Old Southside infrastructure project promotes placemaking

An Indianapolis neighborhood targeted for redevelopment will now benefit from a new infrastructure project. 

The Old Southside was named a Lift Neighborhood in 2018. The community development program uses a variety of grant opportunities to promote housing, business and placemaking.  Now a $6.8 million infrastructure investment will help further transform the area. 

The Department of Metropolitan Development and the Department of Public Works partner for the project that creates a safer corridor with a multi-use path, ADA sidewalks,  improved drainage and bike amenities along Meridian St.

DMD Director Scarlett Andrews said this is what the community wants.

“To make it more user friendly and a more vibrant streetscape as opposed to just your typical place where you get cars as fast as you can to and from Downtown,” Andrews said.

The new infrastructure will be built near a new 269 unit housing project called Rise on Meridian that’s supported by city-backed bonds.  Five percent of those units will be set aside for affordable housing.

Andrews said the infrastructure project is possible because of the TIF district that was created in the Old Southside.

“And that allowed us to use Section 108 loan funding to fund this infrastructure project,” Andrews said.

Indianapolis has designated seven Lift Indy neighborhoods: Monon16, Old Southside, East 10th Street, Near North, Martindale-Brightwood, Mid-North, and the Far Eastside.

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @JillASheridan.