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BUSINESS

Montage on Mass to bring much more retail to Mass Ave

James Briggs
james.briggs@indystar.com
Montage on Mass will add 37,000 square feet of retail to Mass Ave. in Indianapolis.

Massachusetts Avenue has restaurants. It has bars. It has entertainment.

But what about pet groomers?

A massive new project planned for Mass. Ave., as it's affectionately known, could be the tipping point that transitions the cultural district from one of Indianapolis' most popular nightlife destinations to a more well-rounded neighborhood. The $50 million Montage on Mass will bring 236 apartments and 37,000 square feet of retail to the 500 block of Massachusetts, increasing the district's retail space by about 25 percent.

The five-story building won't necessarily be a departure from nearby hangouts such as the wine bar Shiraz, Old Point Tavern and Ball & Biscuit. But it will replace the Indianapolis Fire Department and Firefighters Credit Union, bringing hundreds of new residents and several new businesses to a block that has long been an awkward route for people to traverse between shops and bars.

"It's a block that doesn't have any activity right now from a consumer or visitor or cultural standpoint," said Eric Strickland, executive director of the Riley Area Development Corp. and a member of the Mass. Ave. Merchants Association. "The fire department has been a great neighbor, but it's a long stretch of Mass Ave. to have to walk to get to retail."

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Montage on Mass is not only connecting shops and restaurants, but it's also going to add a lot more of them. In a neighborhood that Strickland estimates to have 150,000 square feet of retail, Montage on Mass' 37,000 square feet of additional retail space will reshape a well-established corridor.

Among the amenities Strickland would like to see added to Mass. Ave. include unique shops and restaurants and perhaps an art gallery. But Strickland also said the area could use something that rarely hasbeen discussed: neighborhood services.

"Maybe an additional dry cleaner and pet grooming," Strickland said. "There are other needs as we start to add apartments. A lot of people think of Mass. Avenue as the theaters or dining, but the population has really increased."

In addition to Montage on Mass, another apartment and retail project, Millikan on Mass, is in its second phase across the street. Once completed, that project will total 125 apartments and 19,000 square feet of retail.

"When you have 300 apartments open and 500 people move in, that's a big change for a neighborhood," Strickland said.

No retail tenants have been signed so far for Montage on Mass. Construction has yet to begin, but developers J.C. Hart and Strongbox Commercial hope to complete the project by 2018.

Beth Patterson, the director of retail services for Colliers International's Indianapolis office, who is handling leasing for Montage on Mass, said there is interest in all of the project's available space.

"We are looking at restaurants — we are trying to bring in unique restaurants," Patterson said. "We have boutique-type users that are new. We will be using some national (retailers), but we'd like for them to be unique to the Indianapolis market. And, of course, we want locals. We'd like a mixture of both."

Demand for the space is so high, Patterson said, that the development team will have its choice of tenants.

"We are going to be particular," she said.

Would national chains be welcome on Mass Ave.? Yes, Strickland said, so long as they're not restaurants you can find anywhere. ​He noted Bakersfield, a Mexican restaurant and bar, has five locations across the country, yet offers a unique atmosphere on Mass. Ave.

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"We do have a couple chains here. They don't really feel like chains," Strickland said. "Chains can still be intimate businesses that really fit in the location."

Desma Belsaas, a principal for project architect Schmidt Associates, said Montage on Mass will stay true to the neighborhood. She has been making the case for adding a $1 million mesh canvas as an art installation and nod to the artistic nature of Mass. Ave. The idea, which has yet to win city approval, has been controversial. But Belsaas said the development team is likewise seeking retailers that fit into the culture of Mass. Ave.

"Mass Ave. is such a unique place," she said. "Its tagline is '45 degrees from ordinary.' So it's not like we should go out and put the same thing that you're seeing in Carmel or out in Noblesville right here in Downtown Indy on Mass Ave. Creating those unique experiences is both an opportunity and a little bit of a challenge."