Tully: Broad Ripple desperately needs this improvement

It seems like few weeks pass without some new accolade for Mass Ave or Fountain Square, those two shining Downtown examples of how neighborhoods once struggling can transform into something magical.

Thirty minutes north, meanwhile, Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard is building a livable and walkable downtown that is pulling off a suburban miracle: competing effectively for the same type of urban-minded 20-sometings and empty-nesters who have been flocking to Indy's Downtown. The growth is stunning; even early on a recent Saturday morning, construction crews were working on the latest additions to the bustling city's center.

And then, halfway between those thriving areas, lies Broad Ripple. It was once unrivaled in this region in the minds of those looking for a nighttime hot spot or in the hearts of recent college grads longing for the vibrancy of Bloomington or some other college town. All while also serving as a magnet for many families looking for a house to buy that didn't involve a trek to the suburbs.

As someone who loves Broad Ripple and what it stands for, who lives on its edges, who 20 years ago spent too much time in its bars and these days takes his little boy there for popsicles and popcorn, it took a long time to admit that its current version doesn't match up with its rivals to the north and south. Or that it has declined.

The data released by Indy Downtown advocates this week — showing tremendous retail and residential growth and strength in the center of our city — backed up this anecdote: In the past several years, as I have talked to many 20-somethings who have moved to Indy, I can't think of one who has picked Broad Ripple over Downtown.

It's a shame, because Broad Ripple remains a wonderfully eclectic and, at times, vibrant neighborhood. South Broad Ripple, particularly the area around 54th and College, has experienced a tremendous rebirth in recent years, and the lines outside HopCat, a new bar and restaurant inside the new parking garage, make clear that many haven't given up on the neighborhood.

But the reality is this: If you bring up the subject of Broad Ripple these days, the most likely reaction is a worried shake of the head. For reasons real and also exaggerated, Broad Ripple's crime problems are exacting a great price. This week's killing near Broad Ripple High School brought back the same feelings we all had when eight people were shot outside the bars this summer. These issues, coupled with competition from other neighborhoods and far too many empty storefronts, have raised serious questions about Broad Ripple's future.

That future is important to Indianapolis, a city that already suffers from too few walkable and lively neighborhoods — the type of areas that set great cities apart and create that prized local sense of uniqueness.

Broad Ripple needs a boost, something big to change its direction and to remind people of the wonderful place it is, and what it can be. That's what makes this week's news about progress toward a long-stalled retail and residential development along College Avenue, just north of the canal, so welcome.

The $30 million development, to be built partly on the site of a vacant gas station, has been the subject of a tortured and overheated debate.

A small band of critics have treated the idea that a Whole Foods might move in as some sort of tragedy that would rid Broad Ripple, already home to many chains, of its local feel. They have blasted the idea of 103 new high-end apartments, even as similar developments thrive Downtown, pulling away the young residents who likely would have picked Broad Ripple as their home 15 years ago. They have criticized the city's decision to back $7.5 million in bonds, even though they will be paid back by new taxes generated by the project.

Somehow, the idea of replacing a dilapidated gas station with a sparkling new development — one that will bring much-needed daytime life to the area, and that could bring life to the canal — has been portrayed as controversial. Please don't fall for that hype.

It's been ridiculous to watch for more than a year now, and it's been damaging for a part of the city that should welcome efforts to bring money and people into the neighborhood, particularly when the developers, Browning Investments, respect the local feel and plan to turn a depressing corner into a sign of hope in the future. Councilman John Barth, who has worked tirelessly on this and other crucial improvements to the city, called it "an important investment in the future of Broad Ripple."

That's exactly what it is.

So let's hope that this week's ruling by the Indiana Court of Appeals, affirming a lower-court ruling that tossed out objections to the development, will be the end of this part of the story. That seems to be the case; demolition on the existing structures is expected to begin within days.

The next part of the story should be about coming together to make sure Broad Ripple remains a neighborhood that so many of us love, that offers this city something unique, and that emerges stronger in the years to come.

You can reach me at matthew.tully@indystar.com or at Twitter.com/matthewltully.

Related: More columns from Matthew Tully.