Former Indiana Women’s Prison

The City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development is requesting expressions of interest for adaptive reuse, activation, and programming concepts for the historic Former Indiana Women's Prison located at 401 N Randolph Street on the Near Eastside, with submissions due September 30, 2026 at 12:00 noon EST. This is an information-gathering inquiry only; no contract or legal obligation is formed through submission of responses, and the City reserves the right to elect not to proceed with any subsequent Request for Proposals.

The solicitation seeks mixed-use development proposals including restaurants, retail, breweries, cultural and arts spaces, residential units, office uses, educational facilities, and community centers. Respondents must demonstrate experience, financial capacity, community engagement plans, and minority/women/veteran/disabled-owned business enterprise participation strategies. Submissions are not to exceed 40 pages and must be sent via email to Eddie.Shei@indy.gov.

Medium-to long-term repairs to the building envelope are documented, including removal of gutters, valley caps, and copper flashings from rooftops; remediation of spalling and flaking concrete from weather exposure; and foundation soil stabilization where soil erosion has occurred. A March 2026 structural assessment confirmed the buildings and tunnels are structurally sound with no immediate life-safety repairs needed. The property is subject to historic preservation covenants requiring compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and maintenance of the central green space. Environmental conditions include documented soil and groundwater contamination under an Environmental Restrictive Covenant limiting groundwater use to environmental investigations only. The property is currently zoned SU-8 but will be rezoned to accommodate adaptive reuse development.

Mandatory site tours are scheduled for 1:00 PM EST on July 24 and August 7, 2026, with at least one team member required to attend. Written questions are due by August 31, 2026 at 12:00 noon EST. Optional pre-submittal conferences with the DMD project team are available on a first-come basis prior to August 31. An addendum was posted August 18, 2026. All respondent costs are the sole responsibility of the respondent.