Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis begins demolition of long-troubled Towne and Terrace housing complex

Published

1 month ago

December 17, 2024

Indianapolis begins demolition of long-troubled Towne and Terrace housing complex

The city of Indianapolis has started tearing down eight vacant buildings at Towne and Terrace, a blighted housing complex on the far east side, and has paid to relocate a total of 120 households to allow for demolition of the entire site by early 2026.

Built in the 1960s, the townhome complex near 42nd Street and Post Road devolved into a hotbed for drug dealing and crime in recent years, in part because of mismanagement by prior homeowners association leaders, the city says. City officials began buying up the complex’s 32 buildings following a 2022 settlement that ended a nine-year legal battle with the HOA, Towne and Terrace Corp.

The city has set aside $14.4 million to buy and demolish 32 buildings and relocate about 120 households at Towne and Terrace. Demolition started Monday on eight buildings, and 23 remaining properties will come down throughout 2025, according to Aryn Schounce, senior policy adviser to Mayor Joe Hogsett. The first building was demolished in 2023.

“This demolition is more than just removing buildings,” State Sen. La Keisha Jackson, whose district includes the Towne and Terrace site, said at a press conference Monday in nearby Mt. Carmel Church. “It’s about restoring hope and assuring safety for the families who lived here.”

Once the complex is razed, Schounce told IndyStar, officials will plan the future of the site in tandem with the neighboring Oaktree Apartments, another property the city acquired and demolished. Schounce said the two sites work better together as one 38-acre mixed-use redevelopment project, rather than two separate smaller ones.

Hogsett said police have received fewer calls for service to the housing complex since the city demolished one building last year. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department also installed four surveillance cameras at the site and increased patrols of the area.

“We look forward to continued improvements in public safety as more buildings come down over the coming months,” Hogsett said.

How the city is relocating Towne and Terrace residents

Officials expect the 20 households remaining on the site to find new homes by this spring, with the help of employees in the Department of Metropolitan Development.

Under the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act, the city offered subsidies to tenants so they could pay the same monthly rent as they did at Towne and Terrace for the next three and a half years. For owner-occupants, the city had to pay the difference between the cost of any new comparable home and their home at Towne and Terrace. The city also reimbursed moving expenses.

Liz Durden, a Towne and Terrace resident since 1989 and the current HOA president, said she was reluctant to leave when the city first shared plans to raze all 32 buildings last April.

In the following months, however, Durden found a more expensive single-family home on the far east side, and the city paid for the difference. Now, the 62-year-old grandmother said she owns a better home without any monthly mortgage payments.

Although the process was stressful and she’s sad to see the place where she made so many memories destroyed, Durden has embraced the change.

“I’m real emotional about it, but it gets better and better and better,” Durden said, “because when I walk through the door of my new home, I love it.”

Email IndyStar Housing, Growth and Development Reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09

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Indianapolis, IN

42nd annual Bop to the Top stair climb set for Saturday

Published

3 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

42nd annual Bop to the Top stair climb set for Saturday

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Looking for a unique way to get your steps in this weekend? The 42nd annual Bop to the Top stair climb is happening Saturday at the iconic OneAmerica Tower in downtown Indianapolis.

This beloved tradition, hosted by Tuxedo Brothers Events, invites participants of all fitness levels to climb the 36 floors of the tower while supporting a great cause. For more than four decades, the event has partnered with Riley Hospital for Children, raising significant funds to support their critical work.

“Forty-two years ago, we started this as something fun and competitive to do indoors during the winter,” Don Carr, owner of Tuxedo Brothers and the event’s host, said. “We quickly realized it was the perfect opportunity to tie in a charity component. Riley Hospital has been a part of this from the beginning, and it’s been an incredible partnership.”

Participants can sign up as individuals, families, or teams, with categories to match any level of competitiveness. There’s even a “triple step” option for those brave enough to tackle the climb more than once. And, yes, everyone who completes the climb will be rewarded with a long-sleeved T-shirt—perfect for the chilly Indiana weather.

Registration costs $30 to $35, depending on the category, and you can sign up online or in person on the day of the event. The climb starts at 8:30 a.m.

“Whether you’re fast, slow, or just there to have fun, everyone is welcome,” Carr said. “It’s all about making it to the top, enjoying the experience, and supporting an amazing cause.”

For more information or to register, click here.

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Indianapolis, IN

‘The worst that I’ve seen:’ City officials push DPW on unplowed residential roads

Published

10 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

‘The worst that I’ve seen:’ City officials push DPW on unplowed residential roads

Councilor Jared Evans, who grew up in Indianapolis, described the city’s response to recent snowstorms as “the worst that I’ve seen” at Thursday night’s meeting of the Public Works Committee.

He wasn’t alone. Officials representing districts throughout the city said their constituents were left frustrated and concerned after residential streets went unplowed in the aftermath of early January’s snowfall.

Indianapolis once hired private contractors to plow residential streets following 6 inches or more of snowfall. That rule was scrapped in 2020 in favor of a new policy requiring plows to clear busy connector streets. Officials totals from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis show parts of the city have received more than 15 inches of snowfall since Jan. 5.

The concerns were so abundant that the committee’s chair, Kristin Jones, invited leaders from the Department of Public Works (DPW) to address the issues.

Sam Beres, DPW interim director, delivered remarks for the committee alongside Natalie Van Dongen, deputy director of policy and planning.

Before taking questions, Beres and Van Dongen shared a presentation emphasizing crews’ relentless efforts to clear major thoroughfares and their connecting streets — a round-the-clock effort that’s so far required more than 13,000 overtime hours.

Despite a challenging battle against the snow, contractors weren’t brought in to help with residential streets. Beres said that the decision wasn’t based on financial constraints, instead citing concerns about property damage on narrow streets and the potential for further icing.

That explanation didn’t suffice for Councilor Brian Mowery.

“Now all of those neighborhoods are a sheet of ice anyway, because they didn’t get plowed, and they were driven on top of, and it just compacted the snow into ice,” Mowery said.

Councilors emphasized that they appreciated the efforts of the city’s crews — more than a dozen of whom were sitting in the audience — but they were unhappy with the department’s lack of any clear plan for the city’s residential street.

“You will see this council at least have a discussion — and a vote — on changing this policy,” Councilor Josh Bain said.

Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@gannett.com or (317) 800-2956.

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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis-area basketball players nominated for McDonald's All American Game

Published

19 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The annual McDonald’s All American Games are less than three months away.

The basketball showcase will take place on April 1 in Brooklyn, N.Y. inside the Barclays Center.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that 17 Indianapolis-area basketball players were nominated to play in the game.

The boys basketball players who were nominated are:

Alex Couto – Carmel High School
Justin Kirby – Fishers High School
Braylon Mullins – Greenfield-Central High School
Deric Cannady – Cathedral High School
Lebron Gough – Cathedral High School
Aidan Hughes – Cathedral High School
Brady Koehler – Cathedral High School
Lamose Waites – Cathedral High School
Azavier Robinson – Lawrence North High School
Maguire Mitchell – Zionsville Community High School
Drew Snively – Zionsville Community High School

The girls basketball players who were nominated are:

Aniah Smith – Avon High School
Avery Gordon – Brownsburg High School
Maya Makalusky – Hamilton Southeastern High School
Laila Abdurraqib – Lawrence Central High School
Jaylah Lampley – Lawrence Central High School
Meredith Tippner – Noblesville High School

“Players were nominated by a high school coach, athletic director, principal or member of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee based on competitive criteria,” according to a press release.

The “competitive criteria” can be found here.

The complete list of nominees can be found here.

The final roster of 48 players for the games will be unveiled later this month. The roster will consist of 24 girls and 24 boys.

An Indiana high school basketball star made the final roster for the 2024 McDonald’s All American Game. Kokomo’s Flory Bidunga, who was a five-star recruit, played for the West Team in the contest earlier this year.

The McDonald’s All American Girls Game will tip off at 6:30 p.m. EDT on April 1, with the boys game to immediately follow at approximately 9 p.m. The girls game will air on ESPN2, while the boys game will air on ESPN.

To purchase tickets to this year’s McDonald’s All American Games, click here.

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