INDIANAPOLIS – On Thursday, Oct. 30 the city began the demolition of the Oaktree Apartments, located off of 42nd Street and Post Road. The property, which was condemned in February 2014 by the Marion County Health Department, has long since been a hot spot for crime, as well as a drain on city and county resources. The demolition project is being coordinated by the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (BNS) and is the culmination of years of code enforcement activity. This activity ultimately resulted in the nuisance case filed against the property owner, Indy Diamond LLC. Since 2015, nearly 200 additional orders, such as repair, vacant board orders, and high weeds & grass violations have been issued against the property. Due to the size and scope of the project, it is expected to take at least six months to complete.
The Department of Metropolitan Development is currently working to acquire the site through eminent domain and will assist in future redevelopment.
In 2008, a tornado destroyed 48 units and damaged another 200, and in 2010, the Oaktree Apartments were cut off from Section 8 housing because the property failed to meet housing standards. In 2013, the city prosecutor filed a public nuisance case against Oaktree due to the number of police and fire runs, as well as numerous housing and building code violations. In February 2014, burst pipes deteriorated the property even further, leading the Marion County Health Department (MCHD) to condemn the apartments. Shortly after, the Marion County Superior Court ordered the removal of the remaining 46 tenants. Since then, the 336-unit complex has remained vacant, and the property owner, Indy Diamond LLC, has failed to demonstrate any effort to bring the property into compliance with local code. The demolition comes after a lengthy court battle that ended on August 15, when the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision, authorizing the city to tear the structures down.
