Indianapolis, IN
Reimagined Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Reopens To The Public
The famed Marmon Wasp that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 is one … More
The celebrated history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 is on display in an impressive, reimagined and renovated Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
On Monday, March 31, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announced the completion of its $60.5 million, 17-month renovations – it’s first significant renovation in 40 years. After a few private viewings for benefactors and other VIPs, the famed Museum reopens to the public on Wednesday, April 2.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is schedule for 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on April 2 and will feature special speakers IMS Museum President Joe Hale and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske.
Other speakers include Indiana Governor Mike Braun, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, Mayor, Chuck Jones, IMS Museum Board Chair and Robert Dyson, IMS Museum Chair Emeritus.
The Museum had been closed to the public since November 2023 while undergoing a comprehensive transformation of its space and experiences.
About the only thing that resembles the Museum that opened in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1976 is the outer shell of the building. Everything else has been completely rebuilt and reimagined, connecting the incredible history of the world’s most famous and historic race to a boundless future.
The outside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
When the Museum reopens to the public on April 2, visitors will experience 40,000 square feet of additional space housing new immersive and dynamic experiences, including:
• Seven permanent and three rotating galleries.
• The lower level, an area previously restricted to only select tours.
• A new mezzanine dedicated to displaying non-vehicle artifacts, including:
ο A race suit from current IndyCar driver, and reigning champion, Alex Palou
ο The NASCAR Brickyard 400 trophy
ο A piece of the SAFER barrier to highlight safety innovations at the Speedway
• The “Starting Line Experience”, placing guests in an immersive video space showcasing the pageantry leading up to the start of the “500”.
• State-of-the art racing simulators allowing guests to try to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.
• A “pit stop challenge” for guests to learn the tools and equipment of the racing trade.
The new exhibits and experiences will bring to life the Museum’s vision to create a global destination that provides interactive, immersive and diverse Indianapolis 500 storytelling and educational experiences that can be enjoyed by guests of all ages.
“I’m thrilled to welcome guests back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after a massive renovation that finished on time and under budget. With the support of our campaign from Lilly Endowment Inc., the John H Holliday Family, Penske Foundation, Dyson Foundation, The Heritage Group and countless others, we have made the IMS Museum a cultural destination celebrating the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500,” said Joe Hale, IMS Museum President.
In the past, an impressive collection of race cars, mainly the winning cars from previous Indianapolis 500s, were on display in a static environment. When it opened in 1975, it was state of the art, but over the past 40 years, Museums have been redesigned and reimagined to help give the visitors a more interactive experience.
To achieve that, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum includes various galleries, each with a different theme.
The Heritage Group Gasoline Alley Gallery
Jim Clark’s famed Lotus Powered-by-Ford that he drove to the pole in the 1964 Indianapolis 500 … More
This exhibit allows visitors to literally stroll through history in The Heritage Group Gasoline Alley Gallery. The gallery features seven garages, representing different eras of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, that highlight the stories of each time-period through cars, decor, and immersive audio and visual elements.
Corresponding cases are on the opposite side featuring several artifacts on view for the first time, including the original 1909 Articles of Incorporation for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company and the bucket hat Janet Guthrie wore in 1978 when she finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500, generously donated by Guthrie.
Starting Line Experience
The Starting Line Experience helps guests in what it feels like to be at the starting line of the Indianapolis 500 by experiencing Race Day traditions with a seamless blend of cutting-edge technology, imagery, and show cars of the front-row drivers of the most recent “500”.
A seven-minute video will play on an 80-foot by 20-foot LED-screen that begins with the cannon firing and concludes with the green flag at the start of the race.
When the “Drivers, start your engines” command is given in the video, the show cars will roar to life.
The Front Row for the 108th Indianapolis 500 in 2024 featured in the “Starting Line Experience.”
The John H Holliday Family Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery
This gallery is featured on both levels of the Museum. The John H Holliday Family Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery celebrates the winning cars that have shaped Indianapolis Motor Speedway history. From the 1911 Marmon Wasp to Dan Wheldon’s 2011 William Rast Dallara, the cars are now displayed on platforms with improved lighting and signage, including hydraulic platforms along the wall at a 45-degree angle to allow people to look inside the driver seats.
The Borg-Warner Trophy is the focal point in the center of the space, with an updated display worthy of holding one of the most unique trophies in sports.
“Having had the cherished opportunity to create the images of Indianapolis 500 winning drivers for the Borg-Warner Trophy since 1990, I am deeply honored and grateful to see my work displayed in the beautifully renovated IMS Museum,” said sculptor William Behrends, who has crafted the face of each Indianapolis 500 winner since 1990.
The process of creating Josef Newgarden’s face on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
Also recognized in a special display case is the work of Julie Harman Vance, a florist from Yorktown, Indiana that makes the winner’s wreath for BorgWarner.
“I am honored to be part of the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum BorgWarner display,” Harman Vance said. “The fact that my years of making the winners wreath has become an amazing Hoosier tradition has brought me an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment.”
The gallery is located on two levels, with 17 winning “500” cars showcased on the main level and 12 on the lower level.
Indianapolis 500 winning cars featured in the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery
The Mezzanine
The Mezzanine, located above the Winners Gallery, focuses on the extensive artifacts in the Museum’s collection. This oval-shaped area, in honor of the Speedway’s iconic oval, allows more opportunities to tell the stories of IMS—from “500” traditions and fan experiences, to safety improvements and innovations in technology.
There will be multiple interactive kiosks, including ones dedicated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and a timeline of IMS’s history. This gallery also showcases the other motorsports the Speedway has hosted including stock cars, sports cars, motorcycles, and air racing.
Qualifying Zone
Through immersive hands-on activities like a pit stop challenge, driving simulators, a strategy challenge and more, guests can learn what it’s like to be a driver, strategist or pit crew member in the new Qualifying Zone.
This area of learning has something for guests of all ages—from a soft play area for the youngest fans to the dissected car display which goes into detail on the parts that make up an Indy Car.
Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Innovation Workshop
Adjacent to the Qualifying Zone is the Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation Innovation Workshop, a classroom space for the new education department to offer STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) hands-on experiences for K-12 students.
The classroom will be the home for field trips, summer camps, and presentations. Students will examine the concepts, challenges, and innovations that drive a successful racing team and participate in career exploration programs designed to promote job opportunities in the racing industry.
The Penske Gallery
The Penske Gallery is an interactive experience that chronicles the history of Team Penske, its team members, and the driving force behind the team, Roger Penske. The gallery features historic race cars, legendary trophies, unique artifacts, and displays honoring some of the most iconic and accomplished drivers in racing history.
The McLaren M16B that Mark Donohue drove to victory in the 1972 Indianapolis 500 — the first of … More
The Bobby Rahal Family Gallery (Featured Car Gallery)
The Bobby Rahal Family Gallery will host rotating featured exhibitions, with the theme changing every three to nine months. The lower-level gallery will open with a feature on “NASCAR at the Speedway”. Eight winning
Brickyard 400 cars will be showcased, including Jeff Gordon’s 1994 winner, Dale Earnhardt’s 1995 winner, and Jimmie Johnson’s 2006 winner.
Best of the Best: The Four-Time Winners (The Chip Ganassi Gallery)
Only four drivers have achieved the prestige of being a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. This rotating gallery highlights those legends: A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Rick Mears, and Helio Castroneves.
Each driver has one of their winning cars on display as well as a racing suit, helmet, and other relevant artifacts. This gallery will change every three to nine months and can be divided into two smaller modular exhibits to give the curatorial team flexibility and provide guests with a reason to visit time and time again.
The car that AJ Foyt drove to victory to become the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 … More
Track Lounge
The Track Lounge serves as the conclusion to the Museum, offering guests the opportunity to book a tour of the track.
While tours will depart from the lounge, it’s not just a place to board a bus—this space includes an interactive 3-D track map where guests can visually see the evolution of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1909 to present day, a photo car for souvenir pictures, and the “In the Race” video experience, where guests can see footage from the “500” projected on the walls as they walk down the hallway. A grab-and-go food and beverage stand for guests to fuel up completes the lounge.
New IMS Museum Features Accessibility Enhancements
One of the cornerstones of the renovation was ensuring accessibility so all guests felt included. New features include a wheelchair-friendly racing simulator controlled fully by the steering wheel instead of the pedals and a wellness room designed for anybody that needs a quiet, private space, from nursing mothers to those with sensory sensitivities.
The Museum is also working with Kulture City to become Sensory Inclusive™. Sensory bags can be checked out at the Welcome Center and include soundproof headphones, fidget toys, and glasses to reduce light.
Signage around the building will indicate “headphone areas” for those with sensitivities to noise.
The Stories Behind The Spectacle Capital Campaign Funds Reimagining of Museum
In 2023, the IMS Museum launched an $89 million capital campaign, The Stories Behind the Spectacle, to fund the Museum’s transformation.
Of that $89 million, $64 was earmarked for the complete transformation of the interior of the Museum building. The Museum has surpassed its phase one goal, having raised $69 million to date. With the Museum renovation completed at less than initially estimated, the remaining funds are now a part of the second phase of the campaign, which includes a new off-site restoration facility.
Community Programs And Benefits Now Offered By The IMS Museum
As a public, non-profit organization separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the IMS Museum admission revenue helps cover operating costs, provide students nationwide with free or reduced educational programming, and allows the IMS Museum to offer a variety of community programs and benefits, including Access Pass, free Community Days, Blue Star Program for active military and others.
Special Events Mark The Grand Reopening Of The IMS Museum
On April 1, IMS Museum members and donors received an exclusive preview of the new space at an invitation-only event. Then on Wednesday, April 2, the IMS Museum will celebrate with community leaders, donors and members with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by the official reopening of the Museum.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum represents more than a century of motorsports history and is driven by its mission to celebrate and preserve the history behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500.
Since 1956 when the IMS Museum first opened in the old ticket office building outside Turn 1, it has brought to life the innovation, thrill, and cultural significance of motor racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
What began with only 12 cars on display has become one of the world’s premier collections of racing automobiles and artifacts – with more than 55,000 artifacts and over 150 vehicles.
More Facts On The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
• Established in 1956
• Current building opened in 1976
• 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• 40,000 square feet of exhibit space added with the renovation
• 55,000+ artifacts in the Museum collection
• 150+ vehicles in the Museum collection
• 140,000+ visitors annually
• 1,500 square foot STEAM classroom
• Final cost of the renovation came in at $60.5 million—under budget, and on time.
o $64 million was earmarked from the capital campaign for the renovation
Fun Facts
• There are 33 lights in the entryway rotunda, representing the 33 drivers in the Indianapolis 500.
• The green paint in the Gasoline Alley Gallery was matched to the original green used in the actual Gasoline Alley.
• The banking in the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery on the lower level matches the banking of the four turns on the IMS oval: 9 degrees, 12 minutes (9.2°)
• The cutout in the Mezzanine that overlooks the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery is designed to resemble the IMS oval.
• The simulator steering wheels were modeled after Scott Dixon’s steering wheel.
• The dissected car in the Qualifying Zone was completely assembled by the Museum’s restoration team over a three-month period with real parts donated from teams and manufacturers. It weighs roughly 1,000 pounds.
• Real IMS “Yellow Shirt” staff were used in the video telling guests to “wait” before the Starting Line Experience.
• Shiel Sexton installed more than 14,200 linear feet of new piping—a little more than the track length.
• Excluding Museum staff, more than 180 team members from architects to fabricators to construction staff brought this project together over 164,000 work hours.
Renovation Timeline
February 2023: Project kickoff. Shiel Sexton, Schmidt Associates, and JRA are chosen as construction, architecture, and design firms.
July 2023: The IMS Museum’s $89 million capital campaign, The Stories Behind the Spectacle, launches with 51 percent of funds raised, including a $20 million grant from The Lilly Endowment.
September 2023: The Museum’s historic collection of 150+ vintage automobiles are moved from the basement into storage.
November 2023: The IMS Museum closes to the public for a 17-month reimagining and comprehensive renovation.
February 2024: Demolition of the interior is completed.
April 2024: Exterior refresh of the IMS Museum building is completed.
April 2024: The new Mezzanine level is installed, and the skylight is removed from the old Atrium area.
November 2024: The Gasoline Alley Gallery theming and buildout begins.
December 2024: Installation of the Starting Line Screen begins.
January 2025: The dissected car, located in the Qualifying Zone, is the first vehicle to be moved into the Museum.
February 2025: The Museum’s extensive collection of artifacts and vehicles are moved out of storage.
March 2025: Museum cars and artifacts are placed into their relevant exhibit spaces.
April 2025: The IMS Museum reopens to the public with 40,000 square feet of additional exhibit space.
Key Donors of The Stories Behind the Spectacle Capital Campaign
$5 Million And Above
John H Holliday Family, The Dyson Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., G. Marlyne Sexton, The Heritage Group, Penske Foundation.
$1 Million – $4,999,999
Linda and Mike Curb, Robert R. Dyson, The Bobby Rahal Family, Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Scott and Sandi Borchetta.
$500,000 – $999,999
Susan & David Roberts, A. Dano Davis, Hulman & Company Foundation, The Gordon Family, Thomas and Sharon Malloy.
$100,000 – $499,999
Bill Simpson Foundation, Dorsey Foundation, Jenny and Bob Hillis, Mr. and Mrs. James H. Voyles Jr., Melissa A. Caito, The William Loadvine Family, Lynn and Preston Root, Shiel Sexton Company, Inc., Hubbard Family Foundation, French-Pheffer Family, The McGuire Family, Carol and Stephen Hatfield, Duncan and Renea Dayton, The MacAllister Family, R.B. Annis Educational Foundation, Anne and David Shane, Linda and Jeff Congdon, Shelly and Jim Shook, Team Penske, Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Associates and the Wayne Schmidt Family, Miller-Eads
$50,000 – $99,999
Timothy J. Cindric Family, Josie George, Laura and Tony George, Thomas and Barbara Beeler, Cheryl and Thomas VanParis, Cheri and Mitch Daniels, Karen and Mike Long, Shiel Sexton Foundation, Inc., Judy and Jim Singleton, Sue and Mike Smith, Cindy and Doug Kizer, The Wurster Family, Michael Fux and Gloria Rubin, Lila and Steve Huse, RJE Interiors, Susan and Bill Tolbert, Xtrac, Ilmor Engineering, Inc., INDYCAR, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bruce R. McCaw Family Foundation, Dallara, Indy Racing Experience.
The Indianapolis-based Shiel Sexton Construction oversaw the construction phase of the revamped Museum.
“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum started with a vision to transform an already iconic venue into an immersive experience that tells the stories of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing from the very beginning to present day,” said Mike Dilts, Chairman, Shiel Sexton Construction. “It was an honor for Shiel Sexton, along with our incredible design and trade partners, to bring these concepts to reality and maintain the rich history of the Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway for generations to come.”
Indianapolis architecture firm Schmidt Associates handled the architectural process.
“The IMS Museum renovation is all about creating a more immersive, accessible, and engaging experience for Visitors,” said COO Kevin D. Shelley, AIA, LEED, AP of Schmidt Associates. “Through thoughtful updates, the space now better connects guests to the history of racing while incorporating modern design and sustainability for the future.”
JRA, part of RWS Global, handled the Design and Creative Development.
“It has been an immense privilege to conceptualize, design and develop the reimagined Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum,” says Tony Schmidt, Director, Creative Design, RWS Global. “The new galleries, exhibitions and interactive displays are engaging, immersive and filled with artifacts and digital experiences that will exceed visitor expectations.”
Winning cars throughout the history of the Indianapolis 500 flanking the famed Borg-Warner Trophy.
Local clergy hold press conference on Martindale Brightwood data center
Local clergy hold a press conference before a Metropolitan Development Commission vote on a Martindale Brightwood data center at the City-County Building on April 1, 2026.
Martindale-Brightwood neighbors and an environmental advocacy group are suing to stall a city-approved data center plan in the historically Black community.
Several residents and the Hoosier Environmental Council have asked a judge to review the city’s approval of zoning variances for a data center development in Martindale-Brightwood, on Indy’s northeast side. Neighbors are seeking to stop construction of two large facilities that would store computer equipment at the site of a former drive-in theater near homes and a library.
The May 1 lawsuit argues the Metropolitan Development Commission — the city entity that oversees land-use decisions — failed to adequately consider the harm a data center could do to the environment, public health and quality of life in its April 1 approval of multiple zoning variances. Those variances allowed for 70-foot-tall buildings and other changes to parking requirements and building setbacks.
Critics have argued more broadly that the data center would bring excessive noise and pollution to a site with prior industrial contamination, while creating relatively few permanent jobs in a neighborhood that’s long struggled with poverty.
“[R]esidents have made their position clear: after decades of industrial pollution, they will no longer accept patterns of environmental racism that has plagued their community for decades,” HEC Executive Director Sam Carpenter told IndyStar in a May 11 statement. “This legal challenge reflects a unified effort by residents and HEC to protect the health, rights, and future of Martindale Brightwood.”
The city’s Office of Corporation Counsel declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying it does not comment on pending litigation “out of respect for the judicial process.” An attorney representing Metrobloks, the data center developer, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The lawsuit by Martindale-Brightwood neighbors follows a similar legal challenge by Decatur Township residents in April, asking a judge to review the city’s approval of a $4 billion hyperscale data center campus on 130 acres on the far southwest side.
Data center plans move forward with district councilor’s support
Metrobloks, a Los Angeles-based startup, plans to build a $500 million data center campus at a 14-acre site near the intersection of 25th Street and North Sherman Drive. The buildings would span roughly 168,000 square feet and include 36 electrical generators. AES Indiana would supply power to the 75-megawatt center.
The Indianapolis City-County Council rubber-stamped the MDC’s zoning decision on May 4 after Councilor Ron Gibson, who represents Martindale-Brightwood, declined to call the plan down for a vote by all 25 councilors.
Gibson said he supports the data center because it will bring millions in investment to an underused site and create long-term tax revenue to improve city infrastructure. He stood by his stance after a shooting at his home in early April, during which someone tucked a sign reading “NO DATA CENTERS” under his doormat.
The council passed a symbolic resolution May 4 urging a pause on data center development until the city passes zoning reforms to regulate the energy-intensive facilities, which could happen as soon as July. Companies such as Metrobloks that have already filed plans to build data centers would not be required to follow the new rules.
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
As Indiana Sen. Andrea Hunley prepares to run for Indianapolis mayor next year, she aims to set herself apart by drawing on more than 15 years of experience as an educator and principal.
In an exclusive interview with IndyStar ahead of her May 8 launch party, Hunley says she learned to build community face-to-face with parents, teachers and their children while also making tough decisions at the top. While her main opponent in the mayor’s race has spent more than a decade navigating city government, Hunley said she’ll bring that grassroots mindset to the mayor’s office.
About a year ahead of the May 2027 mayoral primary, Hunley, 42, sat down with IndyStar to discuss what she hopes to accomplish as mayor and how she thinks about hot-button issues like education, public safety and data centers.
At this point, Hunley will face longtime Indianapolis City-County Councilor Vop Osili and Department of Public Works administrator David Bride. Both candidates will also be invited for sit-down interviews with IndyStar in the coming weeks.
Hunley’s responses have been edited for clarity, brevity, length and style. Watch her full interview above.
After a career as an Indianapolis Public Schools principal and a public school teacher, you were elected to the Indiana Senate in 2022. What do you want to accomplish as mayor that’s leading you to step down after one term?
I loved my time in education, being a teacher and being a principal, and that’s where I spent the bulk of my career, two decades. And then going into the Senate, I never intended the Senate to become a career. I wanted to be elected, to work for the people, to do the work. And I think that running for mayor is just an extension of that.
I’m really excited to get to work more closely with the community, more closely with neighborhoods, and more closely with our business leaders, and then of course with our education leaders as well.
What are a few ways in which you’d aim to change or reshape the city as mayor? What do you envision?
I love that question because, really, this campaign and the reason why I’m running for mayor, it’s not because of my vision for the city, but it’s because of our collective vision for the city. I want this to be an opportunity for everyone to have a seat at the table to help write this next chapter together. That’s the key: that we want our pastors and our neighborhood advocates and our business leaders and artists and our hospitality folks, and, of course, anyone who has felt like they’ve never had a seat at the table, to all come together to create this vision.
That’s going to be, I think, what is different about this campaign, because I don’t know it all. And I shouldn’t pretend to know what everyone in the community needs. That’s not the role of government. The role of government is to serve, is to ask folks what they need, and then make sure that we are using their resources wisely to better their lives.
You’re outlining a difference in approach for how you’ll try to work with the neighborhoods. Could you just share more about the methods for achieving that and the outcomes that you hope it would support?
When I think about what Indy will look like a decade from now, we have opportunities to be really bold, to be really big. We could be a river city. We could be the women’s sports capital. We would have really strong schools in every single neighborhood. And we could be a place where everyone’s got an opportunity to thrive. We know that we could go really big and really bold.
We also have to handle the basics. We’ve got to fix the potholes. We’ve got to make sure that all of our neighborhoods are invested in. We’ve got to make sure that we’re taking care of our housing challenges. And we’ve got to make sure that we are taking care of our challenges with our young people who feel like they don’t have a lot of opportunities.
But we have people who’ve been doing that work. We have people who have been working in the community. We have people working towards the river plan. We have people working towards building out our opportunities for sports for women and girls. We just need to make sure that it’s cohesive and that we’ve got a shared vision and a shared focus and that we’re marching towards that.
Your main opponent at this stage, City-County Councilor Vop Osili, he has more than a decade of experience navigating city government. What about your professional and personal experience sets you apart from that level of experience?
I am so blessed to have worked in a school setting and to have learned leadership in a school building, and not in a conference room or in a campaign office. I think that that’s the piece that sets me apart.
I’ll be frank that running a business, running a school building where you’re serving staff and hundreds of families and students every single day, where I was responsible for a multi-million dollar budget for 11 years, and every decision rested with me. If I got it wrong for kids or for families, the buck stopped with me. It was on me to fix it. That’s a lot of responsibility. That’s a lot of weight.
I think that that’s the type of experience, really, that we need in a city leader: someone who knows what it means to work with families every day, who knows what it means to partner with community, and who knows what it means to own the hard stuff.
(Story continues below photo gallery.)
Talking about your experience as an educator, as a principal, you voted yes to the bill creating the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, which in turn led to the formation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation. You voted against IPEC, [which is overseen by a nine-member board of mayoral appointees that strips some powers from the elected IPS school board].
What has gone wrong there in that effort to reshape public education, and what should change about this new entity?
When I think about school choice, wouldn’t it be amazing if when we said school choice, the obvious choice was staying in Indianapolis?
We have to grow our base of folks, we have to expand our population, and we’ve got to make sure that we have a talented workforce and that people want to live, work, play, and stay here. The only way we’re going to be able to do that is if we have really strong communities, and strong communities start with strong schools. So we have to make sure that we are really leveraging all of the resources that we have to make sure our schools are strong.
I did support the creation of the Local Education Alliance. What that was about is about creating an opportunity for the community to have voice, for the community to have say, and for decision-making to be local. We didn’t need the Statehouse telling us how to run education here in Indianapolis.
And yet, at the end, that’s essentially what happened with the IPEC board, the new board, that is [under] mayoral control, but still is the Statehouse saying, “This is the way you’re going to do things.” I think that what’s gone wrong is that we’ve taken control away from our community. We’ve taken control away from the voters, to really have a say in who their elected representatives are that represent them on the school board. And we will never, ever be able to have true representation if we don’t allow the people to have a vote.
As mayor, is it something you’d be advocating for at the Statehouse to perhaps reverse this new municipal corporation? Or do you think at this point you just have to to roll with it and go with the appointees?
I think at the end of the day, my North Star will always be what’s best for the people of Indianapolis, what is best for our city, what’s best for our community. And we’ve got to look at what’s going to get us to a strong and stable school system in Indianapolis Public Schools.
What we have to know, too, about the IPEC is that there are 11 school districts in Marion County. That IPEC board controls one of them, [IPS]. We need to make sure that in the mayor’s office, we don’t lose sight of the fact that we have public schools across the entire county that we’re responsible for. And so I think it’s going to be stepping back and taking that holistic approach of how are we serving every single kid?
Shifting gears, a big priority of the current administration has been budgeting for more than 1,700 police officers. But the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department remains hundreds short of that number. When you consider public safety, is bulking up the police force a main priority for you, or are there alternatives in which you’d look to invest more money?
We have to make sure that we are investing in our communities. That’s the key, is making sure that there’s economic opportunity in every community, that there’s opportunity to build generational wealth, that there’s opportunity for education.
Just a dose of prevention is worth an ounce of cure. I think that believing that we’re going to police our way or enforce our way out of our challenges is a fallacy. So we have to make sure that we’re focused on prevention, but we can do both things.
We’ve got great, great groups around the city that are doing this: Our Indy Peacekeepers and VOICES, and the list goes on and on. There are great groups that are already working on that prevention side, and we need to make sure that we’re really doubling down on those efforts. We have community, our community-led task force that we have working on all of this, as well as partnerships for mental health supports. I think all of those things are really good, and we need to make sure that we’re investing in that.
Because, I’ll tell you, the job of an officer is a challenge, and it’s no wonder that recruitment is hard. We can’t put everything on their plate. They can’t be the social workers and the pastors and the counselors. They can’t do all of those things. So we need to make sure that as a community, we’re investing in the other portion of it.
On this issue, public safety is something that Statehouse Republicans are often targeting and criticizing Indianapolis for. You’ve been a Statehouse Democrat, seen it from the inside. How do you think that will shape the way you would lead as mayor in your interactions with the Statehouse?
It’s been a challenge to be at the Statehouse in the minority, but it’s also been an incredible blessing because I’ve been able to form relationships with my colleagues there. I’ve been able to really understand where they’re coming from and also figure out where we have alignment.
I do think that I’ve got many folks in the Statehouse that are a phone call away who are eager to see Indianapolis thrive, who are eager to partner with a mayor to see Indianapolis thrive. Because at the end of the day, this city controls 30% of our state’s GDP. Our state thrives when Indianapolis thrives. And my colleagues, no matter what county they’re from, understand that.
Thinking about campaign financing, how do you think you would approach raising enough money to combat some of the large corporate checks that have gone to Mayor Hogsett traditionally, or in his absence could go to Councilor Osili. What’s your approach there in campaigning?
We are running a people-powered campaign. At the end of the day, it’s a people-powered campaign. We’ve got a big goal as part of our launch to make sure that we are engaging a lot of people and also hit a single-day record for the largest number of donations. That really is about making sure that folks know that this is a partnership, that this isn’t just my race, this is our race. I want them to join me in this.
I think that that’s just a different approach. I do have partners in the business community who I expect to write checks that have commas in them, because they can. I also know that my neighbors are going to be the bulk of my donors. Those neighbors that can drop in $5 or $10 or $20 because they believe in what’s possible. I would be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t worried about dollars. Campaigns run on dollars. At the same time, I also know that campaigns run with heart and they run with a lot of volunteers as well, and we’ve got that in abundance.
Something you’ve mentioned before is that it’s not your “why” to be the first woman mayor, the first Black mayor, but both of those things would be significant achievements that haven’t happened in Indianapolis. How do you hope that they would shape the way you led and change the perspective at the top of the city?
I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to possibly be a first for Indy. At the same time, I don’t want to be the last. It’s my responsibility to lift as I climb. That is what my ancestors have done. That is what other women in the community have done for me, and I want to be able to do that exact same thing.
I also know that there’s a certain weight that is always, always on the shoulders of Black women, and it just is. That’s something that I’ve lived with my whole life, and that I know won’t be different right now. But I also know there’s something magical about us as Black women, that we make coalitions, we build them, and we shake up stagnant systems, and we hold folks accountable and say the hard things. And we also bring a little joy and fun. I’m excited about, showing our city what’s possible when you have that special mix.
If you look across our state right now, here in the state of Indiana, we are at a historic moment for Black mayors. We are at a historic moment for Black women mayors. We’ve got Black female mayors in Michigan City, in Fort Wayne, in Evansville, and Lawrence, right here in our backyard. While it might be historic for Indy, it’s not historic for Indiana.
I want to mention a few more policy issues that are hot button issues at the moment. I’ll start with data center developments. A lot of neighbors are upset about the prospect of these going near residential areas and creating limited jobs. What do you see as the role of data centers in the development of the city going forward?
I think the question is: What do we see as the role of city government in making sure that economic growth is inclusive? How do we make sure that any new businesses, new corporations, new entities that are coming to our city are truly creating a community benefit? We’ve got to weigh that out.
Right now, what we’re not seeing is a strategic vision. We’re not seeing a plan. We’re not seeing standards that have been set out by the city. We have to know what the end goal is so that we can then determine whether or not something is good for our community or not.
What’s the impact going to be on the environment? What’s the impact going to be on the neighborhoods? What’s the impact going to be on noise and pollution? What’s the impact going to be on jobs?
Because I’ll tell you, one of the data centers that’s coming into my Senate district in the middle of [the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood] is going to provide, they said, maybe 10 jobs once the building is up and standing. We have to weigh out if that is worth all of the costs to the community.
Editor’s note: Metrobloks representatives say they expect the data center in Martindale-Brightwood to create closer to 45 permanent “high-skilled” jobs.
Should there be a moratorium to prevent more advancement until some regulations are in place?
I would support a moratorium to create a plan, a moratorium to slow us down, to really make sure that we’re looking at the entire landscape. There are other mayors, there are other city governments in Indiana who are doing this well. There are other folks who are saying, ‘OK, hold on, we need to look at what the impact is going to be on our energy costs. Can our grid handle this? How is this going to impact our electric bills?’ That’s not happening here.
Speaking of electric bills, what are some ways that you see the city could help with the rising cost of living and affordability issues?
Listen, it’s getting harder and harder right now. As I’m talking to folks, everybody feels broke. Because gas prices are high, you can’t afford your car note, and these utility bills and rents are going up. Half of folks in Marion County are renters. And so we also know that that’s an impact that we have there as well.
One of the long-term fixes is actually getting an affordable housing plan in place. We can expedite the zoning and approvals processes. Everything that we do that slows down the ability for developers to build that kind of “missing middle” housing costs more money in the end for the consumers, for us, every time we slow it down, every time we put in one more hurdle. There are ways that we can streamline, that we can make sure those processes don’t take three, four, five years because they shouldn’t.
On the short-term side, the city can also do more and do better to make sure that we’re partnering to prevent people from getting evicted in the first place. We’ve just eliminated some of our eviction prevention programs, which is really problematic. And we need to make sure that folks have that.
We also need to look at what’s happening in each of our townships. Depending on which court you go to, you get a different response. It costs different amounts. We need to make sure that we have a set of standards for what it means to support our Hoosier residents to make life just a little bit easier, a little bit more affordable and a little more stable.
You’ve said before that you bike to work. So I want to ask about Vision Zero, [the city’s plan to eliminate traffic-related deaths by 2035]. Some people feel like the policy is moving in the right direction, but not fast enough. If you get into office, will you accelerate that?
Policies, vision plans, all of those things can’t just be in a binder on a shelf. These are living, breathing opportunities for us to engage, for us to move forward, and for us to be in alignment on what the goals should be. They shouldn’t just be set and forgotten.
I love to bike. I love to walk. I walked here today and then I was late, so sorry about that. And riding IndyGo as well, I’ve got my MyKey pass on my phone, on my app. I love all of the opportunities that we have to build in exercise, to build in community on our way moving to where we’re going.
We’ve got to make sure that our streets are safe. And some of the efforts that have been put in place were well-intentioned but poorly designed: those strips of green on the street, where then someone’s going to make a right turn and they have to cross over and then they don’t look back.
There are things that we can be doing, that we should be doing, but it’s not about one plan. It’s about all of us as a community saying this is what’s important. It’s about prioritizing in in the budget, and it’s about making sure that everybody who’s on staff understands that that’s a priority as well.
My last question is, what do you think this election is ultimately about? What’s the story you want voters to take away from your campaign in the coming months?
This is about us. It’s about us looking at what’s possible. It’s about us looking at what’s next for our city. It’s about us coming together to say, we can partner, we can do more, we can do better because I don’t believe that this is as good as it gets. I think that Indy’s best days are ahead of us. I think that we need the momentum and the bold leadership to get there. And so it’s ultimately about whether or not people are ready to write a new chapter.
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — 45 employees and guests were forced to evacuate Sullivan’s Steakhouse on East 86th Street late Saturday night, which is right next to The Fashion Mall at Keystone.
According to a social media post from the Indianapolis Fire Department, just after 10 p.m., a fire broke out inside the kitchen exhaust hood system and spread to the roof.
Multiple 911 callers reported flames on the roof and the fire was marked as working while IFD crews were en route.
Firefighters say the aggressive fire was under control in 26 minutes.
Thankfully, no was one injured.
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