Grant to help redevelop Indianapolis brownfield site

A $200,000 grant has been awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pay for a cleanup and redevelopment plan for the former Thompson Electronics/former GE Sherman Park brownfield site in Indianapolis.

Indianapolis-based Near East Area Renewal was awarded the grant and is among 19 recipients of grants worth $3.8 million to create a plan for cleanup and reuse of brownfield sites as part of the Brownfields Area-Wide (AWP) program. 

“EPA’s Brownfield grant will help spur revitalization efforts in the Indy East Promise Zone which is now home to vacant or abandoned former industrial properties,” Douglas Ballotti, Region 5 acting superfund director, said in a news release.

The funding will be used by the city of Indianapolis, John Boner Community Centers, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Englewood Community Development Corp., Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Near East Side Community Organization and Riley Area Development Corp. to create a plan to redevelop the 3,600-acre urban district federally designated as the Indy East promise zone, EPA said in a news release.