INDIANAPOLIS — On Oct. 17, the Riley Area Development Corporation received an Indy Chamber Monumental Award in the Real Estate Development category for the rehabilitation of the facility at 1417 Commerce Ave. on the near eastside.
RADC bought the 20,000-square foot structure just south of Interstate 70 in 2017 and has spent $500,000, including purchase price, to prepare it for occupancy. Located about a block northeast of the Circle City Industrial Complex at 10th St. and E. Brookside Ave., the building was constructed in 1898 as part of the Brookside Lumber and Coal Co. In 1950, the Harry C. Ent Materials Co. redeveloped the property as a machine shop that it expanded in 1964. The last tenant, Precision Piston Rings, occupied it until 1974. The building between 1974 and 2017 was used exclusively for storage. The building now includes candy producer The Best Chocolate in Town and Impressive Prototypes, LLC.
The Monumental Awards honor outstanding achievement by individuals and businesses that contribute to excellence in their fields. Other awards went to Parkwood Amenity and Recreation Center for outstanding architecture, Braden Business Systems for construction, The Cabaret for engineering, Cook Regentec Innovation Center for innovative re-use, JLL for interior design, the Ruins at Holliday Park for landscape architecture, the Phoenix Theatre for neighborhood revitalization, and Allied Solutions for the People’s Choice award.
