The Spring public meeting for the Broad Ripple Village Association (BRVA) was held on April 19, 2023, at the Broad Ripple High School (BRHS) auditorium, located at 1115 Broad Ripple Avenue [H9 on map]. There were around 50 in attendance.

BRVA Executive Director Jordan Dillon welcomed everyone. She announced the Earth Day Village Clean-up event for April 22.

Jordan announced that the BRVA hopes to bring back the Home Tour for 2023 if enough homes can be found to participate.

First on the agenda was the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD). Sergeant Corey Mims gave the crime statistics for the Broad Ripple area. Mims answered several questions from the audience about safety.

Next on the agenda was the Department of Public works (DPW) to talk about the Broad Ripple Avenue project. They started by saying that the project to replace the Westfield Boulevard bridge over the canal is expected to begin in the fall of 2023 and be completed early 2024. The project is contracted to not exceed 100 days.

It was also announced that the Monon Trail widening project will continue north of 56th Street. Land is being acquired for that expansion.

The Broad Ripple Avenue project that is upgrading the drainage, widening the sidewalks, and adding new lights, is now in Phase 2A.

The Phase 2 part of the project has been split into 2A and 2B, following a meeting with business owners. This split allows more of the street to be open at various times to businesses. Phase 2A is starting at the Guilford end and should be complete by the end of May. Phase 2B will be at the College end and is expected to be complete by the end of August.

Last fall the drainage was installed from the Monon Trail on the east end to near Guilford on the west end. Also underground gas and water utilities were relocated and half of the old streetcar tracks were removed along the entire project length from College to the Monon Trail.

Currently the new drainage system is being installed through the Guilford Avenue/Broad Ripple Avenue intersection, working to the west. The second set of streetcar tracks will be removed.

Here are photos from the BroadRippleHistory.org Streets Pictures page of the locations of the old streetcar tracks.

Last on the agenda were representatives from Indianapolis Public Schools. Andrew Strope, Deputy Superintendent at IPS, discussed the recent scholastic successes of IPS, as well as the upcoming capital referendum. The referendum that will be on the May 2, 2023, ballot will be to vote for additional funds from property taxes to pay for IPS building and grounds improvements. The increase in an individual's property tax would be about $3 for the median home value. One of the capital improvements would be an addition to IPS Butler Lab School 55 on 54th Street. Another will be an HVAC upgrade for the BRHS building.

It was announced that the BRHS building should have between 1300 to 1400 students in the 2024/2025 school year. That is 900 middle school students from IPS and 500 to 600 High Schoolers from Purdue Polytechnic High School (currently occupying the 3rd floor).