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Owners of Broad Ripple bars and other businesses have a message for former patrons: The lengthy reconstruction project on Broad Ripple Avenue is over and new public safety measures are in place. Please come back.
The entertainment district has had a difficult trifecta of circumstances, beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, followed by construction on the main street that wrapped up late last year and a string of violent incidents last summer. Bar owners told IBJ on Wednesday that they’ve taken a big financial hit.
Patrick Sparks has owned Brick House Dueling Pianos for 47 years. This year, he had to use $350,000 of his savings to get by, he said. With 21 months left on his lease, he’s hoping that next year will see a pickup large enough to prevent him from draining his dwindling retirement funds , so he can keep the bar open.
Sparks and other owners spoke to media following a regular meeting of late night business owners and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officers at Kilroy’s Bar & Grill at 831 Broad Ripple Ave..
The meetings arose due to the challenges the entertainment district has faced in recent years, including a high-profile triple homicide last summer and multiple efforts at improving safety in the entertainment district. Those discussions included the consideration of a gun-free zone, which Broad Ripple stakeholders ultimately axed due to potential costs.
While Sparks expected business to pick back up this past summer, he said his bar has had fewer patrons than last summer. Owners said the reputation the area gained last summer has driven away business.
“I hear constantly, from the younger kids especially that used to come in late night, ‘Whoa, Patrick, we love your piano bar, but we just don’t come to Broad Ripple anymore; we don’t feel safe at night. So, I have to preach to them,” Sparks told IBJ.
IMPD North District Commander Matthew Thomas said the department has seen success in getting businesses to buy into IMPD’s B-Link camera program, as well as in the usage of other technology such as public safety cameras and license plate readers. Above all, though, he said it’s been beneficial to have a seat at the table for IMPD at the monthly bar owner-focused meetings.
“We’re very enthusiastic about the collaboration that’s being done in Broad Ripple,” Thomas said. “There’s not a day goes by that we can’t pick up the phone and call each other, whether it’s IMPD contacting the Village Association or business owners contacting each other, we’re seeing such great increase of communication.”
Kilroy’s, which hosted the meeting, is investing in the Broad Ripple location despite a recent downturn in business during construction on the property’s outdoor patio to create an event space. Jade Sharpe, director of operations, said the community has nearly weathered the storm.
“I know everybody was a little leery of what the summer would bring, and we’ve had a great, smooth summer, and that just kind of goes to show what we can do,” Sharpe told IBJ. We all work together and acknowledge what any of the issues may be and addressing them.”
Sparks, however, also characterized the summer as “very slow.” The challenge now is bringing back customers. They’re working to do that through organized bar crawls, but also weighing other options that could make the area more appealing.
One possibility was the establishment of a designated outdoor refreshment area, or a DORA, such as the recently-established DORA in Carmel. Attendees compared the potential to something like the Fourth Street Live! district in Louisville, which is closed to traffic and has a secured perimeter.
Wednesday’s discussion was the first on this topic. Establishing such a district in Broad Ripple would require city-level legislation.
Democratic Councilor John Barth, who represents the district, said that the idea of having a closed-off area with automatic bollards like Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington is appealing. Barth said closing the road to traffic on evenings could help foster a more festive atmosphere.
Still, there are a lot of details to sort out.
“This is the very beginning of a long process to think about doing something like that,” Barth told IBJ.
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No thanks. Catching a stray bullet isn’t my idea of a Saturday night good time. Couldn’t pay to back to BR
Best of luck BR. Perception may not be reality, but in the case of Broad Ripple it has become reality, and justifiably so. The demographics really change after 11pm there, not just young people anymore looking for a drink and a date, there are rough types who come far from this neighborhood flaunting bad behavior, bad attitude, and guns. That said, I too make sure to avoid that area later at night for both those reasons and let’s just say I’ve aged out of that demographic. I hope they have gotten a better handle on it. That said, I still feel safe on Mass Ave and Fountain Square, but forget South Meridian downtown. It has experienced some of the same problems as Broad Ripple. It too was a once-lively district now just a shadow of its former self, and lots of vacancies. Where are these bad actors coming from and why are they feeling so emboldened?
I have zero interest in taking a risk of getting shot or stabbed. For what, edgy bars? No thanks.
I would love to see some late night, alcohol free options in BR. A theater? Late night diner and coffee shop? Bookstore open til midnight?
Everyone that talks about changing demographics or any violence hasn’t been to Broad Ripple in last 6 -12 months. If you are going to comment, comment from one of the bars in Ripple at 11pm one night. It’s safe as hell. We had a couple bad operators we smoked out, and I feel great about all the current proprietors.
Pat Sparks and Brickhouse remain a great operator, but I don’t share all his opinions on the state of Broad Ripple. We have a number of new corporate partners, new restaurants/boutiques, and some of the highest rent neighborhoods in Marion County surrounding Ripple. The Monon Trail’s halfway point between downtown and Carmel is right on the canal and bars and restaurants are thriving all along the Monon.
Broad Ripple will again be the destination spot for Marion county. We are well on our way. Come visit, especially at night for a great time.
I just glanced through the article but were there quotes from more than just the piano bar owner? No offense, but that is not an area of economic growth. The only place in the city that a piano bar might survive is in the heart of downtown, and they probably already have one. There’s no way that place survives unfortunately.
It would have been nice to have quotes from other business owners about the challenges they are facing and their current Outlook.
That’s super interesting about the failure to implement a gun-free zone. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, and what are they really saying if they don’t want to keep guns out of there? Yikes.
My family doesn’t spend a lot of time in broad ripple anymore. When we want records, there’s a shop closer to our house. When we want live music, there’s multiple options that are easier to get to and better for us. Same thing with food unfortunately. We loved Hop Cat, so that was probably the death knell for us.
It’s going to take a shared vision, financing and a larger desire than what we currently see, to make lasting change in BR, given the way things are right now.
If your favorite think about Broad Ripple was a chain from Michigan, you probably weren’t the BR demo to begin with.
I don’t know if the south side of Chicago has a Hop Cat, but they definitely have a gun free zone. I suggest you start hanging out there
Gun free zones work great. ask the people who lost family members down at the greenwood mall.
Thank god that kid wasn’t dumb enough to follow that rule – dozens may have died
How about a nice Point Blank indoor range?
You notice when we talk about BR it is about bars, bars bars….. Broad Ripple Village is no longer a village. It has been taken over by the developers with high rises, booze joints, and has become littered with disgusting trash and stench the morning after every night. I don’t think it is too hard to understand what is going on.
It’s not the construction. The streets and sidewalks look great. I don’t want to rub elbows with a bunch of thugs after dark. Look at your customer base. Has it changed? Why? Cameras alone won’t fix this problem.
Too many 3-way permitted bars and not enough places to shop, eat or spend time.
Broad Ripple doesn’t have a MasterPlan or comprehensive zoning… it’s more or less “anything goes”.
Also, why didn’t they include any trees along the Ave after all the sewer work and sidewalk widening?
There are trees along the wider sidewalks of the avenue. Your ignorance on this tells me that you have not been here for a long while.
I mean, they do have a comprehensive plan. It’s just the BRVA and its petulant land use chair make sure it isn’t implemented.
Look to the mayor who proliferated this type of reckless criminal behavior with inaction during the riots. His lack of support for businesses in Indianapolis is reflected in these comments. I wish these business owners all the best, but don’t drain your retirement trying to save something that’s already been turned over to the criminal element. The suburbs are safe and flush with opportunity. Time to head home..
Do you even believe what you type? Honestly, set aside the political rhetoric for a minute.
You truly think some people involved in a riot who got mixed in with people legitimately protesting police brutality FOUR years ago DOWNTOWN as part of a national movement have something to do with crime in Broad Ripple now? And, as for the alleged “inaction,” there was in fact some strong police response, so strong it led to lawsuits against the city.
Also, as someone who is 50 years old (and happy to be) and who grew up near BR, I have heard complaints about Broad Ripple “rough types” and late night criminal activity for *decades.* Is some recent activity worse? Probably. Is it a new phenomenon? No. Even as a kid, people griped about the bars in Broad Ripple and the late night “undesirables” they attracted.
Maybe, you were all born yesterday (or you think everyone else was), or maybe years of fighting with strangers on Twitter (“X”) has rotted your brains. But, your perception is definitely skewed.
national movement? BLM is a terrible organization. defund the police and this is what you get.
I love BR. unfortunately we are reaping what we have sown.
I’m guessing that most of the skeptics posting comments here haven’t really been to Broad Ripple since the pandemic. My wife and I live in Broad Ripple, and frequent many of the restaurants/bars in the evening. We feel totally safe, and love the revamped Broad Ripple Avenue with its improved lighting and wider sidewalks. Sure, if you’re out at 2am you need to be vigilant, but for most patrons a night that lasts until 10 or 11pm is great – and safe.
+1
I bet she does, Brent.
So mainly hearing from bar owners who rely on late nights. How are the non-bar businesses doing? there’s like 6 coffee shops, several restaurants, boutique stores. The haircut place seems to be constantly busy. I’d like to know if they are suffering from this perception problem or if its just bars.
Because if its just the bars, maybe that economic model is no longer the most profitable for Broad Ripple.
great comment
It isn’t the construction, it’s the atmosphere and culture there now which has significantly changed in the last few years. Just look at the massive police presence required to be visible there on a Saturday night.
The Piano Bar, for example, might be better off in Carmel or Fishers or maybe Mass Ave.
Nah, Sean. You can sing along at the GOAT with the Westfield rich kids on the TouchTunes. If you want the destination bars and vibe, BRip is going to be the place for long-term sustenance. Ripple gets no tax or county money to stay relevant like Anthony’s or 3Up. So, we’ll do it organically and thrive.
Our 4 apartment towers are 97% leased and the Gerschman tower with another 250 units opens before the holidays with a new awesome restaurant. We have the density and we are about ready to pop.
Closing the street like Kirkwood and creating a DORA is a very fun idea to continue to explore. Keep leading the way on this legislation John Barth!
Living in the very heart of the village for several years, I can say BRip is great during the day, especially mornings!
What seems to be getting missed is that nearly every night by around 6pm, the whole scene changes… the servers, non-bar business owners, and neighbors all know and discuss these matters – even warn the locals and regulars when to avoid coming out and when to leave before the scene gets volatile. The addition of the “high-rise” housing has been an eye-sore and related construction has been very disruptive. All night, nearly every night during the summer, cars/motorcycles race up & down College, flow onto Carrollton at fast speeds with music blaring, people screaming & fighting well into 3-4am time frame…. then on morning walks (especially weekends), the streets are filled with trash – booze bottles, chicken wings, vapo cartridges, vomit, etc….. and it sits there in front of the businesses and on the streets without being addressed. We do our best to pick up the numerous amounts of trash thrown into our own yards, it’s a daily chore. There are safety issues with aggressive panhandling, opportunistic robberies/car break-ins during the day & night, recurrent gun fire (which never seems to hit the news – latest just this past week during the early evening). Not enough is being done to address violence and safety issues – especially the bars & hookah places we all know have association with gathering crowds inside and out that are a major factor in the “bad stuff” going on. The streets used to get cleaned regularly by the city several years ago, including several blocks from the main strip – haven’t seen a street cleaner pass the house in years. Friends and family have expressed concerns about coming to BRip like never before – there is a perception and reputation that is based on reality.
We can do better!