The Indianapolis firm behind the redevelopment of the former Marion County Jail II property on the east end of downtown is set to hold a ceremonial groundbreaking on the project Thursday.
When complete, the $84 million Cole Motor Campus at 730 E. Washington St. is expected to consist of 213 multifamily units, 13,000 square feet of retail and additional early childhood education space. Local developer 1820 Ventures LLC said the residential units could be available in the third quarter of 2026, with total completion expected in early 2027. The first retail spaces could also be available as early as 2026.
The groundbreaking, set for 10 a.m., comes as interior work gets underway on the overhaul of the former jail and Cole Motor Car Co. building, as well as the Arrestee Processing Center immediately north.
Over the past several months, a 62,000-square-foot portion of the jail property was torn down due to structural issues, with the remainder of the structure expected to be maintained and converted into housing. The city of Indianapolis paid for the demolition.
The project was initially set to cost about $120 million, but has undergone several revisions since first being proposed. Original plans included an indoor music venue as part of a partnership with the owners of The Vogue, but challenges related to the building structure for that portion of the project—and interest in other potential sites—led to a shift to focus on housing and retail.
Originally built between 1911 and 1922, both buildings were home to the Cole Motor Car Co. before it dissolved in 1925. Over the past near-century, the property has been used by a variety of tenants, including Service Supply Co., which was a prominent industrial fastener supplier in the mid-20th century.
The buildings have been controlled by the city since 1996, when they were converted to jail facilities. The 180,000-square-foot Jail II is at 730 E. Washington St., and the 100,000-square-foot Arrestee Processing Center is a block north at 752 E. Market St.
The architects on the project are Indianapolis-based DKGR and Meticulous.
Via Mickey Shuey