The Sunday Post — Nov 16, 2025: Washington Square, Winter Prep, and SmartIndy Work
- Michael-Paul Hart
- Nov 16
- 4 min read
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Your Weekly Look at Progress Across Indianapolis
This week ran a little later for me. My day job needed a heavier lift and I had to travel to New
Jersey to speak at an AI Summit where I presented on integrating artificial intelligence into the public sector. I also made a trip to Purdue to meet with their public relations and journalism students about the Google data center conversation. I did not take nearly enough pictures from either trip, but both were meaningful opportunities to represent Indianapolis.
Even with the travel, I was still able to move several things forward here at home. Our work toward building the smartest city in America continues, and I have a few important updates from this week.
🏗️ Washington Square Mall Update
Meeting with Schmidt and Associates
My ongoing effort to find the right partner for the redevelopment of Washington Square Mall continued this week with another meeting at Schmidt and Associates. While they are not developers, they are experts in architecture, engineering, and large-scale master planning. These are the teams that help shape the big picture before development even begins.
This was my second meeting with them. I had the chance to tour their office and speak with their business development leaders who have years of experience guiding site transformations. A strong master plan is essential for Washington Square. The Broad Ripple community is going through their own planning process right now, and we deserve the same level of vision and strategy on our Eastside.
Schmidt has been incredibly open and helpful. They have shared best practices, discussed what successful revitalizations look like in other cities, and offered to continue helping me build the expertise and connections needed for a redevelopment of this scale. This type of thoughtful planning is what smart cities invest in, and I am committed to bringing that same approach to our community.
What to Expect This Snow Season
A Resident-Friendly Breakdown of the City’s Updated Snow Policy
As winter approaches, I heard from a neighbor concerned about whether plows would reach their street during snow events. That is a reasonable concern, and it is exactly why the Council placed the city’s snow response strategy directly into ordinance earlier this year. This ensures predictable service, clearer rules, and better accountability.
After reviewing the full briefing from the Department of Public Works, here is a clear, easy-to-understand breakdown of what residents need to know:
Snow Route Priorities
The city follows a tiered approach:
Priority 1: Major thoroughfares
Priority 2: Connector streets and key routes
Priority 3: Residential streets, including HOA areas
When Streets Get Plowed
Priority 1 streets are plowed at 0-2 inches of accumulation
Priority 2 streets are plowed at 2 inches of accumulation
Priority 3 streets are plowed at 4 inches
Final deployment depends on overall conditions, including temperature, wind, and expected melt
Contractors Will Support Residential Streets
When conditions warrant, DPW will activate contractors to cover over 2,000 centerline miles of Priority 2 and Priority 3 routes. This helps ensure:
A single reliable pass on each residential street, under Priority 3. (Exception: HOA's where streets are private maintenance jurisdiction will not be plowed.)
HOA’s that provide their own plowing services should continue to do so if they want to guarantee a specific service level.
More efficient use of DPW resources
Contractors report in township by township and must complete their area before moving to the next.
Sidewalks and HOAs
HOAs receive a single pass unless the streets are privately maintained
Property owners remain responsible for clearing their sidewalks
DPW clears ADA curb ramps downtown
Snow Force Viewer
You can track plowing progress in real time: http://maps.indy.gov/IndySnowForceViewer
Trucks on Brookville Road
The Daily Issue and What IMPD Shared
Many neighbors have reached out about semi trucks parked along Brookville Road near the I-
465 entrance. Every morning, multiple trucks are lined up along the shoulder. I see the same thing when driving the corridor.
After continued follow up, IMPD shared the following clarification:
The only enforceable restriction is overnight parking between 12:00 am and 6:00 am.During daytime hours, semis are allowed to park on the shoulder since the area is not residential and they are not blocking travel lanes.
IMPD has instructed late-shift supervisors to monitor the corridor for violations, but the ordinance only allows for action during the overnight window.
This means the core issue remains. Residents experience trucks parked there all day long, and the current law simply does not address it. At this point, an ordinance change may be required to prohibit long-term parking along this stretch entirely. Neighbors shared examples from Hancock County that I am reviewing as a potential model.
💡 SmartIndy at Knoll Ridge
Weekend Pop Up Event
Today, SmartIndy is hosting a pop-up event at Knoll Ridge Apartments. This complex has been a concern for some time and deserves more attention. Working closely with the Town of Cumberland, we are pushing for real improvements.
This weekend’s event is focused on empowering residents by showing them how to:
Use the Mayor’s Action Center
File health department concerns
Document housing violations
Build clean case files that my office can formally escalate
SmartIndy will post photos on SmartIndy.org. This is part of our mission to strengthen communities and elevate resident voices. These are the building blocks of a smarter, more responsive city.
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Thank you for reading 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.
