This neighborhood has taken the initiative to invest in human capital and to reclaim abandoned spaces like the Mallory campus with a vision for a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood welcoming residents and visitors alike.
Just east of downtown Indianapolis is an area centered at the intersection of East Washington and Oxford streets. The residents there are the doers, the innovators, the community looking to once again spark the city with their ingenuity, intellect, and uplifting spirit. Englewood Village’s Great Place designation is helping increase the sense of community and inspiration as the area looks to become an established place of sustainability and innovation.
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Prior to the Great Places initiative, Englewood Village was characterized by an increasing population after a steep decline over the previous decade, high rates of residents without a high school diploma, low median household incomes, and high vacancy rates. Englewood Village is comprised of a majority-white population, although in recent years it has seen a decline in their proportion of white residents (from 57 percent in 2015 to 51 percent in 2018), and an increase in their proportion of Black residents (from 18 to 21 percent).
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Like much of the Near Eastside, the spirit of Englewood Village community exists because of its strong sense of history combined with a dedication to community development. As part of the city-wide Great Places 2020 initiative, Englewood Village has completed a strategic planning process that identifies goals and strategies in four areas: Livability, Opportunity, Vitality and Education.
Livability Goals
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Make walking, biking, and public transit the preferred option
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Create public spaces that are unique, lively, and authentic
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Expand existing and develop new recreation, public health, and sustainability opportunities
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Provide crime prevention education and safety efforts
Opportunity Goals
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Create mixed-use, walkable developments at key commercial areas
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Promote food production as economic development
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Effectively market existing, but hidden, industrial and commercial assets
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Assist entrepreneurs and small business owners in local investments
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Increase employment density and encourage larger businesses with employment opportunities to locate here in legacy industrial properties
Vitality Goals
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Provide a variety of housing types and fi nancing mechanisms
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Increase local control of concentrated vacant property areas
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Retain existing residents with homeowner and rental repair funds and programs
Education Goals
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Convene an Early Childhood Taskforce to increase high-quality early childhood education
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Develop a local, neighborhood school and excellent K-8 education resources
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Provide education opportunities for vulnerable youth
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Connect adults to education and job training options in the community
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Pursue opportunities with higher education providers and local partners
PROGRESS:
Eighty-seven strategies were identified to achieve the LOVE goals in Englewood Village, and progress on these strategies was recorded by the neighborhood coordinator. After four years, 86 percent of the strategies to achieve LOVE goals in Englewood Village were either recorded as completed or in progress, while 14% had either no action or had been put on hold.
Livability
Health and/or recreational facilities improved: 4
Projects within 1 block of projected transit corridors: 20
Greenspace improvements: 36
Connectivity improvements: 14
Cultural/creative placemaking events: 3118
People impacted by food initiatives: 550
Public safety and community partnerships: 19
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Opportunity:
Brownfields tested or remediated: 29
New jobs created: 110
Small businesses assisted: 106
Commercial square footage improved: 502,526
Vitality:
Housing units new or improved for rent: 110
Housing units new or improved for sale: 20
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Education:
Educational programs and facilities assisted: 36
SUCCESS STORIES:
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The long-vacant PR Mallory Campus site is now home to Paramount School of Excellence and Purdue Polytechnic, creating educational and employment opportunities for neighbors, and is once again a valuable asset for the Near Eastside community.
Neighboring properties Parker Place, 39 units serving seniors from vulnerable populations, and Oxford Senior Apartments, a 30-unit net-positive energy development, help address the need for affordable housing while bringing state-of-the-art facilities to the Near Eastside.
The Nature Playspace and Community Garden is a wonderful neighborhood asset and features dozens of trees, 12 raised garden beds, a sandbox, picnic shelter, several murals and compost bins. The space provides a nature learning environment to students of DayStar Childcare.
Residents and visitors can stroll down Washington Street and sample the tamale-focused Tlaolli and visit the print shop and artist cooperative, Cat Head Press.
The East Washington Branch Library opened its doors in 1910 as one of the original Carnegie libraries in Indianapolis. The branch was completely renovated in 2016, bringing a century-old building into the 21st century.
The neighborhood is also home to Uplift Produce, an indoor farm that utilizes a multi-tiered agricultural system and climate-controlled environment to produce a high and predictable yield of year-round fresh, organic produce.
201 Studios is an exciting redevelopment of a 100-year-old factory on the near East side. The transformed 60,000 square foot
building is now home to small and medium studios hosting an eclectic group of talented artists and makers, including painters, print-makers, woodworkers and more.
Englewood Village is also home to Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School, formerly IPS School #15. After years of planning by a neighborhood
taskforce, a unique partnership with IPS paved the way to convert this school to an Innovation Network School.
Making the corridor more pedestrian-friendly by providing more generous sidewalks, and adding crosswalks like this one at the intersection of Washington and Parker, has helped create the character of an urban village.
PHOTOS:
CONTACT:
Interested in getting involved in the efforts of this Great Place? Contact Abigail Lane.
Interested in what is going on in Englewood Village? Subscribe to our newsletter to get more in-depth up-to-date info and stories.
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