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Friday, March 29, 2024

Community in accord: New life for 90-year-old Concord Building

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In the late 1920s, what is now 38th Street was a bustling drive surrounded by beautiful maple trees known as Maple Road. During that time, the Concord, a building that sat at the northwest corner of 38th and Illinois, was one of the highlights of the community because of its retail space, food options and welcoming environment. In addition, the second floor of the Concord was sought-after real estate, because it offered apartment owners a view of downtown. Now, 90 years after the Concord was built, community leaders at Midtown Indianapolis Inc. are working to put new life into this part of Indianapolis history. 

“The Concord remains as a beautiful historic building … and serves as an entrance into one of Indy’s most important districts. It is the center of five vibrant neighborhoods — Crown Hill, Butler Tarkington, Mapleton Fall Creek, Historic Meridian Park and Meridian Kessler,” said Malina Simone Jeffers, director of engagement and operations at Midtown Indy. “In its later years, some of the building served as a Video Update, then later a Foot Locker and most recently as home to 305 Hot clothing store. The majority of the building has been vacant for close to two decades.”

Despite the building’s relative vacancy, the surrounding area is full of businesses and destinations including the recently redeveloped Tarkington Park, a costume boutique, a school, a T-shirt vendor, a tattoo parlor and a barbershop. Jeffers said the Concord’s location makes it the perfect place to unite the surrounding communities.

“The square mile from 42nd to 36th between Boulevard and Pennsylvania is called Maple Crossing. It is mixing five neighborhoods and serving as a meeting place for all. The Concord has the opportunity to become the meeting place, a resource and a hub for arts, culture and innovation,” said Jeffers.

Jeffers and other community leaders are speaking with residents who live near Maple Crossing to learn what they hope to see the building become. Jeffers says the community is in agreement that a space dedicated to arts, culture and retail development is needed in the area.

“One of the special things about the five neighborhoods that gather in Maple Crossing is that there are so many entrepreneurs, young and old, that are creating and making and could use an opportunity to test their product or service. There is also a plethora of visual and performing artists in the community. How can we use the Concord Building to become a space for sharing ideas, crafts and making the neighborhood better for each one of its residents? Those are the questions and concepts being talked about during this listening phase for the building,” said Jeffers.

Though planning for the Concord Building’s redevelopment is in its earliest stages, Jeffers envisions open-house-type listening sessions, forums about the happenings in the neighborhoods, open mic nights, increased access to food and pop-up museums.

Jeffers would like to see more members of the community share their input. To share ideas on the Concord’s redevelopment, email mali@midtownindy.org or stop by the Midtown office at 3965 N. Meridian St., Suite 1F.

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