Long-vacant 46th Street building will soon be multi-tenant retail space

A long-vacant building at 1901 E. 46^th St. will soon fill up with three tenants: a satellite location for nearby Black Circle Brewing Co., a new restaurant called Gold Leaf Savory & Sweet and a cosmetics and lifestyle shop called Early Kind.

The 4,100-square-foot building is on the south side of 46^th Street between Keystone Avenue and the Monon Trail. It’s also a few blocks west of Black Circle, which opened in 2016 in a former Double Eight Foods warehouse at 2201 E. 46^th St.

Black Circle’s owner, Jesse Rice, said he plans to move beer production to the 1901 E. 46^th St. space. The new space, which occupies about 1,300 square feet, will also offer a bar, a public work area for customers, and amenities such as coin-operated washers, dryers and printers.

To distinguish it from Black Circle’s original location, Rice is calling the new space Loom.  “I wanted it to be a totally different idea so people didn’t get confused.”

Rice said he is working toward a March opening for Loom.

Moving production to a separate location will allow for the expansion of Elena Ruz, Black Circle’s in-house Cuban kitchen, which is a separate business owned by Robert Graham.

The former Nickel Plate railroad runs right behind Black Circle’s 2201 E. 46^th St. location. Plans call for that line to be transformed into a 17-mile trail between Indianapolis and Noblesville, and Rice is looking ahead to the increased foot traffic he anticipates the trail will bring.

“We want as much customer-facing retail seating as we can ahead of the Nickel Plate being finished,” Rice said.

Rice has personal connections to the 1901 E. 46^th St. building’s owner and its fellow tenants.

The building’s owner, Patrick Hirschfield, is a Black Circle customer.  Rain Dogs LLC, an Indianapolis entity registered to Patrick Hirschfield, purchased 1901 E. 46^th St. in July for $170,000, an Indiana sales disclosure form shows.

Chef Kristine Bockman, who owns Gold Leaf along with her husband, John-Christian Bockman, is another Black Circle customer; and Andi McCleary, the owner of Early Kind, is one of Black Circle’s bartenders.

Gold Leaf will occupy about 2,200 square feet of the building.

Gold Leaf’s menu will include espresso drinks, as well as house-made grab-and-go items for breakfast and lunch. In the evenings, Gold Leaf will offer small plates of appetizers and desserts. The establishment is also pursuing a liquor license so that it can sell wine and beer.

Kristine Bockman, a former sausage-maker at Smoking Goose Meatery, has also worked as a sous chef at an Italian restaurant in New York City, and she ran a catering shop in Seattle. She works at Tiny Foot Print Distribution, which is part of Indianapolis-based Green Bean Delivery.

She and her husband moved to Indianapolis six years ago.

Bockman said she plans to offer an ever-changing menu that offers small portions at prices that won’t be out of reach for neighboring residents.

“Nothing’s going to be over $10,” she said. “We’re just trying to make everything kind of approachable and affordable for everybody, and grow with the community.”

The median household income in the 46205 ZIP code, where Gold Leaf will be located, is $41,773, as compared to $44,869 for Marion County and $56,528 for the metro area.

Bockman said she plans to offer items such as locally sourced meats and cheeses, fresh calamari with red sauce and baguettes, and maybe a meatball of the week. Dessert items could include crème brulee bites, flourless chocolate cake and iced sheet cakes.

Gold Leaf is working toward an opening in early April.

The third tenant, Early Kind, will occupy 625 square feet, according to plans filed with the city of Indianapolis. Early Kind is planning a grand opening event Feb. 21. According to the company’s website, it sells cosmetics, skincare and bath items, and items such as gemstones and crystals.