Making old urbanism new

A blighted Indianapolis neighborhood gets another chance with the help of federal funds and new urban design guidelines. The fate of the Fall Creek neighborhood on Indianapolis’ near north side mirrors that of countless urban neighborhoods in the second half of the 20th century — the flight to the suburbs sent the area into a downward spiral of decay and poverty. In this case, however, the depopulation and deterioration was so severe that 75 percent of homes were demolished between 1956 and 1999 — and they were not replaced. The revitalization currently underway got its start with a $4 million Homeownership Zone grant, which the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the city in 1998. The Homeownership Zone program supports the construction of affordable, private housing in economically depressed inner cities. Like HUD’s Hope VI program, it calls for the adoption of new urban principles to create and sustain walkable neighborhoods. Fall Creek Place, as the neighborhood is now called, still has an intact, historic street grid with alleys and about 100 occupied homes, so it is not subject to the kind of comprehensive redesign typical in Hope VI projects. However, new urban design guidelines and a strict review process will ensure that new homes are compatible with the prevailing neighborhood character. The project is a mixed-income initiative, with 51 percent of the homes targeted to households earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Following the grant approval, the City of Indianapolis hired Urban Design Associates (UDA) of Pittsburgh — designer of numerous Hope VI projects — to create a master plan and conduct a market study. The city has subsequently acquired most of the vacant lots in the neighborhood, and has entered into a public/private partnership with the King Park Area Development Corporation and master developer Mansur Real Estate Services. Building on the UDA plan, the Schneider Corp. of Indianapolis has created a phased implementation strategy and made specific recommendations on the infrastructure improvements. Fall Creek Place covers a 26-block area and includes 292 developable lots. Over the next five to seven years, Mansur plans to build 243 single-family homes and 87 townhomes and will also rehabilitate 46 houses. The development strategy includes a strengthening and expansion of three retail clusters in the neighborhood, says Chris Palladino, a project manager with Mansur. Though the basic infrastructure is intact, significant enhancements are needed: in the form of new parks, sidewalks, street trees, lighting, and bus shelters, and improvements to intersections and bridges. Mansur estimates that hard and soft infrastructure costs will amount to nearly $13 million. Public subsidy for these costs may come in the form of tax increment financing. Guidelines ensure quality All building designs submitted by the eight builders in Fall Creek Place must be approved by a design review committee consisting of representatives from Mansur, the city, the community development corporation, and Rottman Garner Architects, which designed six prototype homes for the neighborhood. “We originally did not want to use vinyl siding in the neighborhood, but we decided to allow it in some homes to bring the cost down,” Palladino says. While brick, wood, and cement-fiber siding are preferred, vinyl is allowed with limitations. The siding cannot have wood grain stamping and no shiny finishes are allowed. Builders may use only double-four or triple-three type vinyl siding (panels with two four-inch boards or three three-inch boards) and must always install wood trim around doors and windows. The guidelines stress the importance of authentic window design and materials. All windows should be double hung — if not in operation, then in appearance — and snap-on muntins or muntins sandwiched between panes are not allowed under any circumstances. The preferred window materials are wood, or aluminum- or vinyl-clad wood. The guidelines allow only alley-loaded garages and prohibit any curb cuts in the street. Though garages are strongly recommended, builders may substitute a paved parking pad to maintain the affordability of the home. Porches must be a minimum of seven feet deep, and any detailing will be under close scrutiny for architectural consistency by the review committee. In addition to the written guidelines, the review committee supplies builders with an illustrative guide to residential construction. Homes in Fall Creek Place will sell for between $95,000 and $180,000. Homeowner incentives With support from the city and local banks, qualified home buyers are offered several incentives to choose Fall Creek Place. For households at or below 80 percent of the area median income, the city pays $15,000 to $24,000 of the down payment. For buyers of market-rate homes, the city will match up to $10,000 of the down payment (first phase only). A tax abatement program creates a five-year exemption for the first $36,000 of assessed value, which results in an annual savings of $1,300. In addition, some banks provide customized, fixed-rate mortgages at up to 1.5 percent below the current market rate. “It works out so that a person who could afford a $100,000 home elsewhere in the city, can buy a $140,000 house in Fall Creek Place,” Palladino says. Fall Creek Place is an example of unobtrusive New Urbanism — it is not a redevelopment that breaks new ground or calls attention to itself, but in keeping with the Charter of the New Urbanism, it “affirms the continuity and evolution of urban society.”