I have received some initial renderings from the Coal Factory redevelopment project in Irvington.  This looks to be an exciting reuse which should help bring some new attention to the neighborhood, as well as link to an extension of the Pennsy Trail.
Recently, I learned of a new Pocket Park project being launched in Irvington by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. Â The park is located to the south of the Marsh store, along the Pennsy Trail: The KIB webpage linked to a photo of the park’s construction, which is obviously in the early stages: I contacted Ben McGhee, …
I was so happy to read this article yesterday on the former Irvington Post Office building, located at the corner Washington and Ritter. Â This is excellent news for a building that has been threatened with demolition for years now: Hope everyone has had a safe and restful holiday season.
Last Saturday, I finally had the opportunity to head over to Irvington to view their downtown area now that the major construction on the streetscape project has been completed. Â The long-planned project has widened the sidewalks, added medians, and bricked up the main intersections for better pedestrian visibility. Sadly, the project isn’t a 100 percent …
After 7 long years of fundraising and background legal work, the Irvington streetscape project kicked off yesterday.  Photos of the groundbreaking can be seen via the Irvington Development Organization’s facebook page. This project will help reclaim Washington Street for pedestrians in the neighborhood, which has seen a good deal of new locally-owned businesses open in …
Natural places have a role to play in our neighborhoods. The best urban sites share space with nature so well that you can not tell when the bricks stop and the trees begin. Whether it is a chestnut tree in a courtyard or an old street lined with elms, nature has to be present or …
Recently the question has been raised how to fix an ugly building, mostly in regards to the Di Rimini (and here and here and especially here). It is a hard question to answer without first discussing what “ugly” means. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there are obvious problems with treating a …
Many urban neighborhoods have a need for infill construction, where homes that were lost to deterioration or other reasons must be replaced. Here in Irvington we have a unique case where a gas explosion in 2004 eliminated three houses instantly and blew out windows in a one-block radius. (images from kipar-one here) In an explosion …
For those of you who don’t participate in this city’s mass transit, know this: it is very possible to have positive, successful experiences commuting by city bus. And to be honest, for me, depending on mass transit instead of my pickup truck has improved the quality of my life.