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Dozens of city leaders clean up downtown for #BackDowntownIndy campaign

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Dozens of city leaders hit the pavement and everything around it Friday as they worked on recovering downtown Indianapolis. WISH-TV sponsored Friday’s event which is all in support of downtown businesses.

The words “Back Downtown” were scrawled across volunteers’ shirts. They wore the phrase as they worked on revitalizing the downtown area to try to get people to help out the businesses in need.

120 red shirts filling the streets is a huge change from what the area has seen in the last few months. As restaurants reopen and virus restrictions fade, they’re working hard to beautify the downtown area by cleaning rails, painting boards and weeding. This is all part of a $750,000-campaign to make downtown look like a positive destination spot instead of a scary, dirty place.

City leaders are using #BackDowntownIndy to show off the work they’re doing and bring more people back downtown as the city celebrates its bicentennial.

“The last 6 months have been among the most difficult in that 200-year history,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “But Indianapolis is coming back and you’re a part of that. We’re all a part of that. Together, we are in this together and Indianapolis’s future is brighter than its past.”

All of the volunteers were encouraged to eat at downtown businesses after they finished their work to help kickstart downtown’s economic recovery.

Hogsett says Indy is back open, so get downtown, help out some local businesses and help with that revitalization.