Indy Economic Development, Inc., the city’s nonprofit economic‑development agency, held a public meeting on Oct. 7 to discuss a proposed $56 million tax incentive package for Metrobloks, a Los Angeles‑based developer planning a data center on the former Sherman Drive‑In site in the Martindale‑Brightwood neighborhood.
Residents voice health, safety and transparency concerns
Neighborhood activists, including Cierra Johnson, president of One Voice, expressed deep unease about the project’s proximity to homes, a public library and one of the area’s few grocery stores. Johnson said she is considering moving because she cannot “sacrifice the health and safety of my family for any reason.”
Long‑time residents also raised worries about environmental pollution, rising utility costs and the limited number of permanent jobs a data center typically provides. The site sits near 25th Street and Sherman Drive, an area already burdened by historic environmental injustices, such as lead‑contaminated soil from a former American Lead facility.
City’s inclusion plan offers $22.5 million for community benefits
When asked whether residents would receive direct financial assistance or relocation aid, Indy Economic Development President and CEO Andrea Richter‑Garry said the answer was no. Instead, the agency outlined an inclusion plan that would allocate $22.5 million to the neighborhood. The plan calls for an upfront $4.5 million for infrastructure improvements, parks and community grants, followed by $2 million per year for nine years.
Richter‑Garry emphasized that the funds would be used for childcare, workforce training and infrastructure required by city policy, but she did not identify specific recipients or projects at the meeting.
Faith leaders and longtime residents call the process “polite racism”
Rev. Denell Howard, pastor of Hovey Street Church of Christ, criticized the process, saying officials are “just telling us what they’re going to do” while the community has been saying no from the start. He described the pattern of predominantly Black neighborhoods being taken advantage of as “polite racism.”
MaCie Weathers, another longtime resident, questioned whether any meaningful benefits would materialize. “Could there be in 10, 20 years from now? My answer is no,” she said, adding that the community might not even be theirs when the promised improvements arrive.
Next steps: public hearing and vote
The Metropolitan Development Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote on the tax abatements on Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. in the City‑County Building, 200 E. Washington St. Residents are encouraged to attend and voice their concerns before the commission makes a final decision.
Indy Economic Development maintains that the tax incentive and inclusion plan are intended to spur economic growth while protecting the community’s interests. Critics, however, remain skeptical that the promised funds will offset the potential environmental and quality‑of‑life impacts of a large data‑center facility in a historically underserved neighborhood.
Original reporting: Mirror Indy — read the source article.
