New Indiana blind, deaf schools and archives sites announced

The Indiana School for the Deaf will move from its current Indianapolis location to the site of the state’s blind school as part of a planned $225 million upgrade of both programs' facilities, state officials announced Tuesday.

The governor’s office also announced that a new state archives building would be built along the downtown Indianapolis canal near the Statehouse as part of a construction spree topping $1 billion state lawmakers approved last year.

The School for the Deaf and the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired will remain separate schools but they can share resources with building renovations and new construction on the blind school site on Indianapolis' north side, the governor’s office said.

Officials have discussed upgrading the aging facilities of both schools, but the decision will see the deaf school move from its current site just north of the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

The state archives collection of historical records has been stored in a warehouse on the east side of Indianapolis for more than 20 years. A 2015 plan for a new building stalled but state officials have now dedicated $35 million toward a new building.

Officials had considered the site of the former Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis for the archives building.

Gov. Eric Holcomb said the downtown canal site will better allow the archives to work with the nearby state museum and state library.