Indianapolis breaks ground on Cole Motor redevelopment, pledges housing and downtown retail

Indianapolis leaders and private developers held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the redevelopment of the former Cole Motor Car Company and Marion County Jail 2 site on Oct. 27, 2025, announcing plans for housing, retail and infrastructure improvements in the Near East Side of downtown.

Mayor Joe Hogsett said the project will “elevate the urban core of Indianapolis to new heights” and tied the redevelopment to the city’s downtown resiliency strategy. “These buildings will soon be transformed into shining centers of downtown living,” Hogsett said.

The project will convert historic industrial buildings along Market Street into a mixed-use development that organizers said includes roughly 213 residential units and ground-floor commercial space intended to support new retail and jobs. City and project speakers said some units will be designated affordable, though the ceremony did not specify how many.

“By revitalizing this historic site into a thriving mixed-use development, we're not only preserving our city's rich heritage, but we're also…