This past Saturday, August 28th, marked the return of the near eastside festival, Feast of Lanterns. The Feast of Lanterns has storied roots on the eastside, being thrown intermittently since the late 19th century. What once was a late summer event marked by neighbors placing lanterns on their porches has evolved over the past century
Now that our VISTAs have had some time to settle into their respective positions, we felt it was time to introduce you all to our current cohort. These VISTAs will serve a one year term, which started in June. Housed in the John Boner Neighborhood Center, the Promise Zone VISTAs target their efforts towards poverty
In 2007, neighbors from around the eastside came together to set benchmarks for how they wanted to see their community prosper. The culmination of those efforts became what would eventually be the original Quality of Life Plan, which was completed as part of the Great Indy Neighborhoods Initiative. The original plan was set forward as
On this first anniversary of PR Mallory’s grand opening, we at the Promise Zone believe it is important to reflect upon the accomplishments associated with the historic building’s resurgence to the eastside’s landscape. The PR Mallory’s renovation and restoration was a feat in its own right, taking nearly $38 million in funding and the resources
Indianapolis Mayor, Joe Hogsett, names Martindale-Brightwood as a Lift Indy neighborhood, joining the Near North Corridor as the second Lift Indy area for 2021. As a designee, Martindale-Brightwood will receive $3.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, spanning over the next three years. Community leaders and advocates praised the announcement as
“The plan for Stomping Ground has been in the works for nearly 6 years,” says Owner and longtime Near Eastside resident Martha Latta, who recently opened her retail shop and screen-printing studio in the Windsor Park neighborhood. “I work here, I live here, my daughter goes to school here. I feel so fortunate,” says Latta.
In response to the devastating economic effects of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Near East Area Renewal (NEAR), with support of the IndyEast Promise Zone, initiated an interactive campaign from November 9th to the 22nd to increase traffic for food and beverage establishments in the Near Eastside. Event participants were instructed to purchase a meal from
The Build Fund recently received an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Community Services (OCS) that will address community barriers and improve revitalization efforts by providing technical assistance and loans to businesses in the Promise Zone and surrounding Opportunity Zones. A significant portion of the funds are
Restaurant traffic has dramatically declined in the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing devastating economic effects across the nation. Restaurants and bars reported losing 48.1% of jobs from February to April, and according to a survey by the Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association, more than 4 out of 10 restaurant operators in Indiana say, “it is unlikely they will be in business
Business Ownership Initiative (BOI) received $200,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Program for Investment in Micro-entrepreneurs (PRIME), supporting their Re-Entry Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDi). PRIME grants support economic development by providing technical assistance to organizations that encourage training and education to build, expand, and sustain small businesses with special emphasis placed on organizations that assist