Midtown Indy is set to close January 26 on the acquisition of the vacant former gas station site at 4556 N. College Ave. In response to community requests to gain site control of this important parcel on the Red Line BRT corridor, Midtown Indy sought and received support from the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP) and the City of Indianapolis.
INHP has agreed to loan 90% of the funds to purchase the property. On Jan. 5, the Metropolitan Development Commission unanimously approved a resolution put forth by the Department of Metropolitan Development to allow it to provide interest-only payments for the INHP loan in an amount not to exceed $250,000.
On January 9, Midtown Indy hosted a Zoom call with interested adjacent property owners from the Oliver Johnson’s Woods neighborhood that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Midtown Indy executive director Michael McKillip assured attendees that there is no predetermined vision for the site which is zoned C-3, has significant environmental issues, and has been owned by an out-of-state corporation for many years.
“We don’t believe the highest and best use is just a repeat of what’s across the street,” he said. “We believe it can be something more but we won’t know what that is until we complete environmental testing.” McKillip said the organization is committed to transparency and outreach. “We’re not a for-profit developer,” he said. “Our goal is to get it done right, not quickly. We work on obsolete, challenged property in Midtown; sometimes directly, sometimes with partners.” McKillip added, “We have instruction from the City, namely that the parcels are part of the Transit Oriented Development overlay adopted last year. We have to explore those things and understand what this site can support.”
McKillip offered to host regular Zoom updates every 90 days or so, in order to keep neighbors informed. “We have a track record of being transparent,” he said. If you would like to be notified about future Zoom meetings about the parcels, email info@midtownindy.org
