Listen Live

INDIANAPOLIS–A group of Massachusetts Avenue stakeholders says the plans to close portions of the street to allow outdoor seating at restaurants need to “immediately be halted.”

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced plans to help restaurants by closing portions of five major corridors to vehicular traffic beginning Friday. In a letter to Hogsett, the stakeholders say they abruptly learned about the closures “on the evening news” and they believe it may be “the fatal blow to our struggling neighborhood and businesses.”

They are concerned the coronavirus could spread.

“Funneling the city’s population to Mass Ave for what will be, in essence, a “street-fair” (with alcohol) after 3 months of quarantine is a recipe for disaster,” the letter says. “The street being open is not the problem and closing is not the solution.”

Hogsett and other city leaders have said this will help the economy without compromising public health.

The street closings are:

  • The southern half of Monument Circle
  • Mass Ave from the Delaware Street/New York Avenue intersection to College Avenue
  • Georgia Street from Illinois Street to Pennsylvania Street
  • Illinois Street from Georgia Street to Market Street
  • Broad Ripple Avenue from College Avenue to the Monon Trail

You can read the full letter here.