Demolition of former downtown jail to start soon

Catch up quick: Inmates were moved from the jail at Alabama and Maryland streets to the new Community Justice Campus in Twin Aire in 2022.

• The jail's final occupant, the Forensic Services Agency, relocated to the new campus in September of this year.
• Pre-demolition work started inside the former jail in October.

Between the lines: The former jail site is in a crucial location for Mayor Joe Hogsett's plans to center redevelopment of the area around a Major League Soccer stadium.

• The city has acquired a neighboring parking lot and is negotiating over another.
• The IBJ reported that the city is also looking to acquire the downtown heliport site, which was recently approved for decommissioning by the Federal Airport Authority.

What they're saying: "The future redevelopment of this site is one of many in the pipeline that are contributing to downtown Indianapolis' exciting and bright future," Hogsett said.

Zoom out: A significant amount of redevelopment is happening downtown, including the new Signia hotel at the Indiana Convention Center, the pedestrian overhaul of Georgia Street, Elanco's new headquarters at the old GM stamping plant, the planned renovation of Circle Centre Mall and the transformation of Old City Hall into a 32-story mixed-use tower with hotel and living space.

What's next: Demolition work on the jail will continue through summer, according to the city.