INDIANAPOLIS — The city of Indianapolis has new plans to reinvigorate Indiana Avenue, a historic corridor of the city that once marked a hub of Black innovation and fostered the brightest musical minds of the 21st century, and is seeking the support of firms and business leaders to do so.
Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday the city's Department of Metropolitan Development will embark on an Indiana Avenue Certified Strategic Plan, in partnership with Reclaim Indiana Avenue and the Urban Legacy Lands Initiative.
(NOTE: The video above is from a previous report on Indiana Avenue serving as a pathway for local Black musicians for several decades.)
The project aims to unify residents, caretakers and developers throughout Indiana Avenue to breathe new life into the heart of Black Indianapolis.
“Our goal as a city is to lay the foundation for a more equitable and prosperous Indiana Avenue,” Hogsett said. “We welcome proposals from anyone who carries a love for their community and a dream for a brighter future for the Avenue.”
City leaders said that project is being cultivated through a partnership with Reclaim Indiana Avenue and the Urban Legacy Lands Initiative.
The DMD is releasing a Request for Expressions of Interests as it seeks proposals from interested design and planning firms. The department is accepting responses from consulting teams to create a certified planning process with the collaboration of residents, businesses and community stakeholders.
"The history of Indiana Avenue is one of our city's greatest unprotected treasures, in terms of both Black history and Indianapolis cultural history," Indianapolis City-County Council President Vop Osili said.
City leaders hope the plan will "create a blueprint for cultural-focused investments, preservation of existing cultural legacy, economic development and investment."
"Reclaim Indiana Avenue represents the voices of people who have always been the caretakers of Indiana Avenue and its future," said Paula Brooks, organizer and activist with the organization.
Responses for the Indiana Avenue Certified Strategic Plan are due to DMD by April 27, 2023.