The Town Hall Meeting

Last night Schools Building Communities had the privilege of attending a standing-room-only Town Hall meeting regarding the revitalization efforts focused on our Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood at the Washington Park Family Center.

Local resident Anna Carter, talking about the vast number of association meetings in the area, told us, “My mother said you can’t dance to every song. You need to figure out which ones are important and this one’s important.” (Anna is in the black hat in the foreground of the photo, nearest the camera position).

That’s because dozens of urban planners, architects and designers from across the country, hosted by the American Institute of Architects, have descended on the neighborhood, which is reemerging from decades of neglect. Read about the bus tour of the area earlier in the day from the Indianapolis Star.

The evening began with some local flavor as we were treated to a great dinner from The Country Kitchen Soul Food Place, a minority-owned neighborhood restaurant. Then we got down to business.

The sustainability team — which had spent the day studying the neighborhood, both its challenges and opportunities — spoke individually of the need for both a physical and civic transformation for the area. And they talked of the value of the area — from the numerous faith-based outlets to the Monon Trail. In fact, in the Indy Star article, AIA Director of Design Assistance Erin Simmons had said, “There are certainly opportunities here. I don’t think we’d be here if we did not think that.”

The team opened the floor to residents and collected input for nearly two hours as several long-standing community members from the neighborhood associations spoke eloquently about the work they have already done and their hopes to marry the foundation they have built with the recommendations that will come out of the Smart Growth sustainability process.

Peggy Storey of the Martindale-Brightwood Local Learning Partnership and Pearl Carter of the Hillside Neighborhood Association spoke of the importance of bringing all of the local associations together. Storey told the assessment team, “This is a great neighborhood. We can become a fantastic neighborhood. We welcome you.”

This program is an exciting development for Martindale-Brightwood, one that has the potential to create systemic change in an area of high need.