A woman stands in front of a posterboard with pictures representing outdoor amenities like basketball courts, seating and walking paths. She's holding a sticker and thinking about where to place it.
Hawthorne resident Carlena Moses places a sticker on the amenities she would like at the planned Central State Grove during the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development open house April 22, 2025. Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy

Central State Hospital has long been an infamous part of Indianapolis history.

But more than 30 years after it closed due to several scandals involving the abuse of hospital patients, much of the former hospital’s grounds have been developed into upscale housing, a school, art studios and even a haunted coffee shop.

Next up is the Central State Grove, the 6-acre wooded plot at the center of the grounds. The Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development owns the property on which the grove stands and is planning to make it a permanent greenspace.

The department held an open house meeting at the Indianapolis Public Library’s Haughville branch April 22 to get near westside residents’ opinions about what the grove greenspace design should include.

“We’re hosting an open house to get the community’s vision on what people would like to see, hear and smell in nature, and how we can make a community green space for the near west side in the city of Indianapolis as a whole,” said DMD senior project manager Eddie Shei.

Several dozen people attended the meeting and gave their input. Some residents wanted the grove to have a mural or a playground. Others preferred the grove to avoid development and stay as close to its natural state as possible.

Three people stand in conversation. The man on the right is wearing a sportcoat and is holding a pad of sticky notes.
Hawthorne residents Christina Smith and Geoffrey Baker give their opinion on what the Central State Grove Should look like during an Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development open house April 22, 2025. Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy

And some believe any work to preserve the grove should tell the history of the hospital and the surrounding neighborhoods.

“(Central State Hospital) has a very long, dark history, and I think a lot of times we want to make that go away. We don’t want to talk about that part of it, but I think it’s important to get that across to people,” Near westside resident Christina Smith said. “But that doesn’t mean that everything that’s here has to be ugly. We’re looking at the good things that happen, too.”

Part of that, Smith said, is honoring the area’s immigrant past.

The near westside neighborhoods of Haughville, Hawthorne and Stringtown have immigrant roots dating back to the early 1800s, when English and German settlers made this portion of what is now Indianapolis their home. They were followed in later decades by immigrants from Ireland and eastern European countries like Slovenia.

Residents also want a unique grove design that does not mimic other parks and greenspaces found throughout Indianapolis.

  • Pink sticky notes are placed under a header that reads, "is there anything missing?" The notes say, "Classes about environmental wellness (e.g. how to connect w/nature)" and "Environment 101 classes (e.g. stormwater, gardens, etc.)
    People leave notes with ideas for the planned Central State Grove during the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development open house April 22, 2025. Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • A blue sticky note says, "Cultural ground + more Central State Hospital history"
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • A yellow sticky note reads, "Mural with map and history of each near west neighborhood."
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • A yellow sticky note reads, "Trail connection: B+O, River via Michigan Ave., Little Eagle?"
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • A pink sticky note reads, "Preserve the Grove's history as a place of natural repose, a gathering space, a historic feature of the grounds and important part of CSH history from patients' perspective."
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • Yellow sticky notes are placed on a poster showing a gazebo with many people sitting on a grassy lawn around it. The notes say, "Who will manage" and "Manage it for community keep it accessible."
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • A yellow sticky note is place on a poster showing two people walking down a narrow corridor of columns. The note says, "Don't like this it feels aggressive."
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • A yellow sticky note reads, "Pavilion to show movies."
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • A yellow note is placed on a poster showing an outdoor pavilion. The note says, "Tell story of immigrant neighborhood."
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy
  • A yellow note is placed on a poster showing historic photos of Central State Hospital. The note says, "Lean in to history."
    Credit: Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy

“I hope that we’re able to really make it a space that is for the entire community,” said Carlena Moses. “I think we should add elements that make sense for this neighborhood and this community.”

Moses, who works as a community builder at the Hawthorne Community Center, said the grove design should be easily accessible for people using assistive devices, such as wheelchairs.

She said the meeting is the first of several that DMD will hold this year. The information collected at the meetings will be used to create a final design, potentially by the end of the year. Once that design is finalized, DMD will hold more public meetings to get the public’s input.

Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on Bluesky at @enriquesaenz.bsky.social.

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