INDIANAPOLIS — A former ALDI grocery store is being transformed into the International District Community Center. It is set to open early next year, giving Indianapolis neighborhood organizations a place to come together.
Fabio de la Cruz is the principal of Sojos Capital. His company has purchased properties around Lafayette Square Mall, with big ideas to revitalize the area.
Sojos is donating the building for the community center.
"One of the things that really we can do with this is the fact to listen. Listen to the neighborhoods, have a place to be sure that everybody joins efforts to the common goal to have a better neighborhood," de la Cruz said.
Lisa Zabst, president of the Eagledale Neighborhood Association, said every neighborhood association dreams of having a community center to work out of.
"We won't have to shuffle meetings from one place to another anymore. We won't have to have a post office box. We'll have an address here," Zabst said.
Sojos said the next big project is to renovate and reopen the movie cinema across the street from the mall. An announcement is expected next month.
Shopper's World is still open in the back of the mall, but besides that, only the pigeons hang out at the mall these days. Almost two years ago, Sojos Capital announced a $200 million plan to turn the mall and surrounding campus into "Window to the World."
The neighborhood concept of mall corridors turned into international-themed indoor streets was supposed to open last spring. Redevelopment plans have been delayed and changed, but community leaders turned dirt Wednesday morning in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the community center.
"We find a lot of opportunities, a lot of things that didn't fit what our initial plan was," de la Cruz said. "The only thing that I can say is the project is bigger. I believe that it is better, and it makes a lot more sense."
De la Cruz owns about 250 acres in the area. The mall is the biggest dinosaur property.
"I always call it the 'T-Rex' before I buy it. It didn't eat me yet. I cannot promise you anything," de la Cruz said.
The mall has already eaten at least $20 million in renovations with no tenants or clear future.
"If I was willing to lose a lot of money because that's basically what has to happen in order for me to change directions, it's because it makes sense," de la Cruz said.
De la Cruz said an updated master plan for the entire area should be announced by the end of this year and hopes the future of the mall is settled by next year.
"Lafayette Square has been a problem for 20 years, and we've hoped and prayed somebody would buy it and do something with it," Zabst said. "And it finally happened, and I think Eagledale will change. I think it will be a better place."