It has been a while since the last update we provided on Urban Indy regarding the Broad Ripple Mixed Use Parking Structure. As you would imagine, progress has been swift! I have heard that there is a target opening in March sometime and the on-site labor over January and February shows that the developer is eager to meet this time frame. Numerous overnight concrete pours have taken place in this time period and there have been some rumblings here and there from neighbors who had to endure the loud hammering and machinery.
However, it looks as if that work is complete. Facade placement is underway with most of the frontage along Westfield Blvd in place and work moving around to the College Ave face coming in the near future.
In tandem with the work to finish the last of the garage, is the closure of Westfield Blvd between College Ave and Broadway. The roadway will be replaced and sidewalks will be refinished. This is part of a bigger project to improve the College Ave intersection. Sidewalks along College Ave will be repaired and 4 trees will be added with decorative steel grates. The crosswalks will also be treated with the same decorative thermo-striping already being used at other Broad Ripple Village crossings.
Last week, fellow Urban Indy writer Chris Corr passed along that Firehouse Subs has filed with the state to take space in the new structure indicating that the retail space along this corridor could be ripe for activation.
One last thing to mention, is that Keystone, in cooperation with the Indianapolis Art Center, has solicited a Request for Qualifications for a mural to be placed above the entrance at the corner of College, Westfield and Broad Ripple Ave. The deadline to apply is quickly approaching, so check out the details to apply. We will keep you posted as this project moves closer to completion and conditions return to normal.
Where’s the 4 ft wall that surrounds this to make it “flood proof”?
I just walked by it this weekend. It’s there, unfortunately.
Fast progress. I live very near, and I must say they’ve been working days and nights, rain or shine. I don’t want to complain, but I was wishfully thinking they would get slightly better (i.e. independent or notch above fast-food) tenants. But I can live with that. So far they have Marco’s pizza coming back, Firehouse Subs, police substation, potential bank (with drive-thru). Any new on the potential “anchor” tenant for the corner spot?
Broad Ripple has gotten a little to pricey for a “unique neighborhood” place that is not also extremely upscale. Density and commercial pro-forma-driven redevelopment have their costs, and one of them is that developers favor credit tenants, which means rich investors or chains/national franchises (whether local or regional). So BR will get more Scotty and Martha Hoover concepts, but not the seeds of “the next Bazbeaux” or “the next Yat’s”. Even SoBro is running out of cheap entrepreneurial space.
Gentrification.
My very first reaction to the “headline” picture: that’s a Mercedes coupe and Lexus SUV crossing through. This is what BR is now.
I parked less than a block away for a concert at the Vogue at 7p on a Saturday night. Parking is overrated. While this building will be a nice addition aesthetically, it was still one of the poorest options available for a tax-payer supported development. Ah well…