by: Michael Van Schoik
INDIANAPOLIS – A run-down and nearly deserted shopping center on Indy’s east side could get a makeover in the coming years.
A developer plans to revamp the deteriorating Irvington Plaza. This comes after years of issues and a declining number of businesses on the property.
Several buildings on the property sit boarded up, covered in graffiti, riddled with litter and overgrown. It has practically been an eyesore for people nearby.
“It’s vacant, it’s a little desolate if you want to really, really look at it,” described Pablo Quintana, who lives just down the road, practically behind the property.
Quintana has lived in the area for almost 10 years. He said it is a neighborhood he loves quite a bit.
“This neighborhood really has a part of my heart,” he described. “I’ve had a lot of beautiful moments here.”
Quintana said he has even seen some growth in the area.
“Houses around here coming up, getting bought out by people getting them nice along this street,” he described.
This is why Quintana hopes something similar would happen to the Irvington Plaza.
“I think there’s a lot of potential in that plaza,” he said.
Developers with Tallen Capital Partners LLC would agree that there is potential.
“We think this property has a tremendous amount of fundamentals that are solid for redeveloping the property,” said Terry Tallen, CEO and founder of Tallen Capital Partners LLC.
Tallen said his group hopes to finalize the property’s purchase in 2024. He said the group has big plans for the barren lot.
“It’s a wonderful community and we’re very interested in trying to enhance and improve and be an amenity to the residents, the visitors, the employees and employers of Irvington,” Tallen said.
He said he hopes the few remaining businesses, like Dairy Queen, remain. He also wants to bring new opportunities, something he said could largely be left up to the community.
“We’re actually going to query the neighborhood about what types of uses they would like to see within our C4 zoning, which allows for a lot of retail use, restaurant use, medical, groceries, those types of things,” Tallen described.
All said and done, neighbors like Quintana say they would be thrilled.
Read the full article on fox59.com
