| Last updated on March 13, 2008 |
BRAG’s Mission statement:
Build a sense of community on the Northeast side of Indianapolis by
Retaining existing businesses
Attracting new businesses and residents
Growing toward a brighter future
BRAG is made up of an active group of volunteers who are dedicated to making our community the best possible place to live, work, conduct businesses, and raise a family. Our focus is economic revitalization and beautification of Binford Boulevard between I-465 to Kessler Boulevard and between Hague Road and Allisonville Road. For more information, please check our website, www.Binford71.org
BRAG’s Vision:
BRAG is committed to make the Binford corridor the most visually appealing and economically vibrant Gateway to downtown Indianapolis.
Description:
BRAG is involved in the following ways to improve the area between Hague Road on the east side, I-465 on the north side, Allisonville Road on the west side, and Kessler Boulevard on its south side:
- Collaboration: BRAG closely collaborates with its 24 neighborhood associations and with the 300+ small, medium, and Fortune 500 businesses to improve the economic, physical, environmental, and cultural health of this area. This is handled by regular email communications and extensive use of its website, www.Binford71.org.
- Services: BRAG is working closely with developers in the area to attract desirable retail and commercial services that are consistent with the prosperous neighborhoods that surround Binford Boulevard. During BRAG’s short history, several new buildings are underway. These include the Indianapolis Orthopaedic Center, Van Ausdall headquarters, CVS, Fifth Third Bank, and the Immediate Care Center that is Phase I of the new Binford Medical Center complex.
BRAG is a partner with the IU Masters in Public Health program and the Marion County Health department in a pilot program to educate and inform its community about the possible avian flu pandemic and other health emergency preparedness programs. BRAG was chosen because of its extensive email network and active website address.
BRAG’s primary role is one of economic development: to improve the array of retail stores and shops and restaurants with ones of quality that are unique and upscale. BRAG’s other major goal is to retain the outstanding businesses of all sizes that are within a one mile radius of Binford Boulevard. These include Community North Hospital, Mays Chemical, Stanley Security, Comcast, and hundreds of smaller and thriving businesses of all kinds.
- Environment/Visual Improvements:
BRAG believes that visual beauty enhances civic pride and will help recruit better businesses to its area.
With the generous support of KIBI, Indy Parks, and IPL, BRAG enlisted the support of 800+ volunteers on October 1, 2005 and April 22, 2006 and donations from 25+ area businesses to plant 200+ trees and thousands of perennials and bulbs along Binford Boulevard between East 75th and East 62nd Streets. This effort was under the guidance of David Gorden, senior landscape architect at Mark Holeman Landscaping, who provided the design plan pro bono to BRAG.
Future efforts will focus on plantings and pedestrian access along East 75th, East 71st, East 65th, East 62nd, Kessler Boulevard, and on the medians along Binford Boulevard. Planting dates are scheduled for Saturday, September 16th and Saturday, April 14, 2007.
In addition, BRAG will be working on plans to beautify Shadeland and Hague Roads, including attractive signage and lighting, designated bicycle lanes, and pedestrian access to the Monon Trail, Skiles Test Park, and the new extension of the Fall Creek Trail.
BRAG is fortunate to have several public and private schools within its boundaries. Lawrence North, Lawrence Central, Heritage Christian Schools, Eastwood Middle School, Skiles Test and Crestview Elementary school students and parents are in regular communication with BRAG. Many have participated in BRAG’s major beautification efforts on October 1, 2005 and April 22, 2006 to earn community service credits.
School administrators and parents of these schools have expressed the need for their students to be able to walk to school from their homes. As a result, BRAG is working closely with the City to provide safe pedestrian and bicycle access around their neighborhoods to these schools.
Although BRAG residents are mostly college-educated and businesses employ a disproportionate number of highly skilled workers, this area severely lacks any cultural programs and emphasis. Unlike Pike and Warren Townships with their vibrant performing arts centers, Lawrence and Washington Townships lack this important anchor. Because BRAG straddles both Lawrence and Washington townships, it is working to become the catalyst for an arts center with convenient access to schools, residents, and businesses.
While a cultural and community center is a long term goal, BRAG is actively preparing to open a Farmers Market along Binford Boulevard in 2007 that will feature not only fresh local produce but local entertainment and arts displays as well.
There are twenty churches of all denominations that play active roles in the BRAG area. Castleton United Methodist is well known for its fish fry in June of every year that brings out thousands of residents to enjoy the food and camaraderie. Many of the other churches have provided BRAG with considerable meeting space for up to 200 residents at a time. In addition, they post information on their church bulletins and newsletters. Several provide active volunteers to BRAG beautification projects.
- Safety: Because of a rash of residential and business burglaries in late 2005, BRAG instituted crime watch workshops with the help of the Marion County Sheriff’s Crime Prevention team. In addition, BRAG strengthened the collaboration between its residential Crime Watch Captains to form an instant network of communications should a crime occur in any one of the 24 neighborhoods. There is an equivalent business crime watch system that is manned by BRAG area businesses and schools.
In addition, BRAG has helped implement a police sub-station at Binford and East 71st for area patrol officers to use. This sub-station will be up and running in the fall of 2006. In addition to having access to phones and computers, patrol officers will meet their BRAG business neighbors and conduct special workshops for them about the latest crime prevention techniques.
The BRAG area has 24 prosperous neighborhoods with primarily homes for families and empty nesters. What it lacks are condos for those who would like to remain in the area after retirement. BRAG is working with developers to provide this kind of housing in new “villages” in its area.
BRAG is fortunate to have a wide variety of retail and professional services in its midst. What is lacking, however, are more independent restaurants with outdoor dining and upscale entertainment places like “City Walk” in Orlando. The BRAG area also lacks a grocery store that would appeal to the many “foodies” in the area who currently must travel to Sunflower Market, Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market, Wild Oats, and ethnic markets for unusual and interesting fare.
Specifically, BRAG is working hard to recruit Whole Foods Market to make its new home on the northeast side of Indy at the southeast corner of Binford and East 71st Street. A rally with 250+ folks attending plus hundreds of signatures and petitions and TV footage have been sent to Whole Foods in Austin TX along with demographic profiles of the area to interest them.
History:
BRAG started on April 27, 2005 at a grass roots meeting of 350+ disgruntled residents and business folks who met to discuss the fact that the intersection at Binford and East 71st Street was on a steep downward slope. Two major empty strip malls greeted the eye. Five fast food shops stood empty. A favorite hardware store was leaving. Shabby signs announced places for sale or lease. And this dreary sight had not changed for five years while 50,000 cars go by daily and homes in the area appreciate at the normal to above normal rates. Binford Boulevard is in great danger of becoming an eyesore for the City as well. Many of those who travel the Boulevard get their first impression of Indianapolis – and it’s NOT a good one!
On October 1, 2005 BRAG had its first major collaboration with businesses and neighborhoods and non-profit organizations. Through a generous grant from KIBI, considerable support from area businesses, the pro bono design plan of Mark Holeman Landscaping, and the efforts of 800 volunteers, a one mile stretch of Binford Boulevard between East 75th down to East 65th was planted with trees, perennials, and bulbs.
This effort was applauded by the Indiana Arborists Association who awarded BRAG its Gold Leaf Award. Phase II planting of 100 trees will occur on April 22nd, 2006 when close to 200 volunteers will be involved in a massive clean-up, removal of ugly chain link fencing along the Boulevard, and more planting.
Because of a crime wave in late 2005, BRAG organized crime watch prevention workshops for area businesses. In addition, it is building an electronic network of businesses and residents throughout the area to alert everyone instantly about suspicious activities or crimes. This effort has included the close collaboration with the Sheriff’s Department. As a result of meetings with the Crime Prevention team, it was determined that the BRAG area is under-served by patrol cars. Therefore, a community collaboration of businesses and BRAG has resulted in a lease-free space for the Sheriff’s department to use to do paperwork and to interact with area businesses and residents in the Binford and East 71st Street area.
BRAG has held semi-annual meetings with area businesses and residents since its inception on April 27, 2005. These meetings have had a range of attendance from 35 to 350 residents and businesses, learning more about developments in the area and efforts by BRAG. In addition, BRAG volunteers have been meeting individually with major businesses to outline their plans and to invite volunteer and monetary support from businesses. These efforts have resulted in more than $100,000 in in-kind and monetary support of the organization.
BRAG is holding regular meetings with City officials, especially MPO, DPW, Indy Parks, city councilmen, community meetings with the Mayor himself and his staff, and the Mayors Neighborhood liaison team to discuss projects and plans of mutual benefit. For example, Allisonville Road will be repaved in 2007. With BRAG’s help and that of GACC, discussions are going on about how to make improvements to this road that include designated bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and special turnoffs for busses between East 82nd down to Fall Creek Road. Allisonville will become the major conduit for residents and employees to connect to the new Fall Creek Trail and the Monon Trail to improve physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Separate efforts are underway to privately fund pedestrian access along East 71st Street.
In addition, there is an active collaboration between BRAG and Community Hospitals to improve the physical and economic health of the neighborhoods and businesses that surround Community North Hospital. Community’s “My community gets healthy” initiative is fully supported by BRAG.
Contact people:
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Jane Lommel, President, BRAG, (phone), (email)
Karen Kryah, Chair, Beautification Committee, (phone), (email)
Larry Riggle, Vice President, BRAG, (phone), (email) |
Office fax number: (317) 841-0704
Address:
|
6330 Lands End Lane
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.Binford71.org
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