This past week, a new venture known as Developer Town launched an Innovation Showcase in a vacant property at 53rd and Winthrop Avenue. The event was co-hosted by a group known as Verge.
I’ve long wondered if there was any hope of revitalizing these defunct buildings, which were previously served by the Monon Railroad. Developer Town is intended to be a Tech Start-up incubator, giving similarly minded people a public forum for bouncing ideas off of each other. This is exciting for many reasons. Here are just a few:
- Displays the power that cities and public gatherings still have in an increasingly digital age. This wouldn’t be happening if Indianapolis didn’t have a critical mass of people with a desire to be entrepreneurs.  A room full of people with smart phones were talking to each other face-to-face.
- Places a potential job-creating place in a structure that was originally intended for work, but had fallen into disrepair.
- May inspire others to bring along their own innovations to reuse the other vacant buildings lining Winthrop Avenue.
It doesn’t take a tech-savvy person to be able appreciate the enthusiasm and possibilities that were on display for this showcase. For more of the story behind this positive energy, this article in the Indy Star does a fine job.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from DeveloperTown and Verge in the near future. They wouldn’t have it any other way.
I live really close to this place, so from one aspect, it makes me feel good that someone is investing in vacant property and returning it to the tax rolls with worthwhile tennants. I hope this works out in the long run for the neighborhood’s sake and the investor’s sake
I loved the event!
I’m a fan of technology, a fan of Indianapolis, and because of Indianapolis I retired 2 weeks ago at the age of 36.
I truly believe that Indianapolis is the BEST place in the country to start a technology company.
I also live just around the corner from Developer Town and was elected to the board of directors of the Broad Ripple Village Association this past winter.
What Matt is doing with Verge and what the team at Developer Town has been able to accomplish is impressive. I think this type of development is what Broad Ripple needs to encourage more.
I feel that Broad Ripple could be used a great recruitment tool to entice additional technology talent. The locally owned business, the fine restaurants, the passionate & diverse residents and fun nightlife are all things that creative folks trend towards. The fact that Indy is the most affordable city in the nation and that it is very easy to become the Big Man on Campus are all reasons to attempt a start-up here instead of struggling as you try in Silicon Valley or NYC.
I have some ideas for enhancing the area’s technology vision and fostering a more collaborative approach to communication, but I’m always open to suggestions and assistance!
phil.lavoie@gmail.com
Thanks,
Phil