INDIANAPOLIS — Downtown Indy, Inc. (DII) announced Wednesday, July 31 that it's city beautification efforts within the Mile Square have resulted in a renewed sense of cleanliness.
Since January, DII said their team of full-time cleaning employees have disposed of nearly 4,000 bags of trash — equivalent to 200,000 pounds — collected across Indianapolis' Mile Square.
The cleanup crew exists thanks to an 18-month, $3.5 million investment funded by the City of Indianapolis that allows for a full-time team of "clean street ambassadors." The team has reportedly responded to just under 5,000 cases of vandalism and is currently nearing a total 200 city blocks that have been power-washed since January.
With funding set to continue for another 11 months, organizers have boasted a more vibrant downtown, stating that "sidewalks, storefronts, and highly frequented corridors are also noticeably cleaner and more inviting to residents."
“The work our dedicated and hardworking clean team has accomplished in such a short amount of time is truly remarkable and essential to the vibrancy of Downtown," said Taylor Schaffer, president and CEO of Downtown Indy, Inc. "With 11 months still to go, DII will continue to push back on high visibility obstacles – trash, graffiti, and stickers – while further leveraging community partnerships and collaboration with Downtown stakeholders to do more. We are committed to ensuring Downtown is a safe, vibrant, and welcoming place seven-days-a-week, and these crews are a critical part of that vision.”
In addition to these efforts, DII has also announced, in partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the second of three joint community cleanups set for Aug. 19. Volunteers can sign up at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful's website.