Randomly Miscellaneous

Haven't had a link thread for a while.

• Fresh Market opens a few blocks from my house. I'm a lucky man. Despite the name, Fresh Market is not big on local produce, but I'd recommend getting that a few blocks down 54th Street.
  

• High(er) gas prices are getting people to rethink the exurban experiment. I think there have been about 1000 articles about this issue in the past few months. Good.

• I would like more people to read From Brown To Green. This guy knows a lot more about stuff than yours truly.

• I dig this infill project in Fletcher Place. It seems like it's been years since the last time I posted about a new project.

A tour of the Monon trail

The Monon Trail has been, by most accounts, a success. There have been a few bouts of crime on the trail south of 38th Street; however, where it succeeds is in shining a light on an area that had been largely neglected. I wish to focus on some of the potential (some of which is already being realized).

We'll start with perhaps my favorite building of the whole trip: the former stables of Polk Sanitary Milk Company, south of 16th St:
This building at 16th and the Monon is ripe for conversion:

A former school on 16th. I'm not sure of its fate.

The Martindale on the Monon Project has fixed up an historic building on 16th St. This is their office:

The Gleaner's Food Bank has a killer mural facing the Monon:

There are 2 brick crossing streets. 17th:

And 20th:

Someone likes colors:

The future home of Project School at 22nd and Yandes (Yandes St. is brick at this point), seen in the next 2 pictures:


The largest operating factory facility at 23rd:

Will this building at 30th Street survive?

The building across the street doesn't look to be in any better shape:

I like former train depots:

Blank walls don't have to be boring:

I REALLY like former train depots:

Snapshot: Why we are so car dependent

Here's a small example that I have cut from the 2006 Aerial photos of Indianapolis. It's pretty self-explanatory, and it's something that was mentioned in the landmark book Suburban Nation. Even houses that are geographically right next door to a commercial building are usually separated by a fence or wall.

HOME Project

I've recently had the privilege of a conversation with a person involved with a new program in the city to promote green building guidelines. The project is called HOME and it is designed to provide quality green housing(pdf) at affordable prices. The buildings are designed by Tyson Domer of Hundredyear consulting.

As of now, there is one current rehab underway in the SEND neighborhood, as well as two new proposals; one in King Park, the other in Mapleton-Fall Creek. The goal of the program is to incrementally increase its scope, so that eventually they can instill these guidelines on all new construction. Indianapolis is unique in that it has developed its own green building standards. The program wishes to focus on affordability, efficiency, as well as indoor air quality. Applicants receive points for locating within a half-mile from a bus line, which encourages infill projects. They also wish to support current multi-unit LEED projects such as Casa Verde. Mr. Domer's site also points to the Near Eastside Welcome Center project (pdf).

This is the type of low-key project that could become a calling card for the city in the years to come. There is positive momentum for more infill, with each bump of oil prices. We would do well to standardize this type of quality, efficient development.

Great Indy Neighborhoods

There are some newer neighborhood plans up on the Great Indy Neighborhoods site. I encourage readers to check them out. I hope to post more information about this project (as well as some other relevant topics) in the near future. For now, see these plans (they take a few minutes to download).

History

I stumbled upon some old maps of Indianapolis' past transit glory from this site. It's a bit difficult to navigate, but there is a wealth of information here.

Here's my favorite: The streetcar system in 1923, the last year before bus service:

MPO Public Meetings on Transit

Just a heads up that I've added these meetings on the Northeast Corridor Transit proposal to the calendar. Head to CIRTA for more information.

Holy Cross Neighborhood

Last night I got detoured on my route home (I drove to work yesterday because I had to go to the dentist and then run some errands). There was quite a bit of construction on the new interchange at Washington St, so I kept going east down English Avenue. The corner of English and State, as has been mentioned on Property Lines, is brimming with potential. Corners that are fronted by 3 historic multi-use buildings are sadly lacking in Indy, and these look to be in good shape. Then I headed north up State, through the Holy Cross Neighborhood. I must say, it looks better than my last visit a few years ago.

These areas on the near-Eastside are highly underrated. Holy Cross neighborhood may be further helped by the reconstruction of Market Street under I-65 (unfortunately to the detriment of Washington Street). Infill will start to look more and more attractive to the home buyer, as new houses in far-flung regions sit empty due to rising fuel costs. I'm convinced that one of the best places in the city to start redevelopment is the near-Eastside.