The Department of Metropolitan Development has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest for reuse of the Former Indiana Women’s Prison site.
The site which sits in the Willard Park neighborhood has been vacant for nearly a decade.
The Indiana Reformatory Institution for Women and Girls, as the former Indiana Women’s Prison was officially known, was constructed in 1873. The original buildings have since been demolished with the current buildings constructed in the late 1930s. The property was owned and maintained by the state’s Department of Administration until late December 2024, when it was transferred to the City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development as a part of a land swap.
DMD officials say they have, and will continue to, strategically engage with community stakeholders to ensure the needs of the Near Eastside are met. Historic preservation will remain a central component of the redevelopment effort, consistent with the deed covenants placed by the State of Indiana Department of Natural Resource Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. These covenants require preservation and adaptive reuse of all buildings and central greenspace, with the exception of the guard shack. DHPA must approve all new construction, additions to the existing structures and minor alterations to the exterior of the buildings.
A RFEI offers an opportunity to gather concepts, identify feasibility of adaptive reuse of the existing buildings and gauge interest from qualified parties in all, or a portion, of the former Indiana Women’s Prison. The information gathered will help shape the infrastructure planning and budget priorities for the redevelopment. All responses related to portions of vacant land ready for new construction must be paired with the reuse of at least one existing building. Rationale for the proposed use(s), demonstrating demand, impact, sustainability and capacity to execute will be given strong consideration.
Interested organizations are encouraged to review the full RFEI materials on the “Find Bid Opportunities” webpage and submit their responses electronically to Eddie.Shei@indy.gov by noon Sunday, Sept. 20. Site tours are scheduled for July 24 and Aug. 7. DMD is also offering pre-submittal conferences to interested parties before Aug. 31. Further information about the site tours and scheduling pre-submittal conferences is available in the RFEI. The RFEI reference number is RFEI-13DMD-2026-1.
