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A four-acre site that once served as a home to a grocery store is expected to become the new site of a plumbing trade school, the city of Beech Grove announced Sunday.
Indianapolis-based Mechanical Skills Inc., a nonprofit plumbing trade school, has filed a petition to rezone a plot at 1815, 1825 and 1831 Albany Street for another school location. Plans call for a 20,000-square-foot trade school and parking lot. The school would have 21 full- and part-time employees and about 500 students.
Mechanical Skills Inc. currently offers classes out of a building at 3535 E. Michigan Street.
The abandoned property the nonprofit seeks to redevelop was occupied by a Marsh Supermarkets store from 1960 to 2017 and then a Safeway from 2017 until about 2020. The vacant 33,000-square-foot grocery building was demolished in 2022.
Beech Grove Mayor James Coffman said in a news release that he supports the new proposed use of the former grocery store space.
“This vacant grocery store site has long been an eyesore in the heart of Beech Grove, despite the best efforts of previous administrations to redevelop it,” he said. “If approved, students pursuing a key trade will not just learn in our community, they will shop here, dine here, patronize our businesses and support our schools. In time, I hope they will consider relocating here, and making Beech Grove their permanent home.”
The Beech Grove Common Council will hold a hearing and vote upon the rezoning Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. at Beech Grove City Hall.
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