The last time a new university campus was built along Indiana Avenue, Black neighbors were displaced from their homes on the near west side.
With that history in mind, as Purdue University embarks on a 50-year plan to expand its Indianapolis campus, college officials are turning to neighbors for advice. At the request of community members, Purdue’s planning to put more green space on its 28-acre campus south of Indiana Avenue, on the east side of what was once IUPUI’s campus. In total, the university plans to build 16 buildings over the next 50 years.
Developing that campus, though, comes with a social responsibility.
When building IUPUI’s campus in the 1960s, university and city officials systematically displaced a Black neighborhood on the near west side, which in turn contributed to the decline of Indiana Avenue.
University officials have repeatedly said they’re committed to engaging with neighbors as part of Purdue’s campus expansion, especially given the history of the area they’re developing.
When creating the master plan, Purdue officials spoke with community members to get a feel for what they’d like to see on the campus. Much of the feedback was related to honoring the culture and history of Indiana Avenue and its surrounding neighborhood, said Renee Thomas, associate vice provost for student success and engagement at Purdue in Indianapolis.
In particular, neighbors wanted to see Indiana Avenue restored to its thriving business roots. In response, Purdue plans to reserve the first floor of its new buildings for retail and community engagement space.
“It brings back the vibrancy so that the Avenue and that particular area does not close up at five o’clock, but there’s some continuous activity and vibrancy in that quarter,” Thomas said.
Other plans for Purdue in Indy
Other elements of Purdue’s Indianapolis vision plan, which the board of trustees approved June 6, include expanding the university’s student population and housing capacity.
Purdue plans to expand both its campus and student population in the coming years. In the short term, Purdue is aiming to enroll around 6,500 students — up from just over 2,600 in Indianapolis in fall 2024. In 50 years, the university hopes to expand to 15,000 Indianapolis students.
Near-term plans also include expanding on-campus housing to make room for over 3,200 students and constructing seven new Purdue campus buildings.
The master plan comes just under a year after IUPUI officially split into IU Indianapolis and Purdue in Indianapolis last July.
In the divorce, IU took the vast majority of the campus facilities and students. Aside from five classroom buildings and one dorm Purdue leased from IU, the university is building out an entirely new campus in downtown Indy to meet its enrollment goals.
That process has already begun. Earlier this year, Purdue broke ground on its first new campus building, a combination of housing, classrooms, labs and a dining area. That development, called the Academic Success Building, is scheduled to be completed in May 2027.
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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