Downtown Indy Inc. provides update on Mile Square pilot program

Indianapolis, Indiana – Midway through a pilot program centered on Mile Square, officials with Downtown Indy Inc. gave an update on Monday.

As per the press release, the organization was awarded a $3.7 million grant by the city of Indianapolis for a pilot program that aimed to operate in the Mile Square neighborhood for 365 days a year. The program also included increased staffing dedicated to cleanliness, beautification, and public safety initiatives.

The organization is “touting new record highs in responsiveness and overall effectiveness,” according to officials, halfway through the program. This involves tripling the number of Clean Team employees and increasing waste cleanup by almost 550% for the entire week of services.

Additionally, officials reported that over 400 city blocks had been power-washed in 2023 and that the number of vandalism complaints that were responded to from January to September had grown by 1,500% from 2022. The organization has been able to expand the hours of its bike patrol unit thanks to the funding. There are presently eight months left in the program’s original financing.

“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,” Taylor Schaffer, the president and chief executive officer of Downtown Indy Inc., said in the release. “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.”