Finally, the big push for a great neighborhood (Super Bowl Legacy, Part 2)

I was with a small group the other day that was fortunate to hear from Joe Bowling, the “Community Builder” for the NFL sponsored Legacy Project. What an exciting story! Thanks to the hard work of many people starting back in 2005, long before a Super Bowl was awarded, the NFL recognized the opportunity that one game could have on a neighborhood. For many years there has been investment into the east side of Indianapolis, but its story is common among urban areas in the country. As many neighborhoods have experienced, without a mega push and everyone getting focused, even large projects have difficulty producing results. Some may remember the Cub Foods debacle of the 90’s that was supposed to help (which now is a great school after sitting vacant for many years). There has also been the investment and redevelopment of individual projects like the Meadows and Phoenix apartments. But substantial change cannot occur until there is a large community effort with a vision supported by major sponsors and stakeholders. It appears that day is coming very soon for the Near East Side.

Six years ago, a task force was formed through the Near Eastside Community Organization (NESCO) to address quality of life issues. Then, in 2006 the area was selected by the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) to participate in the Great Indy Neighborhoods Initiative (GINI Project). The benefits of the Legacy Project will last far beyond February 5, 2012. However, already it has created numerous neighborhood benefits. Among them are the Youth Education Town, an activity center for youth and families at Arsenal Tech High School; the Jefferson Apartments, a $4.2M renovation and expansion of a residential building on 10th Street; and the streetscape improvements we mentioned yesterday. You can read more about them all here. On the next post, we’ll highlight some other things coming up in the neighborhood.