Neighborhood revitalization group calling it quits

An Indianapolis neighborhood revitalization group is calling it quits 27 years after its founding because organization
leaders think its mission has been accomplished.

BOS Community Development Corp., created in 1982 to develop and
implement a revitalization plan for the Indiana Avenue and Midtown area, will cease operations at the end of the year, the
group announced Tuesday. The organization’s primary service area is near downtown and includes Ransom Place, Flanner
House Homes, Bush Stadium, the Downtown Canal and IUPUI.

“Although projects remain to be addressed, our board
of directors has decided that BOS has essentially accomplished its mission,” BOS President Dorothy Jones said in prepared
statement. “BOS’s activities spurred reinvestment in this neighborhood by the private sector, and that is exactly
what we desired.”

BOS was founded by the Madame Walker Urban Life Center and the Midtown Economic Development
and Industrial Corp., with the support of Flanner House. Groups including Madame Walker Theatre Center, Local Initiatives
Support Corp. and Lilly Endowment provided initial funding.

Jones noted several BOS achievements, including co-development
of three office buildings on Indiana Avenue (Walker Plaza, 500 Place and Stewart Center) and several residential redevelopment
efforts (Paca Street, Fayette Street and Ransom Place).

The group’s efforts have helped spur private reinvestment
in the area, said Jones, noting the Cosmopolitan on the Canal, Cultural Trail, Canal Gardens and numerous projects at Clarian
and IUPUI.

BOS also started a home-repair program that assists low to moderate-income homeowners. About 8,000 people
live in the area served by BOS.

“BOS has been instrumental in building a foundation for Indiana Avenue and
the surrounding area,” said Tamara Zahn, president of Indianapolis Downtown Inc.