Urban Indy

I’m always intrigued by buildings that have barely survived removal via eminent domain.  They give a fair indication of other structures that were not so lucky.  One of the most handsome in the city is the former Standard Oil Company Building, now home to Entheos Architects on Lord Street in Fletcher Place. The structure stands out in a sea of parking and pavement: This pic shows just how little margin for error there was in the decision … Read entire article »

What happened in downtown Indianapolis between the 1970s and the present day is often referred to as one of the best examples of urban revitalization in recent years. This is with good reason. Thirty years ago, the city’s nickname was ‘naptown’, today we’re preparing to host the Super Bowl. It would be wrong to deny or discount the massive changes for the better that have benefited the Circle City over these last three decades. But it’s not enough. To oversimplify things a bit, the growth in Indy’s downtown has been driven by civic and government leaders focused on three things: -        Sports and events -        Retail and entertainment -        Conventions All three of these strategies have successfully built downtown into a desirable destination for an evening or a weekend. By themselves, however, they have not built … Read entire article »

The data is in, and it is concerning.  A quick look at our city’s recent census data release proves that most of the city’s urban core is still depopulating.  We can not afford to say as a state that certain segments of the population are no longer welcome.  In fact, we should be taking the opposite approach, and welcome new blood with new ideas. Immigrants Immigration is a sign of an economically healthy city.  Imagine throwing caution to the wind and traveling a great distance to arrive at a place where you can’t find a job.   In fact, immigration has slowed in this country as a result of our economic downturn.  Exceptions can always be made, but when the economy was humming, immigrants were coming here to make life better for themselves … Read entire article »