Indianapolis homeless population shows 6 percent decrease in latest count
The decrease was taken as a positive sign by city leaders who are trying to increase efforts to provide more people with permanent housing.
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Council votes to allow city to spend $1.2M to replace some Vision Fleet vehicles
The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday passed a proposal 22-1 after no discussion that allows the city’s former Department of Business and Neighborhood Services to transfer $1.2 million to buy 50 replacement vehicles.
Hogsett, IPL switch first streetlight to LED technology
About 27,000 city-funded streetlights will be updated with the more energy-efficient, light-emitting diodes through spring 2021.
City releases data trove on abandoned, blighted homes initiative
The “2,000 homes” dashboard—named after a pledge by Mayor Joe Hogsett to “rehab, transform, or demolish” 2,000 homes in two years— allows residents to see addresses of blighted homes, their owners, and the type of city intervention they have received or will receive.
Mayor Fadness seeks to bring farm experience to Fishers
The city of Fishers is partnering with Greenfield-based, not-for-profit Brandywine Creek Farms to open a 40-acre urban farm called Fishers Agripark.
Hogsett plans to boost spending on repairing, maintaining city streets
In his annual state of the city address Monday night, Mayor Joe Hogsett will announce plans to beef up the city’s street maintenance crew by dozens of workers and to use a program that leverages private investment to pay for 15 infrastructure projects.
Hogsett explores shopping City-County Building, other downtown properties
Indianapolis officials have triggered a wide-scale review of the need for big municipal buildings downtown. Real estate executives are intrigued by the 28-story City-County Building’s potential for private redevelopment.
Integrating criminal justice center is key to lifting Twin Aire neighborhood
Ensuring the $572 million criminal justice center connects with the surrounding neighborhood and doesn’t sit isolated presents a big challenge for project planners and community leaders.
Proposed $15M rehab promises offices, vast rec center on Mass Ave industrial corridor
Stenz Construction Corp. is seeking a city tax break to help offset costs for reclaiming a ramshackle set of buildings and creating fitness facilities, climbing walls, and office and restaurant space, among other features.
Huge surpluses have dried up for downtown tax increment financing district
Tens of millions in spending, along with unforeseen events, have drained the TIF’s unrestricted cash balance—money left to fund extra projects after covering debt and reserves.
Nora, developer reach settlement on controversial development
The settlement will allow developer Green Indy LLC to build a revised version of the so-called Alexander at the Crossing project that was initially denied by the Metropolitan Development Commission last year.
Council votes to prohibit new jail from being privatized
The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday night approved an ordinance that restricts the city’s new jail and criminal justice center from being run by a private operator once it eventually opens.
Council panel OKs $9.5M in loans to help Central State, Monon 16 neighborhoods
The projects are coming up now because the city has six months left to take advantage of more than $30 million in a federal loan guarantee program that it was awarded in 2012 by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department.
City rushes to use $3M to raze abandoned houses
The Hogsett administration is racing against an end-of-year deadline to tear down blighted homes with $3 million it has remaining from a federal grant awarded in 2014 to tackle the problem.
Fishers renews $240K deal with Senate candidate’s wife
Unlike many government contract attorneys who are paid by the hour or project, Jennifer Messer receives the same $20,000 monthly check from Fishers regardless of how much she works.
Hogsett proposes ‘cap and trade’ system allowing electronic billboards
Under the proposal, sign owners could convert existing billboards to electronic ones, as long as twice that amount of signage space is removed from the city’s urban core.
Indy council member: Amazon bidding war is ‘race to the bottom’
An Indianapolis City-County Council member has signed onto a pact with two other council members from the cities of New York and Austin, Texas, to oppose the “tax-break bidding war that Amazon has begun” in pursuit of its second headquarters.
Tech firm donates $50K for Hogsett’s youth employment project
The donation is the largest single gift in Project Indy’s short history. Last summer, the initiative spearheaded by Mayor Joe Hogsett supported about 2,000 teens and young adults in summer jobs.
Council proposes panel to study county road-funding needs
The announcement follows a unanimous City-County Council vote to approve $14.5 million in emergency funding to address potholes.
Hogsett retools tactics on commuter tax
Mayor Joe Hogsett hopes to convince legislators that other Indiana cities, not just Indianapolis, could benefit from a non-resident income tax or the redistribution of income tax revenue.