3/7/2006
Media Contact:
Justin Ohlemiller, [317] 327-6709 |
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Mayor, community celebrate revitalization of longtime neighborhood eyesore on city’s Southside
Vacant factory site was haven for blight and crime in the Garfield Park area
INDIANAPOLIS - Nearly one-hour after making neighborhood revitalization a cornerstone of his State of the City address, Mayor Bart Peterson and Southside residents celebrated the redevelopment of a longtime community eyesore.
Mayor Peterson joined community leaders and developers in cutting the ribbon on Pleasant Springs apartments, a new affordable housing community developed on the site of the former Bemis Bag factory. The site became a scourge on local neighborhoods after the factory’s closure in the early 1980’s.
Pleasant Springs features 78 new housing units, including 14 townhomes and 64 garden apartments, all of which are targeted for low income households. The $5.6 million redevelopment effort was led by Charles Davis and Brad Davis in partnership with the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana.
"When it comes to revitalizing and lifting-up our neighborhoods, there may be no better story than the one we are telling here today at Pleasant Springs," said Mayor Peterson. "Through the vision, hard work and determination of the Davises and all of the partners, this formerly troubled site is now home to a strong residential community and a catalyst for future investment in the area."
The Bemis Bag factory site became a haven for blight for several years, putting a serious strain on nearby neighborhoods. In the mid-1990’s, a fire torched the property destroying any hope of salvaging the buildings for redevelopment. The city razed most of the remaining buildings in 1994.
Local resident Mike McCormick, who rode his bike and walked by the property nearly everyday at the height of its dilapidation, called the Bemis site a "complete mess." Today, McCormick says his strolls by the site evoke a sense of pride in his community. He calls Pleasant Springs "a great example" of what can be accomplished through public/private a partnerships.
The City of Indianapolis provided more than $668,000 in incentives and grant funding to support the revitalization effort. Other partners included Great Lake Capital Partners, First Indiana Bank, and the state’s Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
For more information on Pleasant Springs apartments, which is managed by Davis Home, LLC, call 781-9200.
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