INDIANAPOLIS — Kevin Brown II is helping transform the neighborhood that raised him.
Brown, a local developer with Brown Property Development, is working to revitalize the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood — the same community where his mother and grandparents built their home and where he learned real estate development through the Jumpstart Indy program.
One of his latest projects is a three-bedroom, two-bath home in Martindale-Brightwood, a part of an effort to provide housing that longtime residents might not think they could afford.
“Our vision was to leverage resources from the city to create something a resident and a homeowner in this community wouldn’t think they can afford,” Brown said. “It’s about continuing to invest in the community — and in people.”
Jumpstart Indy, run in partnership with the Martindale-Brightwood Community Development Corporation, offers a free program to mentor and train aspiring real estate developers. Participants learn how to acquire land, navigate zoning laws and city policies, and build wealth through property development.
“To teach the residents how to acquire land, what the city, local, zoning and policies were so that they could go about it the right way and kind of build a legacy for themselves,” Amina Pierson, Executive Director for Martindale Brightwood CDC said.
Michael Cloyd with the city’s Department of Business and Neighborhood Services teaches participants what goes into developing single-family homes.
“We need to make resources available to everyone, no matter where they come from or what their background is,” Cloyd said.
Brown said the knowledge he gained from Jumpstart Indy has helped him create a better tomorrow for Martindale-Brightwood — one home and one developer at a time.
For more information in Jumpstart Indy click here.
