Vop Osili: Decision to create district must be made by many

Should Indianapolis create a special taxing district within the Mile Square to support revitalization efforts?

The decision to create an economic enhancement district is not a decision the council alone will make. It will require cooperation and commitment from community and business leaders alike in the downtown area. It is critical that we engage with partners like the city of Indianapolis, Downtown Indy Inc., Indy Chamber, Indy Black Chamber of Commerce and other community and business leaders to have their support.

With its concentration of restaurants, hotels, businesses and sports and entertainment venues, no area of Indianapolis was more negatively impacted by the shutdowns associated with COVID-19 than our downtown. No area of Indianapolis is more impacted by the needs of our unhoused neighbors than our downtown. And no area of Indianapolis is more vital to the economic wellbeing of both our city and our state than downtown.

The decision by the Indiana General Assembly to make an economic enhancement district a possibility for downtown Indianapolis is, in my view, an indication of the broad consensus about the importance of the health and vibrancy of downtown—locally, regionally and statewide. In fact, until lawmakers took this action, Indianapolis was the largest city in the U.S. without this specific type of fiscal tool at its disposal. The reason for the prevalence of these instruments is clear: Continuing to develop our nation’s urban centers as vibrant places that attract employers, residents and visitors requires sustained investment from sustainable revenue sources.

The opportunity to create an economic enhancement district is an opportunity to further our community’s conversations about the future of downtown. It’s an opportunity to address needs and challenges specific to downtown Indianapolis with decisions made by those who live, work and play here.

Significantly, it’s also an opportunity to provide appropriate programs and services to our unhoused neighbors at a low-barrier shelter, the construction of which Indiana lawmakers have earmarked $20 million to fund. Meeting the needs of our unhoused neighbors is a top priority for elected leaders and the downtown business and residential community, and the possibility of creating an economic enhancement district may be one of the greatest opportunities for lasting change in the way Indianapolis addresses the challenge of homelessness.

Downtown Indianapolis continues to grow. Exciting redevelopments are happening at the City Market campus and the former Marion County Jail II, which will become Cole Motor Development, while new hotels being developed at Pan Am Plaza and elsewhere will continue to attract more businesses, more visitors and more residents. The question before us is what kind of downtown will greet them when they arrive? I believe engaging with stakeholders regarding the creation of an economic enhancement district will help us answer that question.•

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Osili is president of the Indianapolis City-County Council and represents a large part of downtown. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.

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