INDIANAPOLIS — An affordable housing development in one of Indianapolis' oldest Black neighborhoods is causing concern among local residents. While some stakeholders advocate for the project’s continuation, others express significant concerns about its execution and aesthetics compared to the rest of the neighborhood.
Residents who live on the northwest side of Indianapolis say that the homes built during Canal Village Phase One, a previously completed affordable housing initiative, do not align with what was initially promised by the developer.
Now, the same developer is aiming to launch a new phase of affordable housing, leaving many residents apprehensive.
“All of the homes that were developed in Canal Village Phase One that did have heritage trees were all stripped away,” Hadiah Amit, a representative of the Northwest Landing Neighborhood Association, remarked during a city-county committee hearing earlier this month.
Amit was among several members of the Northwest Landing Neighborhood Association who voiced their opposition to the proposal. The removal of several trees wasn't their only concern. The size, look and lack of execution also cause them to be upset with how the homes turned out.
Canal Village Phase One was constructed around 2020, which the developer says was a huge factor as to why the homes ended up looking the way they did. Many community members are hesitant to allow the developer to embark on another phase, given their dissatisfaction with the initial project outcomes.
"There should be concern, but concern is not justification for stagnation,” Dr. Brandon Cosby, CEO of Flanner House Indianapolis, stated.
Dr. Cosby, whose organization serves the northwest community, acknowledged that the first phase did not meet expectations.
"I was the first person to complain about it. The mayor heard from me. The president of the city council heard from me,” he said.
However, Cosby asserts that the current project differs from its predecessor due to specific standards that the developer must meet to secure the remaining funding necessary for the project. That funding, administered by Flanner House, will remain in a trust until the developer proves he is following the approved plans.
"That's a real financial penalty, or nearly a million dollars that they would be up against for failure to meet the obligations and commitments,” Cosby explained.
Canal Village Phase Three is designed to provide low- to moderate-income residents with a pathway to home ownership through a rent-to-own model. This initiative, according to Cosby, is critical for the community's future.
"I don't want to see this project go away, and then the neighborhood be left for seven years to face the threats of gentrification with no new development project on the horizon,” he emphasized.
The developer has committed to addressing issues that have emerged with the Phase One houses, including plans to install gates and expand patios by the end of the year.
The new project is set to be reviewed by the City-County Council next month.
