The Sunday Post - June 7, 2026: Opportunity Zones, Smart Indy, and Thunderbird
- Michael-Paul Hart
- Jun 7
- 2 min read
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 2, Issue 23
Supporting Long-Term Investment at Washington Square Mall
This week, I wrote and submitted a request for the census tract that includes Washington
Square Mall to be considered for Indiana’s next round of Opportunity Zone designations.
I also encouraged city and state leaders to support the submission and help prioritize this area.
Opportunity Zones can help attract long-term private investment by offering federal tax incentives in eligible areas. For Washington Square Mall, this could be one more tool to help bring serious redevelopment interest to a site that has needed a stronger path forward for many years.
This does not fix the mall by itself. But it can make the area more competitive for future investment, redevelopment, and job creation.
If we are serious about building the Smartest City in America, we have to be proactive about using every responsible tool available to support places like Washington Square.
SmartIndy Fundraiser on June 11th
SmartIndy PAC is hosting a fundraising reception on
Thursday, June 11, 2026,
from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
at Prime 47, located at
47 S. Pennsylvania St. in downtown Indianapolis.
This event supports the work we are doing to build stronger grassroots engagement, support smarter local government, and continue the countywide conversation about accountability, transparency, and the future of Indianapolis.
Sponsorship levels are available at
Gold Sponsor $5,000,
Silver Sponsor $2,500,
Bronze Sponsor $1,000.
Individual attendee tickets are $100.
Directly RSVP Here: https://secure.anedot.com/smart-indy-pac/prime47
For questions or to RSVP: Heather Patterson heather@smartindy.org 615-438-3531
Thunderbird Site Walk Opportunity
There is also an opportunity for a small group of residents to walk the Thunderbird Commerce Center site with Lauth on Tuesday June 9th at noon.
Because this is an active construction site, space is limited to 8 additional participants. Closed-toed shoes are required, and a waiver will need to be signed.
If you are interested, please let me know and I can forward your request to the organizaing team.
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Thank you for reading Indianapolis City Council Updates and for supporting common‑sense leadership. Together, and with the community driving accountability, we are turning bold ideas into real‑world results.
Accountability, Transparency and Local Leadership
See you next week with more updates from the Neighborhood.
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