East 10th Street Civic Association

Development Projects

Rivoli Theatre

As one of the most unique historical attributes to the East 10th Street corridor, the Rivoli Theatre presents a fantastic opportunity for East 10th Street. After opening in 1927, the Rivoli hosted a mix of movies and concerts for over six decades—up until 1992 when the theatre officially closed. Since then community groups have been studying opportunities for revitalization, despite structural challenges to the property. While the viability of resurrecting a working theatre is debatable, restoring the façade and signage are important to the community, as it adds a certain element of character to the street and future street life. Presently, the Rivoli Center for Performing Arts, Inc. Board of Directors is focused on gaining site control and on the stabilization of the building.

Through a planning session with CICF and Project for Public Spaces in October 2007, community members advocated for short term improvements of the street intersection including re-striping of sidewalks, adding crosswalk lights, and landscaping and beautification of the area surrounding the property. In the long term, recommendations range from refurbishing the theatre’s façade to using the theatre’s wide sidewalks for a sidewalk café.

Clifford Corners

The East 10th Street Civic Association is partnering with Riley Area Development Corporation to develop the Clifford Corners project site located at 3101 - 3125 East 10th Street between Gray and Oakland Streets.
The Civic Association and Riley will co-develop a 30,000 square foot, multi-level/mixed-use structure, as well as a parking area located at the rear of the building. The development plans will also include a green space feature in a rear courtyard and parking area.

Anticipated end use of the development site will consist of commercial/retail space with sidewalk building entry and residential units on upper floors. Residential units will potentially include mixed-income housing and a combination of owner-occupied and rental units. Artist and other live/work space will be encouraged for a portion of the development. Resources will be available to help recruit business tenants for the commercial/retail space.

Jefferson Apartments
Home Ownership Incubator

With support from the Civic Association, the John H. Boner Community Center has developed a Home Ownership Incubator designed to help families become permanent stakeholders in the community. The program provides families with various sources of financial and social support over the course of three to four years, as they make the transition from renter to homeowner.

The incubator is located on the 10 East Main Street district, housed in the Jefferson Apartment Building. The building is located across the street from the John H. Boner Community Center at 2207-2213 East 10th Street.

School 54 Gateway

In the summer of 2007, the Civic Association gained ownership of the site of the former Rib House at 3042 E. 10th Street. After demolishing the structure on the property, the parcel is now a clean site. Current plans for the site include the development of a gateway to the new $12 million IPS Brookside Elementary 54 and a key public space for the 10 East Main Street neighborhood business district.

In October 2007, the Civic Association partnered with the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) to bring in national non-profit, Project for Public Spaces, to develop a comprehensive place-making plan for the property. The Civic Association, 10 East Main Street business owners, and area residents participated in the workshop.

Results from the planning workshops include ideas to turn the area into a plaza in front of the school that could be an outdoor classroom with the potential for gardens, outdoor benches, and activities and games for students of School 54. While the new plaza would be for the entire neighborhood, the new plaza would also serve as a gateway to the school and a welcoming presence on East 10th Street. Community members feel strongly that the school should have a stronger presence on East 10th Street and that measures are put into place to protect children from cars and traffic.

Funding and community partnerships are now being established so that proposed plans for the project space can be realized. Concept ideas from a 2003 study with Ball State University’s School of Architecture and Planning will also be incorporated as the project moves forward.