Broad Ripple is ready for a comeback
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A look at Broad Ripple Avenue from the pre-pandemic era. Photo: Peetlesnumber1/Wikimedia Commons
The people who live, work and play in Broad Ripple want the rest of Indianapolis to return.
Why it matters: The popular neighborhood known for its bustling nightlife and collection of local businesses has struggled to recover after more than two years of combating construction and gun violence.
Driving the news: Members of the Broad Ripple Village Association met with business owners and Indianapolis police yesterday at Kilroy's for their regular meeting to discuss ongoing improvement efforts.
- Topics included joint initiatives with IMPD to enhance safety, attracting new visitors and letting people know that — despite the negative headlines — perceptions surrounding Broad Ripple are not reality.
What they're saying: "Whenever we have something that happens here, no pun intended, it creates ripples. And it continues to stick in people's memory," BRVA Executive Director Jordan Dillon told Axios. "We ask that people acknowledge those things when they happen, and understand that we're trying to learn from those mistakes as well.
- "We hope that people stick with us."
Flashback: Violence became part of the neighborhood's narrative after a triple homicide on Broad Ripple Avenue in June 2023.
- Response to the shooting included plans to use Mayor Joe Hogsett's gun-free zone program, but insurance issues got in the way.
- Problems continued this March when a shooting inside the former Landsharks left one man dead and five others wounded.
Between the lines: While some point to shootings as the reason they've been avoiding Broad Ripple, The Quarter and Cholita Tacos owner Michael Cranfill told Axios that "massive but necessary" road construction that began in early 2022 is when the real problems started.
- The work created an undesired atmosphere for patrons, problems for first responders and put the squeeze on profits for business owners.
- Cranfill said the trouble led to the formation of a bar and nightclub safety organization that would call on the city for assistance, and work to change the story developing around the neighborhood.
State of play: So Broad Ripple started changing. Bar owners set self-imposed limits to close at 1am instead of 3am to control crowds while construction lingered past its expected completion date.
- Working closely with IMPD led to the installation of new lighting, camera and surveillance systems to enhance safety, along with increased street patrols.
- With construction completed and new safety measures in place, the self-imposed limits have been lifted.
Zoom in: Jade Sharpe, director of operations for Kilroy's, says getting people to come back to Broad Ripple has been challenging, noting that areas like downtown will always be bolstered by big events amid difficulty.
- She said things like the addition of a new patio outside Kilroy's to host live music, bar crawl promotions and the return of Indiana happy hours should help make the area a destination again.
- Cranfill, who also owns businesses downtown, added that the neighborhood doesn't have pro sports teams or dedicated tourism organizations to draw consistent attention.
"Broad Ripple has always been on an island, so to speak. And an island that you couldn't get to for two years. So we are getting out there to show people who we are and what we do," he said.
- "And it's not just a thing of the past. It is now, it is the future and we're going to continue to grow and evolve and recreate ourselves. But we're always going to be that same special place.
The bottom line: The Broad Ripple you remember is gone. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.