Indianapolis, IN

Downtown east side building was a car factory, then a jail. Soon, it will be 200 apartments

Published

9 months ago

March 21, 2025

Downtown east side building was a car factory, then a jail. Soon, it will be 200 apartments

For 15 years at the turn of the last century, factory workers built automobiles at the Cole Motor campus at the corner of Washington Street and College Avenue on the east side of downtown Indianapolis. After two world wars and years of housing business tenants, the site transitioned to a Marion County Jail in the mid-1990s.

Now, as soon as next year, the historic campus will transform into housing with 213 apartments as the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development and private developers redevelop dilapidated buildings downtown into residential and commercial spaces.

1820 Ventures, a local developer, won the bid for the project after a 2022 callout for proposals.

The 300,000-square-foot site with buildings at 730 E. Washington St. and 752 E. Market St. and a connecting bridge over Market Street was built more than a century ago as the Cole Motor car factory.

Cole Motor had its heyday in the early 1900s, rivaling Cadillac in the luxury American car market. But the company’s success waned after World War I and Cole Motor folded in 1925.

For years, the site served a variety of industrial tenants until the City of Indianapolis took over in the late 1990s and used the building as a jail for the overcrowded Marion County jail system. The city moved out all inmates in 2022 when the Community Justice Campus opened.

Even though the campus sits directly between the downtown core and the near east side, the site was often overlooked. An interstate ramp to exit I-65/1-70 used to pass directly above the site creating a fast track down Market Street to Market Square Arena while completely bypassing the Cole Motor neighborhood.

Nearly two decades since that interstate ramp was torn down, developers are trying to renew the neighborhood and make the passageway a pedestrian-friendly street, said 1820 Ventures managing partner Jeremy Stephenson.

“Our approach is to go deep in an area and rise up the tide in that area. This is a neighborhood street, and we want to get it back to that,” Stephenson said. 1820 Ventures recently redeveloped the old Angie’s List campus, including building Gathyr, a 103-unit apartment complex, a few blocks east on Market Street.

About $30 million in economic incentives — including federal historic tax credits, state redevelopment tax credits and a city TIF agreement — will help pay for the $84 million Cole Motor project.

Out of the more than 200 loft-style units, 11 will be reserved for households making 30% or less of the area median income. Most of the remaining units will be kept affordable for households making 80% or less of the median income, or about $80,000.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.

Alysa Guffey covers business and development for IndyStar. Contact her at amguffey@gannett.com.

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Indianapolis, IN

Silver Alert declared for 16-year-old boy missing from Indianapolis

Published

5 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Silver Alert declared for 16-year-old boy missing from Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the disappearance of Robert Williams Jr., a 16-year-old Black male who is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 185 pounds, has black hair with brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray coat, blue sweat pants, and black tennis shoes.

Williams Jr. is missing from Indianapolis, and was last seen on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. He is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.

Investigators ask that anyone with information on Williams Jr. contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-6541 or 911.

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Indianapolis, IN

The City of Indianapolis’ “Indy Peace Fellowship” 2025 review

Published

17 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

The City of Indianapolis’ “Indy Peace Fellowship” 2025 review

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Peace Fellowship is an initiative from the city, providing solutions to reduce gun violence in our city.

WRTV spoke with Dane Nutty, President & CEO of the Indy Public Safety Foundation, about its efforts in 2025 and continued targets ahead for 2026.

“A lot of times, you have an idea of what the community wants, you have an idea of what people need, and so, we certainly have a significant engagement with the community daily,” Nutty said.

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The City of Indianapolis’ “Indy Peace Fellowship” 2025 review

Finding solutions to gun violence has been one of the city’s biggest hurdles.

“This year that we’re looking at annual data, we’re over 20% reduction in criminal homicides and nearly 30% reduction in non-fatal shootings, but again, I think it’s a testament to the investments that have been made over the last three to five years and really lifting not only targeted intervention but also community voices in violence intervention,” Nutty said.

Nutty said that the relationships built with the community, IMPD and organizations throughout the years helped foster greater results in 2025.

“I think after the first couple of years, you know, when you launch a really huge new strategy, it takes a little time to kind of cement those partnerships and ensure that we’re being most effective and intentional with our work, and we’ve really seen that come into play this year,” Nutty said.

Looking ahead to 2026, Nutty said his team will continue to review data daily to help cultivate the best outcome.

“We might have an incident in the community that results in either the potential for retaliation or, you know, some additional trauma that that neighborhood or that community has incurred,” Nutty said.

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Indy Peace Fellowship

Every year, Indy Peace Fellowship’s goal is to reduce homicides by 10%.

“As of today, we’re down over 20% in criminal homicides year to date, so we’re certainly, again. We’re happy that we met that goal. That doesn’t mean that the work has completed, right? That we can just say, ‘Hey, we’ve done it all, we’ve fixed the problem.’ There’s a lot of work to move forward,” Nutty said.

Nutty added that they are seeing nearly a 30% reduction year-over-year in non-fatal shootings. Further proving that community outreach and targeted impact are working.

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Indianapolis, IN

IMPD officer charged with operating vehicle while intoxicated after showing up to work smelling of alcohol

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

IMPD officer charged with operating vehicle while intoxicated after showing up to work smelling of alcohol

INDIANAPOLIS — An officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has been charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OVWI).

According to a news release from IMPD, Bryan Gibson, an officer with the department, arrived at the department’s southeast district in his personal vehicle on the evening of Dec. 10 for a scheduled administrative duty shift.

When Gibson arrived, the department alleges that Gibson smelled like alcohol. After an investigation from the department’s OVWI unit, the special investigations unit and internal affairs, the release said that Gibson was determined to be under the influence of alcohol.

On Dec. 11, IMPD Chief Chris Bailey suspended Gibson without pay and recommended his termination to the department’s civilian police merit board.

The release said that at the time of the incident, Gibson was assigned to administrative duty. Officials said that Gibson did not have police powers while under administrative investigation for an unrelated personnel matter.

On Wednesday, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office officially filed charges against Gibson for: