The Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development issued a Request for Expressions of Interest to identify a new use for the former Indiana Women’s Prison.
The move to gauge interest from developers aligns with neighbors' longstanding concerns about the large site that has sat vacant since 2017.
Near Eastsiders have been vocal about the site and what they would like to see done. The state initially owned the property. Ownership transferred to the city as part of a land swap in December 2024. The city is leaning on the community for ideas.
Joey Newsom is the Board President of the Willard Park Neighborhood Association. He has lived across the street from the prison since 2010. Like his neighbors, he is keeping a close eye on the 15-acre site.
“There's a lot of thoughts and ideas and opinions, and we've had that kind of visioning and dreaming of opportunities for quite some time,” Newsom said.
Given the large undeveloped property, Newsom said he and his neighbors have considered “anything and everything.”
Community members have discussed preserving the administration building, the chapel, a courtyard, and a prayer labyrinth built by the women of the prison.
Through numerous gatherings and block parties, community members and leaders have pitched a variety of uses for the site. One of the most prominent is the construction of affordable housing. Other ideas include grocery stores, a bodega, a memorial, and the use of the courtyard as a green space.
However, there are other challenges in the way.
One major obstacle is the site's historical significance. Even though the former prison is not on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has deemed the site historically significant. That means any developments must comply with preservation laws.
On-site are existing cell blocks called dormitories. Newsom says these dormitories have become a hindrance to redevelopment efforts because they can’t be torn down.
“It continues to feel like we're running up against policies that don't make sense for the site, you know? Like, it doesn't make sense to keep those buildings,” Newsom said.
The former prison site is in City-County Councilor Jesse Brown’s district. He says the dormitories have caused concern in the neighborhood.
“Even the former incarcerated women, who want to keep some of the history of the site, don't particularly care to have that aspect remembered,” Brown said. “I think there's pretty unanimous consent from everyone around that we would prefer to knock those buildings down and just incorporate other buildings into this site plan, but as of right now, we're being told that's impossible.”
One community idea to reuse the dormitories is to turn them into a business incubator, each cell serving as a pop-up business. But Brown said pop-up shops may not be able to pay rent on time, which would put the developers at financial risk.
“The state has said that if we can prove that every developer we talk to is saying it's impossible to redevelop those [dormitories], then there's a chance that they could make an exception,” Brown said.
DMD said they will continue to engage with community stakeholders, something that was lacking when the state owned the site. Newsom says he appreciates the collaboration.
“We really do appreciate the city and all their work that they're doing, you know, like that's been really good, and I know that the city really took this on at the request of the neighbors,” Newsom said.
Both Newsom and Brown want to avoid any developments that would gentrify the area.
“Neighbors really want to see this site accessible and beautiful and something to enjoy…” Newsom said. “We want to do this in a way that helps the neighborhood. You know, job development, housing stability, all the things that are good in the community, but not pushing people out.”
The deadline to submit interest is September 30, 2026. The DMD will also conduct site tours on July 24 and August 7.
Contact WFYI reporting intern Daniel Huber at dhuber@wfyi.org
