www.hud.gov/promisezonesAPRIL 2015

In the 1980’s, the Near Eastside of Indianapolis was home to middle-class families with good-paying manufacturing jobs. With the decline of this sector of the local economy, and the resulting loss of many of those working families, these neighborhoods suffered from under-investment, concentrated poverty and blight. In 2007, Near Eastside residents came together to develop a comprehensive, grassroots approach to neighborhood redevelopment.

As the lead applicant, the John H. Boner Community Center and the residents of Near Eastside Indianapolis have enlisted the assistance of multiple organizations to develop strategies around the following five goals to improve the quality of life and accelerate revitalization.

These goals include:

• Create Affordable Housing Options• Create Jobs• Increase Economic Activity• Reduce Serious And Violent Crime• Improve Educational Opportunity

Lead Organization: John H. Boner Community Center

Population: 17,100

Poverty Rate: 47.39%

Unemployment Rate:24.53%

Key Partners:City of Indianapolis; Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership; Local Initiatives Support Corporation; Indiana University on behalf of IUPUI and Indiana University Public Policy Institute; United Way of Central Indiana; Indianapolis Housing Agency; Indianapolis Public Schools; Near East Area Renewal (formerly known as IndyEast Asset Development); Indianapolis Eastside Revitalization Corporation (doing business as East 10th Street Civic Association); Englewood Community Development Corporation; Westminster Neighborhood Services

“The Promise Zone designation can open opportunities and allow the City and Implementing Partners to address structural challenges in

one of our neighborhoods with the greatest potential to thrive.”

Gregory A.Ballard, Indianapolis Mayor

IndyEast Promise ZoneSecond Round

2 Work IndyEastWe promise to develop

neighborhood businesses,

industries, and commerce

that employ residents in living

wage jobs. We will support

entrepreneurship, job training,

and the repurposing of vacant

industrial spaces.

Our Goal JOB CREATION

3 Buy IndyEastWe promise to create vibrant

commercial corridors that provide

desirable goods, services, and

amenities to our residents, and

establish IndyEast as a regional

destination for shopping, dining,

and recreation.

Our Goal INCREASE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

5 Learn IndyEastWe promise all children will receive

exceptional education from cradle

to career, including developmentally

appropriate early childhood services,

high quality elementary and secondary

schools, and opportunities for post-

secondary education and training.

Our Goal EDUCATION

4 Safe IndyEastWe promise to create a bright, welcoming

environment in which neighbors and visitors

feel safe and secure as they go about their

days in IndyEast.

Our Goal REDUCE SERIOUS & VIOLENT CRIME

1 Live IndyEastWe promise to create an economically and

socially diverse community by investing in

vacant properties and redeveloping them

into new, affordable housing options for

existing and new residents.

Our Goal AFFORDABLE HOUSING & REDEVELOPMENT

INDIANAPOLIS-MARION COUNTY

CBD

LAWRENCE

SPEEDWAY

BEECHGROVE

65

74

69

70

465

74

65

70

SMARTGROWTH

IUPUI

IVYTECH

SOUTHPORT

BROADRIPPLE

IRVINGTON

AIRPORT

65

70

65

KEYS

TONE

AVE

PROSPECT ST

HOYT AVE

RURA

L ST

SOUTHEASTERN AVE

SHER

MAN

DR

EMER

SON

AVE

STAT

E AV

E

SHEL

BY S

T

ENGLISH AVE

MICHIGAN ST

NEW YORK ST

10TH ST

16TH ST

21ST ST

DENN

Y ST

25TH STKEYS

TONE

AVE

BROOKSIDE PARKWAY16TH ST

COLL

EGE

AVE

DR. A

NDRE

W J

BROW

N A

VE

22ND ST

MASSACHUSET

TS AVE

10TH ST

WASHINGTON ST

WASHINGTON ST

STAT

E AV

E

HAM

ILTO

N AV

E

MON

ON T

RAIL

26TH ST

GALE

ST

STUA

RT S

T

HILL

SIDE A

VE

RALS

TON

AVE

ROOSEVELT AVE

FORE

ST M

ANOR

OHIO ST

HIGH

LAND

AVE

ARSE

NAL

AVE

LASA

LLE

STVA

NDEM

AN S

T

LELA

ND A

VE

Indy East Promise ZoneCity Public Safety Focus AreaTax Increment Financing DistrictParkSchoolIndyGo Bus LinePlanned Bus Rapid TransitRailroad

EDUCATIONAL ASSETS MAJOR COMMUNITY ASSETS RECENT FEDERAL INVESTMENTS

COMPLIMENTARY LOCAL INITIATIVES

EPA Smart Growth District PilotDOT TIGER (Cultural Trail Construction) HUD CDBG/HOME ProjectsDOL Re-Entry/Transitional Jobs (RecyleForce)

LISC Great Places 2020 Focus AreasReconnecting to Our Waterways AreaULI Urban Manufacturing Study AreaPeople for Bikes GreenLane Project

KEY APPLICATION SITESCitizens Coke PlantSherman ParkRuby ParkPR MalloryGreat Places 2020 Focus Area

John H. Boner Community CenterPeoples Health CenterEast Washington Street LibrarySpades Park LibraryBrookside ParkForest Manor ParkJTV Hill ParkSpades ParkWillard ParkAngie’s List Campus

IPS School 14IPS School 15IPS School 51IPS School 54IPS School 74IPS Harshman Middle SchoolIPS Arsenal Tech High SchoolIPS Howe High SchoolParamount School of ExcellenceOaks AcademyMartin University

12345

7

98

1011

6

1213141516

18

2019

21

17

22232425

26

2827

29

3031323334

30

31

32

33

34

23

1

2

3

4

5

7

6

8

9

10

11

12 13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

25

IndyEast Promise Zone Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a Promise Zone?

Promise Zones are high poverty communities where the federal government will work with local leaders to

increase efforts to achieve neighborhood created goals and priorities.

Promise Zones are selected through a competitive grant application process. For the second round of

applications, there were a total of 123 applications and 8 of those were selected to receive the Promise

Zone designation (6 urban, one rural and one tribal).

There are a total of 22 Promise Zones nationwide. In 2014, the first 5 were announced. In 2015, 8 more,

including the near Eastside of Indianapolis, were announced. The final 9 were announced in the summer of

2016.

2. How much money does a Promise Zone designation receive?

None. The designation itself does not come with federal funding.

3. What are the benefits of being a Promise Zone?

Promise Zone designations come with these benefits:

Five AmeriCorps VISTA members located in our neighborhood to help with the work

A federal liaison to help us navigate participating federal programs and opportunities

Technical assistance from participating federal agencies

Preference points for certain competitive federal grant programs

While there are no guarantees of funding, these benefits and this designation provide our neighborhood a

competitive advantage when applying for funding for specific projects and programs.

4. What does it mean for the neighborhood?

The Promise Zone designation gives our neighborhood the opportunity to use a greater number of

resources, both from the federal government and the city government, to achieve our goals. Much like the

Super Bowl Legacy Project, the Promise Zone designation will allow our neighborhood to reach our goals

more quickly.

5. What are the Promise Zone goals?

Our Promise Zone application had five goals. They are:

Live IndyEast: We promise to create an economically diverse community by promoting housing

redevelopment that embraces existing and new residents. We aim to accomplish this by

recapturing vacant housing and developing new and affordable options.

Work IndyEast: We promise to develop vibrant neighborhood zones of business activity,

industries, and commerce in which residents are employed in living wage jobs. We aim to

accomplish this through entrepreneurship, industrial reuse, and job training.

Buy IndyEast: We promise to create healthy commercial corridors that provide desirable

neighborhood goods, services and amenities that serve our residents and become a regional

destination for shopping, dining, and recreation.

Safe IndyEast: We promise to create a welcoming environment in which all families and visitors

feel safe and secure. We aim to accomplish this by focused efforts on crime prevention, youth

intervention programming, and supportive reentry services.

Learn IndyEast: We promise all children will receive exceptional education from birth to adulthood

including developmentally appropriate early childhood services, high quality and innovative schools

and access to postsecondary education and training.

6. How long are we a Promise Zone?

A Promise Zone designation lasts for 10 years.

7. Where is the Promise Zone?

Please see the attached map for the area designated as the Promise Zone.

8. Who are the Promise Zone Implementation Partners?

Our application was submitted by the John Boner Neighborhood Centers as the lead organization and

included twelve Implementation Partners that will oversee the work. In addition to the Boner Center, these

organizations are:

City of Indianapolis

Englewood Community Development Corporation

Indianapolis Housing Authority

Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership

Indianapolis Public Schools

Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis

Local Initiative Support Corporation

Near East Area Renewal

United Way of Central Indiana

Westminster Neighborhood Ministries

9. Can my organization be added as an Implementation Partner?

No. The Implementation Partners were decided during the application process. There will be numerous

opportunities for neighbors, businesses and organizations to become involved in the Promise Zone work

though.

10. Who is in charge of the Promise Zone?

As always, neighbors are in charge! Promise Zone activity will be discussed and reported at the quarterly

neighborhood summits. Make sure you are signed up to receive e-mails and attending the summits so you

don’t miss any information.

11. How do I get more information?

For more information visit the website, www.indyeast.org or email connectindyeast@jbncenters.org. You

can contact the John H. Boner Community Center through the website, www.jhbcc.org or email

jtaylor@jhbcc.org. You can also visit the HUD website at www.hud.gov/promisezones. We will keep you

updated as we work with the federal government, the city, our partners, and most importantly, you, our

neighbors as we determine the most effective way to achieve neighborhood goals through the use of this

designation for our neighborhood.