Dear Indy,
We at Mirror Indy previously told you about efforts to pave over the historic Greenlawn Cemetery.
Initial plans called for a bunch of new development, including a city-owned bridge across White River and a new 20,000-seat soccer stadium for Indy Eleven.
Crews have already uncovered human remains at the site. It’s unclear how many, though. Keystone Group, the developer for Eleven Park, won’t say what they’ve found.
Well, the office of Mayor Joe Hogsett believes there are as many as 650 human remains.
On just one acre of the site.
That’s according to a Wednesday letter that Hogsett’s office sent to Ersal Ozdemir, the owner of Keystone Group and Indy Eleven.
Now the city is offering to buy all of the property from Keystone.
“As we have learned more about the site, the city has sought to take an active role in an effort to right the wrongs committed more than a century ago when the resting place of Indianapolis’ first residents were erased from the map and paved over,” wrote Dan Parker, Hogsett’s chief of staff, in the letter to Ozdemir.
The letter came the day after Keystone Group amped up its pressure campaign on Hogsett and other public officials. You may have caught the Eleven Park ad during the Pacers’ game on Tuesday, or maybe you received a text message about a petition yesterday.
Meanwhile, a City-County Council committee is set to discuss an alternative stadium site for a potential Major League Soccer team next week.
There’s a lot to unpack. Let’s get to it.
Know someone who might like this newsletter?
Click here to forward this email to them.
In other news
- Investors’ plans to transform the westside Kuntz Memorial Soccer Stadium are drawing mixed reviews from the community. Some are concerned that community groups would lose access to the facility, which hosts things like the Central Indiana Women’s Soccer League. Others, though, believe that stadium upgrades would lead to neighborhood upgrades, too, such as sidewalks and streetlights. “A whole lot of things’ll change if they get a business over here,” Riverside resident Barbara Smith said. “Somebody’s gonna protect their money, so I think it’ll really improve the neighborhood.”
- More Indianapolis high schoolers will gain seamless admission to IU Indianapolis. It’s thanks to an expansion of an existing program that automatically waives admission fees and transcript requests for IPS students who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- A gun surrender event on Saturday will turn firearms into art — plus people who donate guns will be given gas cards. Get the details here.
What’s going on around the city
- Thursday, June 6: The Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., presents Nourishing Well: Black Women and the Poetics of Sacred Space curated by Mariah Ivey, and featuring visual artists Ashley Nora, JayAmi Sellers, Ayanna Tibbs, Mariah Ivey, D’yshe Mansfield and Deonna Weatherly. Additionally, there will be vendors and performances by Chantel Massey, Okara Imani, Gabrielle Patterson, Elle Roberts, Jessica Louise and Auboni Hart. 6-9 p.m., free.
- Friday, June 7: Harry A. Davis Jr. was renowned for his renderings of Indiana landmarks. Join Indiana State Museum fine arts curator emerita Rachel Berenson Perry at Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Avenue, for an illustrated talk about Davis’ life and art, 6-7 p.m. Tickets for the talk are $5 but the gallery show opening is free, 6-9 p.m.
- Saturday, June 8: Learn the process of Risograph printing at Cat Head Press, 3125 E 10th St., with artist Nathaniel Russell. In the 5-9 p.m. class, you will produce a poster and 22 prints. Cat Head Press will retain a poster that will be part of a group show. $75.
— Jennifer Delgadillo, arts and culture editor
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
Support Journalism
Be part of a local initiative to increase coverage of the
diverse needs of people living in our community.
What else we’re reading today
- Axios Indianapolis: The Indiana Forest Alliance has an idea for saving the trees in Marion County: Have the city buy up land before developers do.
- WFYI: The Indiana Department of Education is urging local school districts to ignore new federal protections for LGBTQ+ students because of ongoing lawsuits — including one supported by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita. But some school districts are in the process of implementing new policies that meet the federal requirements. “We remain committed to providing educational opportunities free from discrimination for all students,” Jeannine Templeman, a spokeswoman for MSD of Wayne Township, wrote to WFYI.
- The Ringer: Just a few years ago, a record nine women served as assistant coaches on NBA teams, but that number has dwindled. So as women’s basketball grows in popularity, what will it take for the NBA to finally see a woman as head coach? “I don’t want to get a job because I’m a woman,” Indiana Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek said. “I just don’t want to not get a job because I’m a woman.
Arts and Culture
We have one big weekend before May winds down. If you’re looking for a quiet moment, revisit our May events calendar for tips, like visiting the “Visions of Softness: Embracing Queer Domesticity” exhibition at Indy Art Center with works by Warner Ball.
If you’d rather line up more excitement for the weeks after the Indy 500 race day, see the many food festivals planned for this summer in Indy — a great garlic gathering and Navajo tacos are certainly things to look forward to.
— Jennifer Delgadillo, arts and culture editor
Want to explore more of our city’s vibrancy? Find more arts and culture coverage here.
Reflections
Thanks to your help this week, our goal to reach 10,000 newsletter subscribers is within reach! We now need fewer than 400 more people to sign up.
Thank you for continuing to share it with friends.
Ryan
P.S. If you liked something about today’s newsletter, or didn’t, let me know at ryan.martin@mirrorindy.org. It helps us serve you better.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
