The Sunday Post - April 12, 2026: SmartIndy Organizing, Washington Square Input, and Early Questions at Thunderbird Data Center Project
- Michael-Paul Hart
- Apr 12
- 5 min read
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 2, Issue 15
SmartIndy in Action: Lawrence Township, Gleaners, and What Comes Next
This was a strong week for SmartIndy.
We started with another community engagement meeting in Lawrence Township. These
meetings are about more than conversation. They are about helping people understand how local government works, what tools are available to them, and how they can become more effective voices in their own neighborhoods.
One of the biggest challenges I see as a councilor is not a lack of caring. It is a lack of access to information. Too many residents want to help improve their communities but do not know where to start, who to contact, or how to turn an idea into action.
That is exactly what SmartIndy is working to change.
Our goal is to build a stronger network of engaged residents across Indianapolis, people who are informed, connected, and ready to help shape better policy from the ground up. That is how we create a city that is not only more responsive, but smarter.
At this meeting, we continued work around our community profile effort. If you have not seen that yet, I encourage you to take a look and fill it out. It is designed to help residents identify the strengths, challenges, and opportunities in the places where they live. Over time, this can become a powerful tool for organizing communities and bringing forward ideas that truly reflect the voices of Indianapolis residents.
SmartIndy also spent time volunteering at Gleaners this week, and I am grateful for everyone
showed up to serve. Food banks are one of the clearest examples of neighbors helping neighbors. The work was simple, meaningful, and worth doing. A few hours of time can make a real difference for families across our city.
If you have never volunteered at Gleaners, I would encourage you to do it.
And next up, SmartIndy will be participating in the Warren Township cleanup on the 18th. I would love for you to join me for a couple of hours that Saturday. I am asking people to join me on Bus B as we work to clean up the area around Washington Square Mall. Small acts of service matter, and visible improvement still matters in the effort to build stronger communities.
Washington Square Mall: First of Three Engagements
This week, we held the first of three planned engagement sessions connected to the future vision for Washington Square Mall.
As a reminder, Schmidt Associates is helping build a tangible site vision for what this property could become. That matters because for too long, people have talked about Washington Square in broad terms without giving the community something real to react to. This process is intended to change that.
The first session focused on business owners and current tenants.
That was important. If we are serious about building a future for this site, we need to hear directly from the people operating there today. Their perspective matters, not only because they understand the current challenges, but because they also hear directly from customers about what the community wants and what the site is missing.
The conversation was not just about the mall’s current problems. We also asked forward-looking questions. If the property were reconfigured, what would need to change? If a new ownership group came in and improvements were made, what would tenants be willing to support? What types of businesses, services, and experiences does the community say it wants to see?
These are the kinds of questions that help shape a vision that is grounded in reality and connected to neighborhood needs.
We also provided an online option for those who could not attend in person so their input could
still be included.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue this engagement process. The next public-facing meeting is being planned for April 27, and the goal is to make that session open to the broader community. More details on the location will be shared soon, but for now I would encourage you to mark your calendar.
Thunderbird District Data Center Proposal: Early Process, Real Questions, and a Professional Approach
This is the issue many people are watching most closely right now, and it is important to start with a clear point:
This proposal is different from the Google data center situation District 20 dealt with in 2025.
The biggest difference is procedural.
This is not a rezoning case. It is a use variance request. Because Indianapolis development standards do not currently list data centers as an allowed use in this zoning category, the petitioner must go before the Metropolitan Development Commission to request permission for that use.
That matters because the process is different, and so is the role of the City-County Council.
In a rezoning case, a councilor has different authority, including the ability to bring the matter before the full Council. In this case, that does not apply in the same way. The final decision rests with the Metropolitan Development Commission, not the full City-County Council.
So where does that leave us?
It means we are early in the process, there is still a great deal to learn, and the most important thing the public can do right now is stay engaged, ask thoughtful questions, and provide constructive feedback about impacts and possible protections.
That is the posture I am taking.
I do not think this is the moment for people to rush to conclusions, either for or against. I think this is the moment to gather facts, understand the process, and make sure the community’s concerns are taken seriously and professionally.
It is also important to understand the context of the site itself.
This is part of the Thunderbird District, an area with a very specific redevelopment history. The site was formerly tied to heavy industrial use, including the legacy of the old Ford plant. Because of the environmental sensitivity of that land and the surrounding industrial character, development options there have long been more limited than on a typical site.
That broader context matters.
It is also worth noting that when Lauth Group approached the city and local leadership about redevelopment of this area, a TIF district was established, and the growth in property tax value from that site has been tied to support redevelopment at Irvington Plaza. That is not something most people will see in a headline, but it is part of the broader picture residents deserve to understand.
As for the proposal itself, this is not being described as a hyperscale project like Google. The first building is being discussed at roughly 80,000 square feet, which is far smaller than the type of facility many residents may be imagining. It also would not be the first data center in or around District 20.
Still, size alone does not settle the issue.
Details from the Petitioner:
The real questions are about impact, compatibility, infrastructure, buffering, traffic, utilities, long-term community value, and whether commitments can be secured that reflect both responsible development and neighborhood concerns.
That is why I am encouraging residents to stay involved, bring questions, and remain professional throughout the process. The earlier the community engages, the better chance we have of influencing the conversation in a serious and constructive way.
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See you next week with more updates from the Neighborhood.
Speaking of LAUTH, that reminds me: There are two companies with pairs of members on the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis board of directors: Citizens Energy Group, with CEO Jeffrey Harrison the notable member, and LAUTH, with CEO Adam Broderick the notable. As you know, CEG is increasingly involved in Hamilton and Boone; they just acquired the Whitestown water utility, for example. Which goes with our belief that Y-GI basically abandoned the poor and minority-laden Eastside for the affluent northern suburbs. And I'll bet anyone that Lauth is similarly profiting up there. Anyway, thanks for the explanation of Thunderbird, but as I said before - at length, and also via email - I expected you to provide a correction to the…