First thing you might think about today’s favorite: “Just hop on the bus, Gus…” and while there may be “50 Ways to Leave your Lover,” there doesn’t seem to be ONE for getting the school bus parking lot easing on down the road. (Music on the mind today)
With all the amazing things happening on Mass Ave, you’d think the buses would be outta here by now. Yet, they remain. With the new development going on adjacent, perhaps the tipping point on this property is soon to follow? Just seems tragic that this hasn’t been re-purposed yet. Pretty much everyone is in agreement, aren’t we: it’d be great to see live-work or condos above/ retail below. And it seems with the renaissance of the rest of the area, it’s ripe for just such a project. There was talk of something like that a few years ago, yet it never came to fruition. Was it money or reluctance on the part of IPS, or both? Also, if there was enough demand for business to sustain it, a redo that ends up like the Helms Bakery in Culver City, California would be awesome.
This building opened to the public in September 1931, cost $500,000 to construct the original set of buildings and was designed by Rubush and Hunter and built by the William P. Jungclaus Construction Company– just across the street from this building. The campus continued to expand, adding more buildings and space in the coming decades, at one time, purportedly cranking out more bottles than any other bottling plant in the country.
The terra cotta is awe-inspiring, manufactured by the Indianapolis Terra Cotta Company. Don’t you see this as a great place for commercials, photo shoots and movie scenes? What would your ideal scenario for this space look like?
Live work – if they made them that I’d be tempted to give up my ONS house and move in.
Word on the street is that this property was available in a land swap type deal for some time. However potential investors didn’t want to swap property and construct an new bus facility for IPS.
I’ve heard gossip over the years that this building might one day house a downtown Target store. I’m sure there are mixed emotional reactions to that idea. However, as a downtown resident, I would sure appreciate a quality big box outlet like Target located closer to home. And perhaps it would be a way to accessibly locate such a business while at the same time respecting and preserving the architecture and history of the building. Of course, I envision minimal alterations to the exterior, and I don’t know if Target (or similar retail giants) have a history of that sort of downtown development.
Maybe yhis might be a “first” for target then; maybe their red color use in other stores could be subdued, but used in a manner similar to coke’s use of the color red, as well as white…hopefully!
Took an interesting tour of coca cola bottling taking place there (Sablosky’s discount store where our Mom shopped was next door-I have dated myself!)
Great post, Tiffany! I used to live across the street back in 2001-2003. There was a lot of talk back then of turning it into a retail/dining space. It’s an idea that certainly wouldn’t suck — your post is spot on though: they need to say “Bye Bye Bussy.” (I tried to stay with your music theme.)
I’m surprised one of the big box stores haven’t claimed it yet. I think that a downtown Target or Trader Joe’s could be incredible in that spot.
A co-worker told me that he hadn’t been downtown in five years. Five years! It really made me think.
Until more Indianapolis residents care less about lowering taxes and more about having a vibrant cityscape, places like this will sit derelict. There’s tons of great historical places places like this downtown: This place, The Consolidated Building, The Illinois Building, Old City Hall, Lots of places on Washington between Penn and Meridian, and many others, but they sit empty. There’s a vocal minority who do care, but the average Indianapolis resident would rather go to places like Wal-Mart and Applebees. We will never move forward if this is the prevailing attitude.
Hate to admit it, but this sounds correct. This city, like Atlanta, could be more aggressive in promoting revitalization…especially via public-private partnerships.
Target is expending into urban areas, and has gotten good marks on working with historic buildings. Within the past few months, they have opened a new concept called “Target City” stores, the first being in downtown Chicago in the Carson Pirie Scott building designed by Louis Sullivan. Target has acknowledged that they spent more than they normally would on renovating the historic facade and interior details of the Carson building, but the good press has definitely been worth it. Here is a link to an article in the NY times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/business/retailers-expand-into-cities-by-opening-smaller-stores.html
Also, the main sticking point to the sale of the Coca Cola building has been the reciprocal trade for land that IPS has been requesting. Originally, IPS was asking to swap the Coke property for an equivalent building for their bus depot within a certain mileage radius of downtown, plus a monetary payout for the building. While trying to get money for development right now is not always easy, finding the amount of land for a new bus barn within the distance requirement has also been a problem. Find a solution for this, and redevelopment for the Coke building can proceed. Also don’t forget that the Coke building includes maintenance space for the city school buses, plus kitchen facilities for producing food that is served at most IPS schools. A lot goes on in this location!
Yes, but they also are schlepping those buses to the far corners of the city, if I understand correctly. And gas prices being what they are… Since there are all these townships, it would make more sense to me in this case that there be a few smaller places between some of the townships out in the burbs.
Do wish to follow the saga on this choice piece of downtown real estate…
Was there a company called Indianapolis Bottling Co. At one time? I have a bottle that looks like a green coke bottle with a C on the bottom.And on the side it has Indianapolis bottling Co.
This building is great lets put it good use and have some coke history inside and shair the history just like the car history just think coke-ford-gm-dodge and so on are the history of the great USA.
THIS BUILDING SHOULD BE ON TOUR JUST LIKE THE OLD FORD BUILDING –MALLORY AND SO ON LETS DO THIS INDIANAPOLIS
THIS WOULD BE GREAT FOR RACE CARS AND CAR MAKERS HERE IN INDIANA
Agreed. Both my sister and I took a couple of tours there when it was bottling coke.