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More than plants are blooming at Heath Outdoor LLC on the near-north side of Indianapolis, where the contracting company opened Digs Garden Center in April to sell flowers, trees and shrubs to the public.
Up next are plans for a brewery, distillery and tap room in Heath’s 6,800-square-foot building at 1302 N. Columbia Ave., near the Box Factory development north of the Mass Ave district.
The area is promoted as the North Mass Creative and Commercial Corridor by Stenz Construction Corp., which moved its headquarters in 2021 to the Box Factory building, 1411 Roosevelt Ave. Heath Outdoor owners Travis Hurst and Heath Hurst are billing their new-look campus as The Yard at North Mass.
Heath Hurst said he and his brother were motivated to add public-facing components to their operations after seeing companies such as North Mass Boulder and Bicycle Garage Indy open at the Box Factory.
“We decided that we shouldn’t be a contractor anymore back here,” Heath Hurst said. “We’re landscapers. It’s our job to move dirt. If all this traffic is changing and the public is coming here, we want our property to be a place where people want to be.”
For its contracting and True North Landscaping LLC operations, Heath Outdoor is renting space south of The Yard at North Mass at the former location of Last Chance Wrecker towing service. Heath Outdoor acquired True North in January 2020.
The tap room, projected to open before the end of 2023, plans to sell South Monon beer and spirits made on site. The Hurst brothers said they’re working with veterans in the local craft beer and spirits communities to launch the South Monon brands.
Travis Hurst, 47, and Heath Hurst, 44, plan to offer a food menu to customers.
Architects at Bradbury Associates LLC are designing the renovation, which includes a canning line as part of the distillery and glass garage doors to replace five metal garage doors.
Digs Garden Center opened this spring north of the building with a patio to the west.
“Some of this really was sparked by COVID,” Heath Hurst said. “As landscapers, we connected people way more to the outside. When they entertained with their friends, they wanted to be outside instead of being inside a room. The Yard at North Mass will connect the drinks, food and just being outside.”
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