East Workshop Vision Two

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Vision Summary
This vision takes an entirely new look at the east-side area, envisioning for the most part complete redevelopment. On the Market Square Arena site a new and elaborate contemporary art museum is proposed to become part of an expanded Market District lining Market Street and containing both lunch-time destinations as well as neighborhood-oriented businesses like a drug store, grocery store, hardware store, and general store. A formal neighborhood center would be placed at the intersection of Market and Park Streets, where the intersection is chamfered to form a square. Virtually all buildings would be mixed-use, containing parking, residential, retail, office, and garden space. Wabash Street would be transformed into an interior pedestrian street while retaining the actual street below for deliveries and parking. The Massachusetts Avenue arts district would essentially expand into most of the east-side, creating a unique district that in itself would be a destination Downtown. Higher density buildings would line busy streets like Washington Street, while medium- and lower-density buildings would line other streets. A Justice Center is proposed just north of the existing Jail on Maryland Street to provide additional, more secure facilities for the court system. Extensive landscaping and streetscaping combine with the urban design components to create a more attractive and unique district for workers, residents, and visitors.

Team Members
Leaders Tom Gallagher & Scott Truex
Luke Dickey
Casey May
Brad Teter
Jeremy Culver
 
 
Vision Components
You can click on each image below for a larger view.  Images will open in a new window, and to return to this page, simply close the new window.  
 
Maps & Diagrams
Overall Plan
This image is the master overall plan.  Emphasis in this vision is placed on Market Street, which becomes a strong corridor leading from Downtown to nearby neighborhoods.  A new center is proposed at the intersection of Market and Park Streets, where a public square is surrounded by mixed-use buildings.


Size:  Medium   Large
Scale Diagram
In this plan, the scale of buildings steps down from the taller buildings surrounding the Monument Circle blocks gradually to the one to two story small homes of the Lockerbie and surrounding neighborhood.  
Scale Section
This image is a cross section of the above scale diagram, showing how buildings can step up from the smaller single-family homes of east-side neighborhoods to the skyscrapers in the city core.  
Trolley Connections
A new trolley system is envisioned in this plan to connect to and through the study area.  The dashed line shows trolley routes connecting eastside neighborhoods with Downtown, and also Massachusetts Avenue, the City Market area, and business and neighborhoods elsewhere in Downtown. 
New Landmarks
Contemporary Art Center
On the site of the former Market Square Arena, this vision proposes the development of a new art center to complement the Massachusetts Avenue arts district.  The arched building would also provide an anchor to the east side just as MSA did and much like the Capitol Building does on the west side.

Contemporary Art Center
The art center could potentially house a branch of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  Ground-level retail would complement the City Market as a shopping area, while providing a great gateway into the Downtown core.

An Expanded City Market
The City Market under this vision would become the heart of an expanded Market district, where small shops and vendors would line much of Market Street so that it truly became a "market" street.  Ground-level outdoor cafes, small art galleries, and produce stands could help enhance the City Market itself.

Market Street
Market Street has very historic and symbolic importance in Indianapolis, and in this vision the street itself becomes a landmark and focus of activity.  In this sketch, a boulevarded Market Street provides great opportunities for streetscape elements, including places for outdoor vendors to display their merchandise or for people to relax on their lunch break.

Justice Center
Just south of the City/County Building in a current parking lot a new Justice Center is proposed that would provide the courts with expanded and more secure facilities.   It could also create a strong public space between it and the City/County Building.

City/County Building Area
With the development of a new Justice Center to the south of the CCB, the existing plaza can be redeveloped to create a place for workers to relax or for the public to gather.  The Justice Center is shown to the south, while the City Market to the north is shown with skywalk connections to new buildings on the former MSA site.

Public Spaces and Urban Design
Market Street View
This view looking east on Market Street shows the development of a new focal point at the intersection of Park and Market Streets, where street corners are tapered to form a street plaza.  Market Street is lined with mixed-use buildings, including ground-floor retail shops and upper-level apartments or offices.
Market & Park
This sketch shows one corner of Market and Park Streets, where a street plaza is created by tapering the corners of the street intersection.  This new focal point provides a shopping area that could serve area residents as well as nearby businesses and offices.
An Urban Street
Mid-rise buildings with historically-proportioned facades are envisioned by this proposal to line the streets of the study area, which themselves are lined with streetscape elements such as landscaping, benches, and lighting.  
Market Street Neighborhood Center
An essential component needed Downtown for the increasing residential base are essential shops and services--a drug store, grocery store, hardware store, 'general' store, etc.  As part of the team's vision to expand a Market district, these type of stores could form a neighborhood center along Market Street.
Mixed-Use Buildings
The east-side area was historically very mixed-use, with residences, light industry, and businesses in the area.  Today mixed-use buildings such as in this sketch can include a number of uses, including retail, restaurant, residential, office, and even rooftop gardens. 
Washington Street Gateway
As a major thoroughfare and important street in Downtown Indianapolis, Washington Street in this vision is given a facelift with much higher-density buildings than exist on the site today.  The buildings would look much like those found a few blocks down Washington Street as you near the Circle. 
Washington Street Gateway
This image also shows Washington Street east of the Interstate overpass, looking back toward Downtown.  The interstate bridge has been improved as an arched bridge, while additional landscaping helps make the entrance more attractive.
A Parking Garage?
The east-side area serves a very important function for the rest of Downtown in providing a lot of parking.  Today most of the parking is on surface lots, with a few parking structures.  This sketch shows the existing Bank One parking facility along Market Street with a new "skin" that replicates traditional building facades.  Parking garages do not have to look like a parking garage at all and can also include other uses, especially ground-floor retail.
City-County Building Plaza
In this vision the plaza in front of the City-County Building on Washington Street receives a makeover, helping to create a more open feeling.  
Street and Transportation Improvements
Market Street Railroad Bridge
The railroad bridge leading over Market and Washington Streets into Union Station is currently a dark and dirty place for pedestrians and cars driving through.  The bridge is rehabilitated in this vision using some of the design elements from the City Market area to improve the appearance of the bridge.
Washington Street Interstate Overpass
The interstate overpass over Washington Street creates a very wide and inhospitable place with an unsafe feeling for pedestrians walking from east-side neighborhoods into Downtown.  This image shows how simple improvements can liven the place up, creating a sense of activity and increased safety.
Market Street Ramp Currently
The Market Street interstate ramp disrupts three blocks of Market Street before merging with the southbound interstate
Market Street Ramp Proposal 
In this drawing, the Market Street interstate ramp is removed, except for its supporting pillars.  These pillars could then be used in the future by artists as the east-side builds off the the Massachusetts Avenue arts district.  Artists could find a creative use for the posts while they preserve one aspect of the history of the area.
Interstate Ramp System Proposal
With the removal of the Market Street Interstate ramp, interstate traffic would be directed primarily onto and off of Washington Street.  A new on-ramp would be constructed from Washington Street to the southbound interstate, and from the northbound interstate to Washington Street.  Pine Street to the east of the Interstate would also be improved, much like it is further to the North as part of the Ohio Street ramp system.
City Market Trolley Stop
The City Market would become a central focus of activity in this vision, and would become one of many trolley stops in a new trolley system.  A map shown above shows linkages between the Market, east-side neighborhoods, the Downtown core, and Southside destinations.
Market Street Section
This cross-section of Market Street shows how mixed-use buildings front Market Street, which has landscaping and a boulevard. There would be two lanes of traffic and one lane of parking in each direction.
Trolley Street Section
In this sketch, the trolley is shown on each side of the road, with a boulevard in the center of the street and mixed-use buildings on each side.  Two lanes of traffic in each direction would be maintained.
Wabash Street Interior Section
Most of Wabash Street (an alley just north of Market St) could become an interior street, creating almost a mall-effect like Circle Center Mall, except with the street remaining intact for deliveries.  Shops, residences, and artist live/work areas could line such a street.
Market and Washington Streets Section
This cross-section shows the different scales of buildings proposed for the area, with larger buildings fronting the larger, busier Washington Street, and smaller buildings lining the smaller, more pedestrian-oriented Market Street.  Again, most buildings are mixed-use, and pedestrian enhancements help liven up the streets and sidewalks.