Twin Aire neighborhood ready for redevelopment to support change created by justice center

Requests are out for redevelopment ideas in the Twin Aire neighborhood.  The city of Indianapolis has two properties it wants to find development solutions for. 

The southeast side neighborhood has undergone significant changes with the building of the Community Justice Campus.  The city’s new justice center includes the county jail, courts, and an intervention center.

Across the street is a shopping center. The Marion County Health and Hospital Corporation owns that site and is a partner on this project. CEO Paul Babcock said he would like to see uses that contribute to improving community health.

“So a focus on housing and food, really fits within our broader mission of improving the health of Marion County residents,” Babcock said.

The Department of Metropolitan Development leads efforts for the other site, an old drive-in theater.

DMD Director Scarlett Andrews said the neighborhood could benefit from a variety of uses.

“There’s some real opportunity to enhance what’s already there but also create some density in terms of mixed use development,” Andrews said. “The community has also talked about community space and green space.”

The request asks developers to consider commercial retail with an emphasis on food access, spaces for nonprofit providers, job skills training, and new housing opportunities. 

Andrews said the CJC has already changed the neighborhood and development needs to support that change.

“That would support the neighborhood but also the workforce that’s going to be coming down there every day,” Andrews said.

The Marion County Public Defender Agency, the Marion County Coroner’s Office and judges’ offices will move to the campus soon.  The nearly $1 billion investment in city government infrastructure is expected to bring almost 2,000 jobs.

The agencies hope to get a variety of proposals by the November deadline.

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @JillASheridan.