Washington DC begins to swarm its darkest streets with civic art. Sound familiar?
Posted by Eric McAfee in Pedestrian on Feb 11th, 2018 | 8 comments
On the back end of Washington DC’s Union Station, numerous passenger railways stretch to the northeast across several city blocks, by means of a lengthy, viaduct-like structure.
By and large, this viaduct separates the gentrifying Near Northeast neighborhood, consisting primarily of two- and three-story rowhomes set back from the street, and the gentrifying NoMa neighborhood (“North of Massachusettsâ€) which is redeveloping into an array of fashionable office and apartment high-rises (probably mid-rises by most other cities’ standards), along with retail on the lower...
CityWay Phase Two Breaking Ground: the Pros and the Cons
Posted by Eric McAfee in New Development on Dec 31st, 2017 | 17 comments
Earlier this year (it’s still 2017!), Buckingham Companies broke ground on the next phase of CityWay, an expansive development south of the train trestle on land formerly belonging to Eli Lilly and Company.
The first phase (completed in 2012) features over 250 apartments, parking garages fully hidden from the primary streets, the Alexander Hotel, over 40,000 square feet for retail, and a partnership with the YMCA for a voluminous fitness center across from the Alexander—all on the south side of the tracks, primarily fronting Delaware and South streets.
This next phase has morphed...
The Broad Ripple Parking Garage satisfied a need (so they say). But how well does it work?
Posted by Eric McAfee in New Development on May 29th, 2017 | 29 comments
Considering the wonderful coverage Curt here at Urban Indy provided in the months leading up to and during the construction of the Broad Ripple Parking Garage, it’s surprising that nobody wrote a feature once it opened. But it looks like we didn’t.  So here’s a chance, now that the garage has just celebrated its fourth birthday.
People in the local blogosphere routinely rant and rave about how many development projects have depended upon taxpayer subsidies to get off the ground—either in the form of liberal application of Tax Increment Financing,...
Closing Time for Chatham Park? Yet Another (Probably Final) Hearing for the High-Quality Infill Development
Posted by Eric McAfee in Neighborhoods, New Development on Apr 27th, 2017 | 15 comments
I’ve covered the evolution of the Chatham Park proposal multiple times on this blog, so it might seem like overkill to feature it yet again. But it isn’t.
Why not? Because it hasn’t gone away. After multiple presentations before the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission (IHPC), it remains in an ambiguous state, neither approved nor disapproved. The IBJ covers the latest attempt thoroughly.  And, after the early-April meeting, it remains tabled, awaiting further changes until it meets the IHPC’s standards. In the meantime, we all get to look at the withering old...
The Chatham Arch Question Gets an Answer
Posted by Eric McAfee in Neighborhoods, New Development on Jan 30th, 2017 | 34 comments
The time for Chatham Arch has arrived.
This Wednesday, February 1, at 5:30pm, on the second floor of the City-County Building, the Department of Metropolitan Development’s monthly agenda will include the applications for 855 N. East Street and 812 N. Park Avenue—the old Indianapolis Day Nursery Association building and more recently the home of the Todd Academy School. First announced by Kevin in November of last year, this is the same site upon which I wrote two lengthy articles called The Chatham Arch Question. Part I focused on the mismatch between historic preservation and...
