Six proposals for future of Coke plant IPS property on Mass Ave.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Public School district is selling the old Coke bottling plant and the Mass Ave. land on which it sits.
Bids were announced Wednesday by the IPS superintendent and members of the real estate advisory committee.
But there are six bids for IPS to consider that would drastically change and revitalize that northern part of Mass Ave.
“This is a linchpin to the development of the Mass Ave. area,” IPS Superintendent Dr. Lewis Ferebee said.
850 Massachusetts Avenue, currently owned by IPS, is for sale.
“We want to be very transparent, thoughtful, and strategic about this particular property,” Ferebee said.
Ferebee and members of the district’s real estate advisory committee shared their hopes for the property at a meeting Wednesday.
“We’re looking at factors such as creating a positive impact for the surrounding properties, the neighborhood, the city of Indianapolis, and IPS,” Advisory Committee Member Maria Quintana said.
“Parks would be great, parking would be great,” Ferebee said.
“Providing uses which encourage families with school aged children to live downtown,” Quintana said.The committee is considering six proposals.
One from Mass Ave. Partners features a hotel, apartments, town homes, and a “natural play area.”
Another proposal from Browning shows additional parking, retail, and a “central park.”
“We want to ensure it brings the appropriate amenities to the area continue to advance development of Mass Ave.,” Ferebee said.
“Mostly I come out here for like meals and stuff like that to see the city,” Indianapolis Resident Terrence Smith said.
The committee wants the new development to bring shoppers like Terrance Smith to Mass Ave. more often.
“I’d like to see more apartment complexes, like a mix between apartments and restaurants,” Smith said.
In the end, the superintendent was clear that the decision won’t simply be about the highest bid.
“So this is not a simple numbers game, this is something that we will have our footprint on in terms of benefit to the community and again to IPS,” Ferebee said.
The Board of School Commissioners will get the committee’s recommendation as early as March and then make a decision.