Connections
The billboard at 16th & Delaware has served us well as a frame for place-based art that celebrates urban Indy and points people to the Harrison Center and City Gallery as a resource for great local art and artists.
The story behind the latest billboard is one that spans many years and a host of connections that have contributed the development of Herron Morton Place.
Let’s start with the art! The painting, by HCA artist Kyle Ragsdale, depicts Herron-Morton residents Ryan and Melissa Iannucci with their three children in front of a late 1800s cottage on Alabama Street. Melissa’s company, Trade Design Studio purchased the house (which sits almost directly behind the Iannucci’s house) in 2014 and completed what Nottingham Realty Group owner Mark Nottingham (also a Herron-Morton property owner) called “one of the most thorough renovations I have witnessed.” The home, which was featured on the 2015 Indy Rama Home Tour, was sold by Nottingham Realty, and is just one example of the ongoing partnership between these two companies that is contributing to the improvement of housing stock in this and other urban Indy neighborhoods.
When Nottingham was looking for a building for his urban realty company, he needed to look no further than to his neighbor, Iannucci. In her then role as President of the Herron-Morton Place Foundation, she was able to assist the company in purchasing the old foundry building at 16th & Alabama which had been owned for many years by the neighborhood foundation. It was a true win for all involved, turning a bit of an eyesore into a thriving local business with the added bonus of a new gathering spot, Foundry Provisions coffee shop. The addition of these businesses added momentum to the development of 16th Street, which has become home to a crop of popular restaurants, retail and more.
Whether gathering to enjoy local art, creating beautiful homes and getting to know the new neighbors they attract or starting and patronizing new local businesses—the people of this place are a picture (or painting!) of what makes urban Indy something to celebrate.