Nickel Plate Trail construction is in the final stretch in Indianapolis
The Allisonville Road and East 62nd intersection is just a tiny piece of the trail that stretches across three cities and two counties.
Quality of Life
Articles
Software executive to lead IndyHub young networking group
Al Carroll will be IndyHub’s next president and CEO, the organization announced Tuesday. The not-for-profit is a connector for young professional Indianapolis residents and newcomers.
Black quality of life initiative accepting first round of grant applications
The initiative is a partnership between the Indianapolis Urban League, the National Urban League and the African American Coalition of Indianapolis, and is funded with a $100 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant awarded in August 2020.
MDC approves affordable housing measures for Hillside, Martindale-Brightwood area
The area includes four neighborhoods: Hillside, Martindale-Brightwood, Oakhill and Ralston-Hovey-Arsenal. Staff, community organizations and residents have been working on the housing district, the redevelopment zone and a plan for the area for two years.
Indy plans to use $16.5 million to improve deteriorating city playgrounds
More than two dozen Indianapolis parks will receive funding allocated to Indianapolis under the American Rescue for renovations to their playgrounds, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration announced Thursday.
Creation of TIF district in Old Southside approved by council panel
City officials said the area is primed for redevelopment, especially after being designated a Lift Indy neighborhood, which means the city will direct about $4 million in investments to the area over three years.
Indy Chamber reveals videos from city’s Amazon HQ2 bid package
Indy Chamber President Michael Huber said the local bid package was “one of two that were personally handed to Jeff Bezos” by the Amazon team. The chamber is now repurposing some of the materials from the package for more economic development efforts.
‘Two-tier economy’: Report says prosperity in Indianapolis is increasing, but not for all
The data reflects the fact that there is a “missing middle in central Indiana’s economy,” due to the loss of manufacturing jobs.
Community centers land funds to expand job-training programs
Local Initiatives Support Corp. and the Citi Foundation are providing $700,000 to four local organizations who plan to help 700 workers in Indianapolis find quality jobs.
Business leaders say they’ll fight for changes in what is now ‘not a hate crimes bill’
The Senate amended Senate Bill 12 so it no longer specifies that crimes motivated by bias based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and other categories are eligible for stronger penalties.
Council committee advances $38M financing plan for P.R. Mallory site
A nearly $38 million project to transform much of the abandoned P.R. Mallory site on East Washington Street into the home of Purdue Polytechnic High School and other tenants is finally moving forward.
Group launches $15M loan fund for housing near IndyGo stops
The goal is to preserve or spur development of 1,000 affordable housing units within close distance of an Indianapolis transit stop over the next five years.
Lawrence plans Fort Harrison cultural district as a way to draw visitors
With a $5.85 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant, the city of Lawrence and Arts for Lawrence are poised to launch a major project focused on the arts and the area’s military history.
Report says central Indiana faces dearth of ‘good’ jobs—so OneAmerica raises some salaries
The Brookings Institution report found that the situation is especially dire for Hoosiers without college degrees and said the state shouldn’t incentivize jobs that don’t pay middle class wages and benefits.
Indiana has good corporate citizens, but improvements still can be made, panelists say
Business and political leaders at the annual Engage Indiana event stressed the importance of public and private collaborations in helping improve communities and retain workers.
Future looks brighter in Martindale-Brightwood with new library, high school, community center
Residents of the struggling neighborhood showed up in force on Tuesday morning to celebrate milestones they said represented much-needed change and progress.
Amazon targets big talent pools over smaller markets with split-HQ decision
The sites in Long Island City, Queens, and in Arlington, will be a boon for the New York and Washington, D.C., metro areas and highlight Amazon’s willingness to target big labor pools with pricey payroll over smaller markets offering lower costs of living.
City-County Council member selected as next head of IndyHub
Blake Johnson, a Democratic member of the City-County Council, is replacing Molly Chavers as the leader of the organization, which serves as an advocate and networking resource for young professionals.
City revives state tool in effort to boost three struggling corridors
The city is in the process of setting up “redevelopment areas” surrounding North Post Road between 38th and 42nd Streets, the West 38th Street area known as International Marketplace, and a corridor of Brookville Road that contains the former Navistar and Ford Visteon plants.
Circle at crossroads: Monument Circle faces growing calls for upgrades
Downtown Indy leaders say the city can’t afford to let the Circle fall into disrepair or become a turnoff for visitors.