East 10th Street Civic Association
The 10th Street corridor is one of Indianapolis' best preserved commercial areas from the early 1900's - 1950's. This area developed as a commercial district serving the east Indianapolis neighborhoods like Woodruff Place, Cottage Home, and Pogue's Run Trail. Urban Indy had a good post about the area last year. These different neighborhoods are mostly a part of the collective Near Eastside Community Organization (NESCO).
The 10th Street Civic Association is the main street organization which represents the economic development arm of the neighborhood. The neighborhood has been anointed as a favorite for restoration because of its size, proximity to downtown, and historic assets. They have a long wish-list of projects to tackle in the next few years, and have already started knocking out their punch-list.
A popular building type along 10th is the storefront with residential apartments above
Traveling along 10th street offers an opportunity to experience the urban fabric of Indianapolis as it once existed. The great part about this neighborhood is its unbroken character, there are very few locations where the main street feel is lost to suburban style developments. Admittedly, one of the reasons for this is that it has not seen much investment in the past few decades. But it has great potential as a solid residential and commercial tax base for the city of Indianapolis. It has not (yet) been split by an interstate, bulldozed to prepare way for enormous city-county initiatives, nor abused for heavy industrial use. In truth it is a jewel of a neighborhood.
Another storefront building, this one is in great condition with a bus stop in front
The city of Indianapolis stands to gain a huge amount of tax revenue if this area can begin attracting a broad cross-section of residents. Most importantly, the residents in the area can rebuild their urban neighborhood once investment capital begins flowing back into the corridor.
Single story shops with a front door on the sidewalk
The streets have limited parking options, and there are no destination stores for shopping experiences. Many of the operating businesses focus on the needs of the residents and so do not draw visitors from all over the city. The area has an eclectic mix of residents that befits its urban character, and unfortunately this means that many Indiana natives do not feel comfortable here. I think this says more about Indiana natives than the neighborhood, because Indiana seems to have confused pedestrians with criminals.
More mixed use buildings, these are awaiting renovation
However, the neighborhood appears to be winning some major battles. Apart from the blessing of a Superbowl practice facility, the neighborhood has been steadily acquiring grant money to put its plans into actions. The strategy for the area has been carefully worked out, and there will be a lot of effort on keeping the existing walkable infrastructure in place even when new buildings are being built.
The latest July 15th Presentation (WARNING: must view with IE, not Firefox) by Storrow Kinsella is the culmination of nearly a decade of serious urban planning. The volume of materials generated by this study filled a gymnasium during the final meeting. Every contributing property in the area has been documented by architects and a plan for restoration listed. Utilities, zoning, infrastructure, walkability, transit options, and just about anything you can imagine has been closely studied and converted into giant maps, digital overlays, or reduced to meaningful statistics. Neighborhood preferences for investments in place-making, public structures, and land-use policies have been taken into account. The plan is clearly laid out, the first steps have been taken, and everyone in the neighborhood is excited about the progress so far.
As mentioned above, this area will see the construction of the new Superbowl 2012 practice facility (which will be donated to Arsenal Tech High School afterwards). Several local buildings are getting a facelift or even major structural renovations. Many structures are now sporting scaffolds, the equivalent of cranes in historic neighborhoods. Much of the current work is sponsored by public or non-profit groups in the hopes that private development will soon follow.
E. 10th Street had the first building in Indianapolis with a green roof. As of right now, two commercial buildings have a green roof which may be a higher concentration than anywhere else in the city. The John H. Boner center (roof) and the Moonblock building (roof) both have Live Roof systems and were established as proof that the new technology of green design could mesh easily with traditional historic preservation and economic development.
The John H. Boner Community Center is the headquarters of several civic organizations
A stylized bus stop, large sidewalk presence, and green roof help create a unique area
The MoonBlock building has a green roof and has been fully renovated
Another recent development is the Pogue's Run Grocer (Indy Food Coop). This locally owned grocer should provide residents with a great choice of quality food. I am quite looking forward to the opening this fall. I was able to volunteer for some of the demolition work, so I got to meet some of the people who will be running it as well as seeing the building they will be using as a storefront. Needless to say, it has a lot of potential and is sited in a great location.
The new Pogue's Run Grocer location
Salvaged wood from our demolition efforts
Homemade food from the Coop volunteers
Other historic assets include the Rivoli Theater and American Legion building. The theater has an interesting history, and I am hoping that the neighborhood can soon support a new use for it.
The historic Rivoli Theater
The signage needs some TLC, but is in good shape overall
The facade is absolutely authentic
The American Legion Building would make a great owner-occupied space. Old mixed use spaces like this are rare, especially one with a great look. IIRC The Ball State study recommended opening up the old storefront windows. It could be a great neighborhood resource.
The American Legion lodge building
The glazed windows on the upper floor are still in good condition, but the aluminum door and bricked over storefront windows should be replaced with more appropriate materials
The old Emerson Theater now regularly hosts independent bands, which seems to attract a young crowd. Before a show there is plenty of activity on the sidewalks.
The Emerson Theater with a young and enthusiastic crowd waiting for the doors to open
I took this photo because I liked the way the urban setting makes my car more hip
The 10th Street Civic Association is the main street organization which represents the economic development arm of the neighborhood. The neighborhood has been anointed as a favorite for restoration because of its size, proximity to downtown, and historic assets. They have a long wish-list of projects to tackle in the next few years, and have already started knocking out their punch-list.
A popular building type along 10th is the storefront with residential apartments above Traveling along 10th street offers an opportunity to experience the urban fabric of Indianapolis as it once existed. The great part about this neighborhood is its unbroken character, there are very few locations where the main street feel is lost to suburban style developments. Admittedly, one of the reasons for this is that it has not seen much investment in the past few decades. But it has great potential as a solid residential and commercial tax base for the city of Indianapolis. It has not (yet) been split by an interstate, bulldozed to prepare way for enormous city-county initiatives, nor abused for heavy industrial use. In truth it is a jewel of a neighborhood.
Another storefront building, this one is in great condition with a bus stop in frontThe city of Indianapolis stands to gain a huge amount of tax revenue if this area can begin attracting a broad cross-section of residents. Most importantly, the residents in the area can rebuild their urban neighborhood once investment capital begins flowing back into the corridor.
Single story shops with a front door on the sidewalkThe streets have limited parking options, and there are no destination stores for shopping experiences. Many of the operating businesses focus on the needs of the residents and so do not draw visitors from all over the city. The area has an eclectic mix of residents that befits its urban character, and unfortunately this means that many Indiana natives do not feel comfortable here. I think this says more about Indiana natives than the neighborhood, because Indiana seems to have confused pedestrians with criminals.
More mixed use buildings, these are awaiting renovationHowever, the neighborhood appears to be winning some major battles. Apart from the blessing of a Superbowl practice facility, the neighborhood has been steadily acquiring grant money to put its plans into actions. The strategy for the area has been carefully worked out, and there will be a lot of effort on keeping the existing walkable infrastructure in place even when new buildings are being built.
The latest July 15th Presentation (WARNING: must view with IE, not Firefox) by Storrow Kinsella is the culmination of nearly a decade of serious urban planning. The volume of materials generated by this study filled a gymnasium during the final meeting. Every contributing property in the area has been documented by architects and a plan for restoration listed. Utilities, zoning, infrastructure, walkability, transit options, and just about anything you can imagine has been closely studied and converted into giant maps, digital overlays, or reduced to meaningful statistics. Neighborhood preferences for investments in place-making, public structures, and land-use policies have been taken into account. The plan is clearly laid out, the first steps have been taken, and everyone in the neighborhood is excited about the progress so far.
As mentioned above, this area will see the construction of the new Superbowl 2012 practice facility (which will be donated to Arsenal Tech High School afterwards). Several local buildings are getting a facelift or even major structural renovations. Many structures are now sporting scaffolds, the equivalent of cranes in historic neighborhoods. Much of the current work is sponsored by public or non-profit groups in the hopes that private development will soon follow.
E. 10th Street had the first building in Indianapolis with a green roof. As of right now, two commercial buildings have a green roof which may be a higher concentration than anywhere else in the city. The John H. Boner center (roof) and the Moonblock building (roof) both have Live Roof systems and were established as proof that the new technology of green design could mesh easily with traditional historic preservation and economic development.
The John H. Boner Community Center is the headquarters of several civic organizations
A stylized bus stop, large sidewalk presence, and green roof help create a unique area
The MoonBlock building has a green roof and has been fully renovatedAnother recent development is the Pogue's Run Grocer (Indy Food Coop). This locally owned grocer should provide residents with a great choice of quality food. I am quite looking forward to the opening this fall. I was able to volunteer for some of the demolition work, so I got to meet some of the people who will be running it as well as seeing the building they will be using as a storefront. Needless to say, it has a lot of potential and is sited in a great location.
The new Pogue's Run Grocer location
Salvaged wood from our demolition efforts
Homemade food from the Coop volunteersOther historic assets include the Rivoli Theater and American Legion building. The theater has an interesting history, and I am hoping that the neighborhood can soon support a new use for it.
The historic Rivoli Theater
The signage needs some TLC, but is in good shape overall
The facade is absolutely authenticThe American Legion Building would make a great owner-occupied space. Old mixed use spaces like this are rare, especially one with a great look. IIRC The Ball State study recommended opening up the old storefront windows. It could be a great neighborhood resource.
The American Legion lodge building
The glazed windows on the upper floor are still in good condition, but the aluminum door and bricked over storefront windows should be replaced with more appropriate materialsThe old Emerson Theater now regularly hosts independent bands, which seems to attract a young crowd. Before a show there is plenty of activity on the sidewalks.
The Emerson Theater with a young and enthusiastic crowd waiting for the doors to open
I took this photo because I liked the way the urban setting makes my car more hipLabels: green design, historic preservation, superbowl village, Ten East, Urban Environment
posted by Graeme at
7:30 AM
4 Comments:
Excellent work. I'm glad that East 10th has become be a major focus of any neighborhood redevelopment.
Very thoughtful coverage of an often overlooked corridor. I do question, however, the seemingly snide remark about "what this says about Indiana natives" being afraid of pedestrians. My suspicion is that Census reports would reveal that the East Side particularly has a high population of people who have lived in the area for over 10 years, if not their entire lives. This contrasts with the white-collar North Side, which draws far more non-locals from elsewhere in the US, or the West Side, which is drawing the preponderance of immigrants and foreign-born. Are the people you're calling "eclectic" only outsiders, here to enlighten the yokels? Be careful--most out-of-towners would likely be frightened by parts of the East 10th Street as well.
I think the East Side bears the most potential for a Renaissance catering predominantly to people seeking an urban lifestyle; established neighborhoods such as Woodruff Place, Cottage Home (on one side), and Irvington and Emerson Heights (on the other side) are the strengths that frame a largely disinvested middle. But it has a lot of hurdles to overcome. Regardless of its pedestrian friendliness, the reputation for crime on the East Side is deserved: a family member of mine who works for IMPD says that in police lingo, much of the area east of Woodruff Place and west of Irvington is nicknamed "the swamp". The food co-op location was inspired. And the $29 million stimulus mentioned today in the paper could be an excellent starting point for intelligent reinvestment.
American Dirt - You are correct, it was a snide remark. But it was directed at the Indianapolis and Indiana government policies rather than the people of Indiana. In particular, I accuse our representative government of the following:
*establishing roadway policies that increase driver safety at the expense of pedestrian safety
*encouraging and/or requiring land-use policies that have eliminated pedestrian self-sufficiency
*varied other things discussed elsewhere on the website
I took an interesting photo on the sidewalk outside of the City-County Building (at entrance to the West Wing below-ground parking garage) that sums up the attitude of the government towards pedestrians quite well. It is illegal to walk on the sidewalk in case someone from the CCB wants to drive in or out of their garage. Thus, pedestrians in this city don't even have right of way on the sidewalks.
That was the intended meaning of the posted comment. The class/cultural/regional conflict you mentioned is outside the scope of this website and thus I cannot address it. I only intend to focus on the built environment and the policies that shape it.
I acknowledge that the area has a higher crime rate than other neighborhoods in the city. However, I would not categorize it as dangerous. Of course, that depends on my own sense of risk. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on the matter.
Wonderful blog entry. There are a lot of positive things happening on the East Side.
The Brookside Neighborhood (Just North of the 10th corridor) is diverse and interesting. We have residents who have been here for 40 years right next door to young bright couples moving in. On Parker Ave. for example, we have a pastor, a yoga instructor, an IPS lunch lady, retirees happy to invite you in for cookies, a server at Ruth Chris, a masonry guy, a lawyer, a waitress, an IMA curator, a nurse, house painters, a sign language interpreter, a CPA, a Lowes checker... I could go on. And these men and women are all of different colors shapes and backgrounds. It's not all what the news makes it out to be.
There are investors taking interest in the cheap and beautiful historic homes, the Food Co-Op will be here, Indiana's first green charter school will be opening in this neighborhood in 2010, School 54 is newly renovated and beautiful, and the plans for East 10th are exciting. The Brookside Neighborhood supports East 10th, NESCO, KIB, IMPD, the Legacy Project, and the many many dedicated folks who are working hard to make our community great!
Oh, did I mention the neighbors around here know each other? And that we have fun? Sadly, those things rarely make the news.
Good things are on the horizon. It's great to see others that appreciate the area like we do.
As for being dangerous...it is a matter of opinion I guess. We like to call ourselves "urban pioneers" ;) I don't consider it particularly dangerous.
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