INDIANAPOLIS — The Anchor Revitalization Program was recently announced: A sweeping strategy aimed at redevelopment, local hiring and business opportunities around Marion County’s major institutional employers in partnership with LISC, INHP, Ascend Indiana and Employ Indy.
The Anchor Revitalization Program is a three-pronged approach, with “Live, Buy and Hire” strategies that engage some of the city’s largest university and healthcare campuses, community and cultural institutions that can act as civic and economic “anchors” to the often-challenged areas surrounding them.
LISC is taking the lead on initial efforts around the “Buy” strategy, focusing on the potential of small businesses within LISC FOCUS:Works districts, which include the Mass Ave Industrial Corridor (North Mass) and the East Washington Street Corridor as well as the Great Places 2020 neighborhoods, to take advantage of certain procurement opportunities at the anchor institutions.
The “Live” strategy targeted areas in some cases overlap with Great Places 2020 or Quality of Life neighborhoods in which LISC has supported the development of revitalization strategies which include a housing component. By providing opportunities for individuals to both work and live in the same neighborhoods, anchor institutions have a unique opportunity to contribute to the vitality of their surrounding areas.
The Anchor Revitalization Program has enlisted some of Indianapolis’ most impactful institutions to participate. These include: Butler University, Community Hospital East, Crown Hill Cemetery Foundation, Eskenazi Health, Health and Hospital Corporation, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis Museum of Art, Marian University, and University of Indianapolis.