Washington Square Mall site study sparks debate in Cumberland
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When the future of Washington Square Mall is subject, passions run high on the far east side. Photo: Justin L. Mack/Axios
The unveiling of a plan to determine what's possible for the future of Washington Square Mall on Wednesday quickly devolved into debates about ownership, responsibility and transparency.
Why it matters: The scene that unfolded proves that revitalizing the far east side shopping center in a way that satisfies all stakeholders won't be easy.
Driving the news: Indianapolis City-County Councilor Michael-Paul Hart was joined by members of the Lauth Group, Schmidt Associates, the Local Initiatives Support Corp. and Cumberland town manager Ben Lipps to announce a pre-development site study for Washington Square.
- The involved parties will spend three months working to produce an infrastructure site plan and concept renders with the goal of attracting investors and development partners.
- Hart, who indicated last year that mall owners Durga Property Holdings were open to selling, said Washington Square has become "a topic of conversation that everybody wanted a resolution for" throughout his second term.
Yes, but: Eddie Hager, COO of BRC Commercial Properties, claimed that his company has a pending purchase agreement with Durga with the intention of assuming legal control of the site and redeveloping it themselves.
- He said the mall needs extensive maintenance after years of mismanagement produced countless code violations and at least two civil suits.
- Hager accused the city of failing to enforce Durga's violations and leaving the public out of the loop in an attempt to assume control of the site.
Friction point: Keith Lee Jr., Washington Square's property manager since 2019 and Durga's representative, dismissed Hager's claims of an agreement while confirming that Durga principal Vijay Kumar Vemulapalli would entertain selling for the right price.
- But he took issue with Hart's plans to assess the site's feasibility, saying Durga was not made aware and that he would try to stop it from moving forward.
Flashback: In October, Vemulapalli told IBJ that he believed the city was issuing code violations to take the property and pass it to another investor, stating he would sue the city if it tried to seize the property for less than it was worth.
Between the lines: Caught between the city and the owners are Washington Square Mall tenants like R&S Menswear owner Sean Grant.
- He and about a dozen other tenants who say they didn't know about Wednesday's announcement demanded greater transparency.
- Grant said statements made by Hart and others about a sale have created a perception that the mall is already closed.
What they're saying: "We really need you to be clearer what you're doing … (and) what you're intending to do, because our customers have not been coming since you started speaking on TV," Grant told Hart.
- "We have lost 30% of our business — everyone here can attest to that — or more since you have been on TV."
What's next: Hart said the 90-day timeline to complete the site study begins on Feb. 18.