INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Haughville residents heard gunshots and screeching tires Saturday night. Police found 38-year-old Robert Underwood shot and dying in the street.
By Monday morning someone had placed a candle and a balloon in front of the home in the 500 block of North Traub St. That's near West Michigan St. and North Belmont Avenue.
Haughville is just west of downtown, across the the White River.
"I just want the violence to stop," Jewel Edleman said. Underwood was killed in front of Eldeman's home. Her daughter was murdered two years ago.
"It hurts my heart. It is so many people we know and they are so young," Eldeman said.
Haughville is plagued by poverty, poor housing and crime. But investors and community groups are seizing an opportunity to change.
In the last 10 years the area's economic development corporation spent $2 million on neighborhood improvements. Right now it has $32 million worth of projects underway or on the drawing board.
"Haughville is very hot right now," said Robert Hawthorne, Westside Community Development Corp. He sees new homes, money to repair olds ones, hiking trails, new businesses and more.
"Our big thing is to help the neighborhood stabilize and get residents really involved in what is going on in the neighborhood so they can be part of it," he explained.
An apartment building overlooking downtown is under construction. In the bordering Stringtown neighborhood, upscale Smart Homes are aimed at high paid professionals lured here by being downtown, the IUPUI campus and White River.
"We are the closed walk ability to the most undiscovered natural resource the city is about to explore," said John Karamanski, Smart House developer.
"My hope is everything will get better and I can raise her in a great place in a good safe environment and neighborhood," said Honey Robertson.
Robertson and her granddaughter moved into the neighborhood a couple of years ago and are embracing the revitalization efforts.