| New mixed-use development planned
for former Herron School of Art buildings |
9/16/2005
INDIANAPOLIS - The former Herron School of Art will remain a hub of
cultural creativity and education according to a plan submitted to
the Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) for their approval,
city officials said today.
After an extensive community input process, the City of Indianapolis
has selected a team led by Mansur Real Estate, LLC to redevelop
three sites of the former Herron School on the city’s near-northside
into a museum of contemporary art, a new charter high school,
artists lofts and single family housing.
"The Herron property has been such an important and integral part of
the Herron-Morton neighborhood for decades," said Deputy Mayor
Melina Maniatis Kennedy. "We were fortunate to have great reuse
ideas for this property, and we believe Mansur’s vision will be a
great catalyst for both cultural and economic development in our
Downtown and all of Indianapolis. "
According to Mansur’s plans, the Herron Museum building on the 1600
block of Pennsylvania St. will be rehabilitated and leased by the
Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art. A proposed new charter
school, Herron High School, will lease the basement of the museum,
as well as the entire main building located just north of the
museum.
The plan also calls for 14 new residential units built by Minkis
Homes, including six artists lofts in Fesler Hall on the north side
of the campus, six new townhomes along the 1700 block of
Pennsylvania, and two single family homes on Talbott St.
The proposal must still receive final sign-off by the MDC at its
next meeting on September 21. If approved by the MDC, the
redevelopment of Herron would likely be complete by mid-2007.
The mixed-use plan for the Herron property is the culmination of an
extensive planning and public outreach process that began in August
2004. A reuse committee consisting of community stakeholders and
city officials was established to make recommendations regarding the
best possible reuse for the Herron properties, and several public
workshops were held to gather community input. Using this feedback,
the city sent out a request for proposals that outlined possible
reuses.
Three proposals for the Herron properties were submitted to the
city, one of which included plans only for the Foundry site on 16th
and Alabama. All of the proposed plans were presented for public
comment, which was used in the final decision of the plan’s
selection. The city has not yet reached a decision on redevelopment
plans for the Foundry building.
The city took ownership of the Herron property this summer after the
Herron School of Art moved into its new facility Downtown on the
campus of Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis.
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