One of the oldest commercial buildings in Irvington fell victim to autumn storms which raced across Central Indiana on Nov. 17. The Old Irvington Post Office, the 110-year-old building located on the corner of Ritter and East Washington St., was undergoing renovations thanks to the efforts of the Irvington Development Organization (IDO) and the Irvington Historical Society (IHS), and was unoccupied. The walls had been braced by construction teams working on the renovation; the building’s roof had been removed and the interior gutted.
The walls on the east and west sides of the building fell during the storm, leaving just the facade standing. Due to public safety concerns, a decision was made to demolish the remaining walls. No decision has been made as to what to do with the property.
IDO Executive Director Margaret Lawrence Banning noted that the loss of the building wasn’t just the loss of a historic structure, but also a “loss to the neighborhood. It was a key element of our urban environment.”
The building was purchased by a partnership of IHS and IDO late in 2012. The goal was to renovate the building and either sell it or lease it when completed. The building was an attorney’s office, various stores, a drug store, and a post office. It had been vacant for many years before being purchased.
As recently as October of this year, IDO and IHS held fundraisers to bring in money to renovate the building. Banning said that they were carrying debt on the property, but also had the building insured. “We’ll have to see how things work out,” she explained.
As to the future of the corner, Banning remains hopeful. “We hope something will be built there, similar to or better, whether IDO or someone else is building it.”
In the meantime, the community recently celebrated the official opening of the Irvington Lofts apartments, built on the site of the old Indy East Motel.
