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Bill Taft, executive director of LISC Indianapolis, reviewed a recent study by IFF about the availability of high quality “seats” in Marion County, neighborhood by neighborhood. You can read about the results of the study in his recent IBJ Special here.
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LISC’s own Executive Director Bill Taft recently sat down with the Indianapolis Business Journal to talk about—and show off—The Platform, LISC’s new home in the west wing of the historic Indianapolis City Market. The wing may have been destined for the wrecking ball until LISC came up with an innovative use: The Platform is a home to a number of organizations that work in community development, and an incubator space for social entrepreneurs. It’s also home of the Indianapolis Winter Farmer’s Market. The video is part of the IBJ’s “Leading Questions: Wisdom from the Corner Office” series. Take a look!
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LISC celebrates 2015 work, highlights efforts in International Marketplace On Dec. 3, LISC Indianapolis gathered friends, partners and supporters to celebrate the 2015 work in connecting people and places of urban Indianapolis to opportunity. The holiday event highlighted the International Marketplace Coalition, a non-profit organization comprised of businesses, concerned citizens and community leaders who encourage economic growth and development on the northwest side of Indianapolis. The event took place at Jiallos African Caribbean Restaurant, in the International Marketplace neighborhood. In partnership with the City of Indianapolis and the International Marketplace Coalition, LISC funded this catalytic transformation along West 38th Street. … Continued
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Central State Greens, a redevelopment project encompassing over 9 acres at the heart of the former Central State Hospital site, is made possible by a unique partnership between LISC Indianapolis, the City of Indianapolis, and Reverie Estates. Central State Hospital, created in 1827, once cared for nearly 3,000 patients on its 140 acre grounds. Funding cuts led to the hospital’s closure in 1994 and the site has been vacant and in deteriorating condition ever since. Its revitalization has been a centerpiece of the Near West neighborhood Quality of Life plan. The development connects the Near West neighborhood and residents with students at IUPUI, an … Continued
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Thank you for joining a panel of civic leaders for breakfast and a discussion about quality neighborhood schools and the future of education in our neighborhoods - with a look at success stories at both IPS and public charter schools on Indianapolis’s near southeast side. The morning panel featured: Following the morning panel were charter school facilities financing sessions. Two panels explored how to open up capital markets by improving policies and standardizing credit assessment practices. The panels included: Reena Abraham, Vice President of Education Programs at National LISC Jeff Bennett, Director of Real Estate Services at IFF Beth Bray, Program Officer at the … Continued
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It’s exciting to see President Obama celebrating the work of a great partner to LISC like Ivy Tech. The President’s highlighting of the impact that a community college can have on a community has been reflected in how Ivy Tech has been part of local comprehensive community development efforts. The Ivy Tech campus is located in the Mid-North Quality of Life neighborhood, and the college has joined with residents and organizations like the Indianapolis Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Mapleton-Fall Creek CDC, and Near North Development in implementing many community improvement goals. Three years ago, LISC invested $11.2 Million in Federal New Market … Continued
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LISC, INHP, Fifth Third Bank, the City of Indianapolis and University of Indianapolis have partnered to bring a quality of life plan to the south side of the city. The focus area is bound by 1-65 and I-465 and Raymond and Meridian streets. Revitalization efforts will seek to decrease high rates of unemployment and poverty, reduce the amount of abandoned and vacant homes and storefronts, and spur community development and neighborhood engagement. Fifth Third Bank has pledged a $100,000 Strengthening Our Communities grant and LISC and UIndy have committed to raise $70,000 to support an intense study and launch the … Continued
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Indianapolis Parks Foundation (IPF) is the recipient of a $200,000 grant through Indianapolis LISC, the Colts and the NFL Foundation Grassroots Program, a partnership between National LISC and the NFL Foundation. The grant is part of a total of $2.5 million slated by city officials to refurbish public fields this year. The City of Indianapolis and IPF designated $1.5 million in funding to build a public athletic field at Historic Central Greens. The former hospital site will feature over $52 million in current and planned development, including the new Christel House Academy Charter School, student housing, apartments, office space, a … Continued
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All are invited to the Northeast Corridor Quality-of-Life Unveiling on March 27 at 4:00 pm at 3908 Meadows Drive. For more information and to register for the event please go to: NE Corridor Community Unveiling Invite. LISC has supported this plan that covers the neighborhoods of King Park, Martindale-Brightwood, United Northeast and Millersville at Fall Creek Valley. For more information on the NE Corridor process, please visit www.necorridor.com. As Erika Smith reports in the Star, “What could the Meadows look like? Imagine boulevards for bicycles and buildings designed around mass transit, the mode of transportation that many residents use. Imagine a grocery store … Continued
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The Renew Indianapolis land bank website is now live. You can use it to search the inventory across the city, make inquiries on purchasing a property, review the RFP process, and much more. Bill Taft, LISC Executive Director, is on the board of Renew Indianapolis and has partnered on this initiative since its inception. LISC is exited to see continued neighborhood revitalization in ensuring property is redeveloped alongside comprehensive community development strategies to bring renewed value to our communities.
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At LISC Indianapolis, we’re passionate about community development. With over 100 years of combined experience among our staff, we’re here to work alongside you to improve our core neighborhoods and to help our neighbors build better communities. Bill Taft Executive Director (317) 454-8496 [email protected] Lesley FitzSimons Office Manager (317) 454-8494 [email protected] Tedd Grain Deputy Director (317) 454-8492 [email protected] Aaron Laramore Senior Program Officer (317) 454-8489 [email protected] Tom Orr Senior Program Officer (317) 454-8491 [email protected] Sara VanSlambrook Senior Program Officer (317) 454-8493 [email protected] Nicholas Johnson Program Officer (317) 454-8488 [email protected] Cari Morales Program Associate (317) 454-8500 [email protected] Whitney Fields Program Assistant (317) … Continued
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By Jessica R. Key Indianapolis Recorder The Northeastside of Indianapolis is an area that has its assets and disadvantages like any other neighborhood in the city, yet residents and community stakeholders aren’t satisfied with the status quo. They would like to see the area reach its full potential. In order to harness that desire and turn it into action, the Northeast Corridor Quality of Life plan will be created. “The area has a lot of potential as far as the parks, the Monon, businesses and some solid residential areas. It also has some real challenges,” said Bill Taft, executive director of … Continued
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On Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 5:30pm, please join us at The Platform, 202 East Market Street, to hear and participate as PNC and LISC present a panel of local education leaders to discuss how their work is affecting Indy’s neighborhoods. In the past decade, Indianapolis has become a hotbed of reform efforts aimed at radically improving public education. At the same time, our urban neighborhoods often suffer from poor reputations and declining populations due in large part to the public perception of their schools. A recent analysis shows that some of Indy’s neighborhoods are well-served by their schools while others are terribly underserved. … Continued
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Vibrant neighborhoods. Impassioned community leadership. Engaged residents. They’re all components of a successful city. And ambitious projects like the Chase Near Eastside Legacy Center show that Indianapolis is rich in all three. It hasn’t always been that way—especially not on the city’s Near Eastside. For decades, the area was characterized by vacant homes and storefronts, rising crime rates, and the collapse of key neighborhood institutions. But five years ago, a group of dedicated residents came together under the auspices of the Great Indy Neighborhoods Initiatives (GINI) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to improve their community through a bold … Continued
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News Release For Immediate Release Indy Food Fund Hopes to Improve Access to Healthy Food Request for Proposals sought for innovative food projects INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 6, 2012) – The Indy Food Fund is offering grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 and loans ranging from $25,000 to $2 million to nonprofits and businesses involved in healthy food-related initiatives in Indianapolis. Projects can include, but are not limited to, community gardens with market stands, value chain projects, nutrition programs, food hubs, farmers’ markets, farm-to-institutions projects, urban farms, healthy corner store initiatives, and marketing and consumer cooperatives. Applicants must demonstrate that their project … Continued
