09/30/2025
Come out and support another visionary re-use for our Holy Cross Neighbors!
HOLY CROSS CHURCH RE-USE:
We wanted to let you know of an important upcoming IHPC hearing concerning the Holy Cross Church. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has filed a petition with the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission to demolish the former Holy Cross Church and rectory. As many of you may recall, last year the Holy Cross Historic District was created in order to preserve the historic church structure and prevent its demolition.
Now the prospect of its demolition has come before us again. Many of you may have received a letter in the mail from the law firm representing the Archdiocese on this matter. This hearing is a chance for residents to learn more, share your views with decision-makers, and be part of the conversation. This is a passionate topic for many neighbors. And it is a topic that could have a profound impact on the future of our neighborhood. Whether you have strong opinions or are just interested in hearing more, your presence makes a difference.
If you are able, please consider attending the hearing and being part of this important conversation. Your voice matters.
Additional Information to Consider:
To repair and redevelop the church property would certainly be an expensive endeavor, and it is one that some claim is too expensive to invite any serious bidders.
But what many neighbors may not realize is that around the time that the church was first up for demolition, and several organizations were fighting to save it, there was an interested buyer who had proposed an adaptive reuse of the entire property to the archdiocese in late 2023. It included the following components:
-The church becoming a performing arts center
-The rectory becoming a coffee shop/bookstore to complement the performing arts center
-The school becoming an educational space for St. Mary’s Early Childhood Center
-The gym being used by Purdue Polytechnic athletic programs
You can read the full proposal by following the link below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16UJ7PtF-7q9b_aJpkd7PtWbtGI_hCsoc/view?usp=sharing
What happens next with the Holy Cross Church is uncertain. But the concept of having a developer come in to rehab the buildings and reuse them is not a pipe dream; there was a serious plan very recently proposed. Unfortunately, the plan was not agreed to by the archdiocese and was dismissed.
