Mayor Joe Hogsett, Antonio Riley from the U.S. Department of HUD, John Boner Neighborhood Center CEO James Taylor, and Luke Tate, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Mobility, were on hand May 19 to celebrate the many successes of the Indy East Promise Zone’s first year. The gathering was in the latest success story for the east side, the soon-to-be-open Ash & Elm Cider Company on East Washington St., one of the first cideries to open in Central Indiana.
In the first year, the Promise Zone has helped to secure 14 grants from 7 different agencies. The grants total about $9.6 million and include programs for business expansion, providing summer jobs for youth, arts programs, and recycling programs. “The resources secured during this first year will create 110 new jobs, serve ex-offenders returning into our community, provide summer and year-round jobs to at-risk youth, provide targeted fair housing enforcement, and enable neighbors to become certified in healthcare fields, among other efforts,” noted James Taylor. “These activities benefirt not only the Indy East Promise Zone area, but our entire city.”
On May 18, 2015, community leaders announced that a large part of the near eastside, roughly from the Monon Trail on the west to Sherman on the east. 25th St. on the north to the railroad tracks south of Washington St. to the south (but also including the Twin Aire area and part of Washington to Emerson Ave.), was designated a federal Promise Zone. The designation allows organizations to get help with competitive grant programs targeted to help redevelopment of housing and commercial enterprises, crime prevention, and other goals to assist residents.
Mayor Hogsett also remarked that the successes of the Promise Zone were a big deal and had a ripple effect in the Zone. “I’m looking forward to the future of the near eastside returning to prosperity. I’m confident that our best days are yet to come.”