It was 1957 when Delores and Phillip Thomas moved into the Flanner House neighborhood located just northwest of downtown Indianapolis.
Phillip Thomas worked a full time job as a construction worker and after his shift, he put in additional hours in order to give his family the American dream.
“It was quite an experience,” he said. “When you’re young, you don’t mind putting in extra work and you learn a lot from it.”
Due to recent events, the quiet little neighborhood the Thomases have lived in for over 55 years and revere may be altered. Some say to the detriment of the history and sense of community of the neighborhood.
The City of Indianapolis owns property near 16th and Martin Luther King Jr. streets. Earlier this month, a Minnesota-based property developer, Opus Development Corp., proposed to purchase the property for $600,000 with intentions of using it to build a Meijer store. In order to properly build the store, about 35 nearby Flanner House homes would have had to be purchased and demolished. There are about 100 homes in the area.
Flanner House Homes are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, but that status provides minimal protection from acquisition and demolition.
Refusing to be forced out of their homes, residents fought the Opus proposal with legal support from attorneys at Young and Young and backing from Indiana Landmarks, a historic preservation organization, and others. Opus eventually abandoned its plans.
Residents only had days to breathe a sigh of relief.
According to documents provided by John Bartholomew, public information officer for the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, Douglas Realty Advisors Inc. has expressed interest in the property. It plans to use the land for mixed-use retail, commercial and/or residences. The bidding price is under $500,000.
At Recorder press time, Douglas Realty is not encroaching on Flanner House homes’ property.
Bartholomew said the property on 16th and MLK is no different from any other vacant, city-owned property. They want properties to be redeveloped to enhance the city and get real estate back on the tax rolls.
“The city decided to consider the Douglas project because it fits with what the city wants,” said Bartholomew.
Sources say that although Opus pulled out of the deal, Meijer corporate may still pursue developing the property.
“Everyone has a price. I assume if (anyone) wants this property, they will be prepared and willing to pay for it, but I don’t think they want it that bad,” said resident Phillip Thomas.
“This was a mansion compared to where we used to live. We’ve raised six kids here. And we’ve put too much work into our home,” said a first generation resident, Nora Hall. “I’m not going anyplace. They’ll have to carry me out of here feet first.”
In the development of the 16th and MLK property, the city has also chosen not to use eminent domain, meaning, they will not use their governmental power to take private property owned by residents. They will also not assist any developer on their projects.
They said they will, however, choose the best developer for the site. Once purchased, if the new owner chooses to expand, the city won’t provide aid to either Flanner House residents or the property owner. This includes tax breaks.
Disa Watson, president of Midtown Economic Development Corp., said Flanner House residents are not opposed to redevelopment, but not at the expense of the neighborhood. Residents truly enjoy their homes and have worked hard to pay for them, update and maintain their property. Most importantly, they value the history and sweat equity that went into building the homes.
“People think because it’s Black, it’s no good. This is a really nice neighborhood with nice homes,” said Watson.
In cities around the country, Blacks were secluded to certain areas of the city and access to financing for housing was scarce.
To provide an opportunity for Black families, now deceased architect Cleo Blackburn wanted to create a neighborhood that showcased Black upward mobility and provide a chance at the “American Dream.”
He put the Flanner House project in place by securing the property and finding banks that were willing to lend to Blacks. He also established guidelines for the heads of prospective households. Candidates had to be veterans, have a full time job, have credit, adequate savings and commit to 20 hours a week helping build the homes.
“They were firemen, school teachers, people who worked at Allison’s. These were middle class Americans,” said Watson.
As men worked on homes and as families began to move in, residents created a sense of community.
“Everybody knew everyone and looked out for one another,” said Dolores Thomas.
Samuel Haddon recalls all of the hard work that went into buying a home for his wife and children. His family lived on the city’s Southside prior to moving further north. He and his wife, Annalynn, shared a car. She’d drop him off at Bryant Heating, dropped their children off at a sitter and headed to her job at Indiana Bell.
He said both he and his wife had to work in order to meet the strict financial requirements. His income was used to secure the home and his wife’s was used to build their savings.
“Sometimes I got confused on where I was supposed to be,” joked Haddon. “But I did what I had to do to care for my family.”
While there are many original families still living in the neighborhood, many of their children, including Watson, have come back to the neighborhood.
Carl Willingham Jr. said after his parents passed away, he decided to move into his childhood home. He’s decorated it to his tastes, but the layout of the home is exactly the same. He’s even maintained original landscape planted by his mother, Irene.
“This is history. (My parents) worked too hard to get and keep this house,” said Willingham. “I think mother and father would be very proud of me for keeping the house.”
Every resident is prepared to fight to save their neighborhood. They love their community, their location and above all, the unique history of Flanner House.
“If we never knew what we can do as a race of people, this showed what we could do,” said Watson. “This neighborhood is a jewel.”
