The Sunday Post - March 29, 2026: What’s Next for Ransburg, Washington Square, and Indy Solutions
- Michael-Paul Hart
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 2, Issue 13
Washington Square Mall Planning Moves Forward
We are entering the next phase of the Washington Square conversation.
This work is moving forward, and that matters for the Eastside and for the future of Indianapolis.
Schmidt Associates is currently developing a vision plan for the Washington Square Mall site. On Wednesday, April 8 at 9:00 AM, we will hold an off-site meeting with current business tenants to hear directly from them about their experience, concerns, and ideas for the property.
To be clear, this is not a walk-through of the mall. It is a listening session focused on the people already doing business there and what they believe needs to be considered as this vision takes shape.
Their input matters.
If we want to create the Smartest City in America, we cannot plan major sites in a vacuum. We need real conversations with the people closest to the ground.
This tenant meeting is only one step. After that, we will hold two public meetings where residents from across Indianapolis will be welcome to attend, share their perspective, and help shape a vision that fits the needs of the community.
YMCA Update: A Hard Reality for the Eastside
I met again this week with leadership from the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis.
The YMCA shared that over an 18-month period, they conducted a large community process that included more than 110 meetings, focus groups, surveys, staff input, elected officials, and outside financial analysis.
Their conclusion was difficult, but clear.
Based on their review, the Ransburg facility would require roughly $20 million in endowment support and another $5 million in property maintenance and capital needs to remain financially sustainable long term.
That is a sobering number, and it helps explain why this decision has been so difficult for so many people.
I asked the question many in the community are still asking: what happens after March 31?
The YMCA explained that some programming will continue in partnership with MSD Warren Township, including before-and-after-school care, and the partnership with Warren Township Schools will continue to support day camp programming at Liberty Park Elementary.
As for the building itself, they said they are open to options including a sale, lease, gift, or other
arrangement. Their main concern is finding an operator who can realistically maintain a 65,000-square-foot facility with two swimming pools and major upkeep needs.
This is where the conversation gets emotional, and understandably so.
For many families, the Ransburg YMCA is not just a building. It is part of the Eastside’s story. It has been a place for health, youth development, connection, and stability.
That is why this moment hurts.
At the same time, YMCA leadership made clear that continuing to absorb the subsidized cost of this location, in their view, would put pressure on the sustainability of other YMCA sites across Indianapolis. That is the difficult judgment they ultimately made.
A lot of people have asked the same questions I asked in the room. What about corporate support? What about major community partners? What about one more year to find a solution?
Those are fair questions.
I know many residents and stakeholders wanted to find a way to bridge the gap and buy more time. I did too.
I have also heard from people who believe they did not have a real opportunity to be part of the prior process, and that frustration is real. Even if many meetings occurred, not everyone who cared deeply about this issue feels they had a seat at the table.
That should not be ignored.
Here is what I believe: even when a decision is painful, a community still has a responsibility to respond with seriousness, creativity, and heart.
The Eastside does not give up easily. We do not walk away from hard problems. We keep working, keep connecting people, and keep looking for the next path forward.
521 W McCarty St
This week I spoke with the owner of 521 W McCarty St about a possible use that could meet a
real city need.
He is actively seeking to transform the property into a homeless shelter, and he appears sincere about wanting to use the building for that purpose.
The first thing I told him was that I would bring the opportunity to the SmartIndy Housing and Homelessness Committee, which meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Southeast Community Center in Fountain Square.
I also shared the information in our group conversation so we can begin a more serious discussion about both the need and the feasibility of the site.
There are real questions that still need to be answered. An architect and others have already raised concerns about whether the building is physically suited for that kind of use. And the owner shared that previous conversations with potential operators have fallen through.
So the opportunity is real, but so are the challenges.
Still, this is exactly the kind of conversation Indianapolis needs more of. Smart cities do not just talk about problems. They identify assets, test ideas, bring in the right people, and see what is actually possible.
If you are involved in housing, shelter operations, social services, design, or redevelopment and want to explore the feasibility of this site, please contact me. I am happy to help make the connection.
A Strong Conversation with Shepherd Community Center
Some of the smartest work happening in Indianapolis is not always the loudest.
I had the chance this week to meet again with Jay Height of Shepherd Community Center, and as always, the conversation was thoughtful, practical, and deeply rooted in the real needs of people.
Jay is one of those leaders who leaves you more inspired after every conversation.
One of the most insightful things we discussed was Shepherd’s ongoing work around data and analytics in partnership with strong educational institutions. What they are building is a serious example of how quantitative data can be used to better understand community conditions and improve outcomes.
That naturally led into something I have been talking about for years.
Indianapolis should not only be looking at quantitative data. We should also be doing a better job collecting qualitative input from residents themselves. Numbers matter, but so do lived experiences. If we want better decision-making, we need both.
After the conversation, I raised this with Council leadership and helped connect Jay with our Chief of Staff so that we can explore how the City-County Council might support stronger analytical tools and more meaningful community insight.
If we want Indianapolis to become the Smartest City in America, we need institutions that combine data, community voice, and real-world action.
We also discussed upcoming SNAP and Medicaid requirement changes, the timeline of those changes, and how residents may be affected. That opened up a broader idea worth exploring:
Can Indianapolis work more intentionally with nonprofit organizations to identify volunteer opportunities for people who need to complete service hours?
That kind of system could create value on both sides. Residents who need hours would have a clearer path to serve, and nonprofits that are already doing important neighborhood work would gain more support.
That is the kind of practical, people-centered innovation our city should be known for.
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See you next week with more updates from the Neighborhood.
