospect St. from Linden St. to State Ave. Contact Information Paul Baumgarten SEND 1030 Orange Street Indianapolis, IN 46203 Tel: 317.634.5079, ext. 22 Fax: 317.637.3137 paulb@sendcdc.org
	Irvington - Irvington has long been an anchor for the east side of Indianapolis. Its historic neighborhoods, urban edge, garden style suburban ambience and close social knit make it one of the most interesting and dynamic areas among the many sprawling Indianapolis communities. Since the days when it was home to Butler College in 1875, Irvington has remained a stable collection of diverse neighborhoods. Irvington takes pride in its historic character and friendly atmosphere. Even as it struggles to adapt to changing social and economic demands, Irvington residents are finding ways to meet these challenges without sacrificing the community’s character and heritage. As a result, Irvington is seeing reinvestment in aging housing, a renewed interest in economic growth and the desire for a vibrant commercial district along East Washington Street. Display the Irvington building inventory. Contact Information Amandula Henry Irvington Development Organization 338 S. Arlington Avenue, Suite 110A Indianapolis, IN 46219 Tel: 317.260.0669 amandula@irvingtondevelopment.org
	Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street offers many opportunities for development in an area of Indianapolis still recovering from urban disinvestment and construction of an interstate through the middle of United Northwest Area (UNWA). The local CDC has worked for many years on achieving neighborhood stability through housing and beautification projects, improving the appearance of the corridor. This has attracted new interest in development, particularly attractive is a significant amount of vacant land available for development, and a gas station recently completed as the first new development on the corridor in a number of years. Display the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street building inventory. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street Corridor Plan Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street Corridor Maps 30th St. to 28th St. 28th St. to 25th St. 25th St. to 23rd St. 24th St. to Fall Creek Blvd. Contact Information Karen Grubbs Director United Northwest Area Development Corp. 1426 W. 29th Street Suite 202 Indianapolis, IN 46208 Tel: 317.924.0199
	North Meridian Street - Meridian Street is Indiana’s north-south Main Street, but the section in the Near North area suffered decline and decay up through the 1970s. Since 1977, Near North Development Corporation has worked to encourage reinvestment and redevelopment in the area with several notable successes. Designation as a FOCUS corridor in 2006 has brought renewed vigor to those efforts. Since then, one major drugstore and one neighborhood-based formal-wear shop have opened for business, and a car dealership underwent a significant upgrade from satellite service center to full-service dealership. A new café is under construction, the local PBS affiliate is about to occupy its new broadcast center and offices, and a second major drugstore has announced plans for a location on the corridor. Efforts continue to attract restaurants and other neighborhood-serving retailers, to assist with legacy contamination issues, and to create a mixed-use thoroughfare with comfortable street designs that establish a desirable pedestrian environment in balance with the needs of the roadway as a major automobile transportation corridor. North Meridian Street Corridor Plan Contact Information Chris Barnett Economic Development Coordinator Near North Development Corporation 2123 N. Meridian Street Suite 100 Indianapolis, IN 46202 Tel: 317.927.9881 ext. 126 Fax: 317.927.9978 chris@nearnorthcdc.org
	West Washington Street - From restaurants and corner grocers to music and clothing stores, the West Washington Street corridor is filled with an abundance of small businesses. Catering to the growing Hispanic community, entrepreneurs have transformed the district, once home to boarded up storefronts, into a vibrant commercial district. On the western edge of the corridor is the former Central State Hospital, which has been acquired by the City and will undergo redevelopment, thus impacting West Washington Street and the near Westside. Display the West Washington Street building inventory. West Washington Street Corridor Plan West Washington Street Corridor Maps Central State Property Sanitorium Ave. to Warman Ave. Warman Ave. to Mount St. Mount St. to Sheffield Ave. Contact Information Kerry Spalding Hispanic Services Coordinator Hawthorne Community Center 2440 W. Ohio Street Indianapolis, IN 46222 Tel: 317.637.4312 Fax: 317.637.8216 kspalding@hawthornecenter.org