Collaboration of neighborhood groups demands changes at apartment complex
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Avondale Meadows is seeing a resurgence.
Earlier this year the community celebrated the grand opening of a new grocery store. When Save-A-Lot opened its doors on February 1st, it stripped the Meadows of its food desert title.
A food desert is a community that lacks access to food.
Then in March, Tindley, a charter school in the heart of the Meadows, won a Class A State Championship in basketball.
The inner city school is known for graduating its entire senior class to four-year colleges.
In the midst of all that excitement sits multi-million dollar YMCA facility.
“The Meadows is a bustling, growing community that has a lot of great things happening here,” said Pastor Orlando Jordan.
However, a gunman shot and killed a mother at the Keystone North Apartments, and critically injured her husband this week.
According to IMPD, the shooting happened in front of the couple’s children.
Keystone North Apartments has had its share of run-ins in with IMPD. The department confirms it has reported to the complex an excessive amount of times.
In the past, the company that owns the complex has been cited for health and code violations. Residents have complained about the living conditions.
On Wednesday, a group of residents representing nine groups in the area asked the company to make improvements to the complex.
“The owners need to do more than just fixing it up to pass inspections, they need to make it a home that people want to live in,” said Alma Tarwick, who lives in one of the surrounding neighborhoods.
Recently the Meadows Community Foundation made an offer to purchase the property. As of yet no deal has been struck.
“We would invest a million-and-a-half (dollars) to bring it up to livable standards, and build a new building across the street and have them integrate into a new community,” said Darrin Orr.
24-Hour News 8 reached out to the complex on Wednesday evening for a response.
So far, we do not have a statement from the company.
Residents say they are now turning their attention to a clean-up day in the area on April 22nd.