Vacant Irvington motel to be demolished

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - An Irvington motel that's been vacant for years is now set for a major facelift.

Demolition of the former Indy East Motel will kick off on Monday, and will officially begin on Tuesday.

The Irvington Development Organization teamed up with Irvington Partners, LLC, to plan a 50 unit apartment complex in place of the former motel. It’s about a $9 million project, and some of that money will come from federal tax credits.

The change is a welcome one for some Irvington residents.

“I think it’s long overdue, so it’s really exciting to see new construction taking place,” said Emily Mack, who’s lived in Irvington for ten years.

Margaret Lawrence Banning is the Executive Director for the Irvington Development Organization.

This is a project she’s been working on for years. She remembers back about ten years ago.

“It quickly became a hotbed for criminal activity, prostitution, drug deals," Banning said. "They had many, many, hundreds of police runs here."

900 police calls in the five years before the motel’s license was revoked in 2006.

“We really feel like we've taken our little sleepy hollow community and turned it into a vibrant destination,” said Banning.

They’re hoping these apartments will be ready by this time next year.

The official kickoff for demolition is Monday at 10 a.m.