A grocery store. A dog park. Apartments.
Those are some of the possibilities for a prime piece of real estate — colloquially referred to as “The Bulge” — located immediately west of the Monon Trail between 25th and 28th Street in the Monon Yard neighborhood on the north side.
After years of being vacant and going through a cleanup effort, the 16-acre site of an old railyard is ready and ripe for development.
A changing neighborhood
Gary Ruble moved to the area from Castleton a few years ago to get away from traffic jams and be closer to his wife’s job. The neighborhood’s close proximity to trails and downtown was also appealing, and they quickly found the area to be welcoming.
“We’ve gotten to know more people here than in any place I’ve lived in my entire life,” said Ruble, 68.
In Castleton, he knew only a few of his neighbors. But after moving to the area, it wasn’t long before Ruble became heavily involved with the neighborhood association, of which he is now president.
“Obviously, nobody else wanted it,” Ruble said. “They just wanted some new life into it.”
A retired Indianapolis firefighter, Ruble remembers when the neighborhood was known for drug activity and house fires. But now the neighborhood is changing. Developers and families alike are buying up vacant lots, building single family homes and duplexes.
As for “The Bulge” site, it is under city ownership.
The city has been working with local neighborhood associations and community members to identify best uses for the site, which will likely involve some combination of housing, retail amenities and a public park. Together, they developed a vision plan for the site and several other smaller parcels nearby.
“I’m a firm believer in multi-use,” said City-County Councilor Ron Gibson, a Democrat who represents parts of the north side. “You can’t necessarily think you can pop up a business somewhere and think customers will come there. You’ve got to have people living in the area so that it might generate some interest.”
What’s next?
Neighbors interested in learning more about the plans for the area can attend an upcoming meeting of the Monon Yard Neighborhood Association at 7 p.m. May 13 at the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, 2815 Sutherland Ave.
Gibson and a staff member with the Department of Metropolitan Redevelopment will chat with neighbors about the future plans for the parcel.
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Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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