An east side neighborhood is getting some attention but not because of its past struggles with gangs, drugs or crime. The Realtor Foundation is adding $500,000 to aid the city's efforts in giving the area near 10th Street, Michigan Street, Rural Street and Tecumseh Avenue a big facelift.
For many years the St. Clair Place neighborhood has been hanging by a thread. Teale Rhodes is a Broker, with family that lives nearby he said it's a region spotted by boarded homes with dates sprayed on the boards.
"A lot of people say, ‘why do they spray a date on that? That's when the city sent somebody out to board it, but there's a history behind it. Somebody lived there. That was somebody's dream that was taken away from them. So that's sad to me," Rhodes said.
Now, help is arriving. The neighborhood is part of the Super Bowl Legacy Housing Project. It's also an area where the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors is spending a that $500,000 to turn run-down homes into jewels.
The Realtors were out in force Wednesday, helping neighbors pick up the pieces and examining freshly renovated properties waiting for new tenants.
"The Realtor Community has come in and said we'd like to take control over 32 of those homes, meaning we'd like to help fund renovation and new construction of those 32 homes," said Claire Belby, Communications Director for MIBOR.
As the work is finished, the houses, including turn of the century two-story gems, will be rented to homeless families or those in danger of becoming homeless.
"A family has not leased the property yet, although, it's ready. It's ready. They were just installing this morning, so it's ready to go," Belby said.
In the meantime, realtors like Teale Rhodes, who have family in the area, are keeping an eye on things. They said they are hoping their efforts will lead to neighbors adding their own elbow grease.
