For Immediate Release: November 13, 2023
Media Contact: Max Wing | max@downtownindy.org
Halfway point of Downtown Indy, Inc. pilot program shows impressive results for clean and vibrant Mile Square
$3.7 million investment has bolstered DII’s operations division, provided 7-day-a-week services
INDIANAPOLIS - - Earlier this year, Downtown Indy, Inc. received $3.7 million from the City of Indianapolis for a pilot program focused on 365-day operations in the Mile Square. This investment of funds included expanded staffing focused on cleanliness, beautification, and public safety initiatives. Now, as DII reaches the halfway point of the program, the organization is touting new record highs in responsiveness and overall effectiveness.
With the infusion of one-time federal funds, DII has been able to triple its Clean Team employee roster from 12 to 36 and is responding to requests made by Downtown property owners within a 24-hour window. From Jan. to Sept. of this year, the Clean Team successfully removed just under 6,700 bags of trash from Downtown – an over 550% increase from the same year-over-year timeframe – totaling roughly 335,000 pounds.
In addition to noticeably cleaner streets, the Clean Team maintains regular touch points with beautification and maintenance projects across the Mile Square, ranging from graffiti remediation to power washing. With additional support and staffing, the number of vandalism cases responded to from Jan. to Sept. 2023 – accounting for both graffiti and stickers – reached over 5,400, a nearly 1,500% increase from 2022. The Clean Team’s capacity also allows for more Downtown businesses and properties to receive power washing services. Over 400 city blocks have been power-washed in 2023, a number that has more than doubled since 2022. Total hours worked for the Clean Team since Jan. 2023 currently sit at nearly 50,000.
With eight months remaining in funding, DII President & CEO Taylor Schaffer recognizes the program’s potential if implemented long-term, “The allocation of one-time federal funds to the cleanliness of Downtown Indianapolis is essential to improving both quality of life and place for our residents and visitors. Without this consistent drumbeat, events lose vibrancy, businesses lose foot traffic, and conventions feel less hospitable. This is a reality DII must acknowledge and plan for as we round out our first year of unprecedented funding and resources.”
Clean Team employees, easily recognizable by their district neon yellow shirts and jackets, are also complemented by DII’s high-visibility Safety Ambassadors, started in 2020 as a public safety and Downtown recovery tool, and IMPD Bike Patrol. The City’s one-time federal funds have allowed DII to double its bike unit hours, allowing for more property engagements – an opportunity to serve as a friendly face to Downtown’s small businesses and hoteliers – which are up over 85% year-over-year. Arrests made by the bike patrol are also down nearly 45% year-over-year.
-30-
About Downtown Indy, Inc.
Founded in 1993, Downtown Indy, Inc. is a public/private partnership existing to improve Downtown and is also known as Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. As a private, not-for-profit organization, Downtown Indy, Inc. is uniquely positioned to address issues that affect the area’s growth and well-being. Downtown Indy, Inc. focuses on development, management, activation, and marketing to advance Downtown as a great place to live, learn, work, and play.