Downtown Indy, Inc. Celebrating a “Blockbuster” Year

INDIANAPOLIS — Downtown Indy, Inc. called 2024 a blockbuster year with a massive increase of more than 7.4 million visitors to the downtown area for sports and entertainment events.

This is just the beginning, said President and CEO Taylor Schaffer, who presented to more than 300 community leaders Thursday.

“The calendar continues to move forward. There will be lots of opportunities for people to celebrate downtown,” Schaffer said.

There were also new developments, with seven major projects completed between September 2023 and September 2024. These include five residential buildings, a mixed-use development and a new road project, which has since contributed to a 66.4% increase in the number of families living in the city centre. 2010.

Schaffer emphasized the importance of this growth and called on the community to support the ongoing transformation of the downtown area.

Meanwhile, crimes have decreased. Downtown remains the safest area in Marion County, accounting for only 5% of total crime, and violent crimes are down 23.2% from last year. Schaffer attributed this decline to increased investments in resources, technology and security initiatives.

Former Pacers Sports and Entertainment CEO Rick Fuson received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his impact on the downtown community. Fuson was proud of the progress the city has made and looks forward to its growth in the future.

“I think we’ve got to keep selling. We’ve got to keep marketing ourselves. It’s each of us responsible to do that,” Fuson said.

But there’s still work to be done. Schaffer says vacancy rates are up 9.9%. He hopes more people will choose to live, work and gather downtown and celebrate it as a vibrant, community-centered neighborhood.