INDIANAPOLIS–The City of Indianapolis would like there to be more investment in Indiana Avenue in the future.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said Thursday the city will embark on the Indiana Avenue Certified Strategic Plan, which would be done in partnership with Reclaim Indiana Avenue and the Urban Legacy Lands Initiative.
“Our goal as a City is to lay the foundation for a more equitable and prosperous Indiana Avenue. We’re working alongside a unified front of residents, descendants, caretakers, and developers of Indiana Avenue to align our visions to chart a new course for one of our most sacred corridors. We welcome proposals from anyone who carries a love for their community and a dream for a brighter future for the Avenue,” said Hogsett.
Hogsett said the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development is looking for proposals from design and planning firms that might be interested in Indiana Avenue.
The goal of the project is to highlight Indiana Avenue’s history as a thriving mixed-use African American commercial and cultural district and align it with future development along the corridor, according to the Request for Expressed Interest document.
“The history of Indiana Avenue is one of our city’s greatest unprotected treasures, in terms of both Black history and Indianapolis cultural history. Developing a collaborative certified strategic plan is an opportunity for the city to build some supportive infrastructure underneath the work organizations like Reclaim Indiana Avenue, Urban Legacy Lands Initiative, and others have been doing to preserve this crucial piece of our
shared heritage,” said Indianapolis City-Council President Vop Osili.
Responses for the Indiana Avenue Certified Strategic Plan are due to DMD by April 27, 2023.
