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Downtown Indianapolis
About Us
The St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood Association was founded in 1981 by a group of concerned citizens interested in guarding the history of the area. In 1991, St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood was officially declared a historic district, sparking a flurry of redevelopment and restoration around the neighborhood in the years to come. By 2002, the St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood Foundation, a 501(3)c, was established to support the new district. Today, the association is made up of involved neighbors and businesses interested in fostering a sense of community and maintaining the integrity of the neighborhood.
Who We Are
Neighborhood Association
Neighborhood Association
Neighborhood Association
Founded in 1981, the St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood Association (SJHNA) presently consists of over 60 household and business members. We gather regularly for events, from porch parties to neighborhood cleanups. We believe a strong sense of community is what makes a neighborhood great. All are welcome. Annual dues help fund operations and events. The association is led by a volunteer board of directors.
Foundation
Neighborhood Association
Neighborhood Association
The St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood Foundation was created in 2002 and is managed by the association's board of directors. The 501(3)c non-profit helps support our neighborhood's infrastructure and other special projects that help maintain the character and integrity of our historic district. The most recent project was the update of the brick street infrastructure along 10th street.
Current Initiatives/Progress
Streets & Sidewalks
Streets & Sidewalks
Streets & Sidewalks
We work with City Council and DPW to address infrastructure concerns.
- 2023: Resurfacing and new sidewalks completed for 200- and 300-blocks of St. Joseph St
- 2021: Secured surplus city budget for resurfacing St. Joseph Street
- 2020: Applied for DPW matching grant for sidewalk replacement (DPW says all identified areas are on their list. As of 2021, Fort Wayne & St. Clair businesses got new sidewalks and new ones are planned for St. Joseph Street as part of resurfacing
- Next big needs: Resurfacing 11th St & Sahm St, pedestrian safety at Alabama crossings, and traffic flow on St. Joseph & New Jersey streets. Additionally, following up to ensure sidewalk fixes happen.
Connectivity
Streets & Sidewalks
Streets & Sidewalks
St. Joseph is a welcoming neighborhood and we strive to find ways to keep that sense of community strong as well as keep neighbors informed.
- 2020: Developed monthly newsletters to share news, events and history. Proactively welcomed new homeowners.
- 2020: Coordinated regular social events, offered meetings via Zoom & started a social committee
- 2022: Updated website to better highlight everything about our neighborhood and its history. Added Instagram account.
Neighborhood Identity
Neighborhood Identity
Neighborhood Identity
Our neighborhood is often mistakenly grouped with Chatham Arch or Old Northside so we wanted to call attention to it as a distinct district (and maybe inspire local artists to create items about our neighborhood)
- 2020: Logo was developed, street banners installed and digital communications were updated
- 2021: Created window clings for members
- 2022: Branded apparel and goods
Neighborhood Upkeep
Neighborhood Identity
Neighborhood Identity
Keeping our neighborhood clean is important for many reasons: allows for proper stormwater drainage, discourages rodents and creates a more enjoyable environment for residents and visitors.
Updates:
- 2020: Formed a beautification committee dedicated to keeping up public spaces & added an additional neighborhood cleanup in the fall
- 2021: Doubled the amount of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful block captains and adopted the triangle median
- Upcoming: Tree plantings on New Jersey St and more median enhancements
Meet the Board & Committees
Sara Aloor, President
Sara has lived in St. Joseph for just under 10 years with her husband and young son. She loves the developing sense of community happening around the neighborhood! She's excited to keep the momentum going. Her background is in organization & leadership.
Charlie Wylonis, Vice President
Charlie and his wife moved into the Shelton building in 2018. They both work from home, have two teenagers and love living here and want to keep it a great place for anyone to call home. He is currently the president of the Shelton Condos board and would love to combine their efforts with the entire neighborhood.
Jan Good, Treasurer
Jan has served as the board treasurer for over a decade, managing the association and foundation funds as well as business filings. She also ensures St. Joseph always has content in the Urban Times. She and her husband Ric have been in the neighborhood for over 15 years, both taking an active role in the neighborhood with Ric leading the beautification committee and serving as a KIB block captain.
Mark Sprout, Social Committee
Mark and his husband Thomas have been in St. Joseph for several years. Mark is passionate about architecture and historic neighborhoods. He leads the neighborhood social committee.
Ben Langebartels, Architectural Review
Ben came to the neighborhood around 2010, spending several months restoring his 1870 home before officially moving here. This experience paired with his background in construction allows him to help businesses and homeowners understand the St. Joseph historic plan and prepare for IHPC reviews.
Eric Hannon, St. Joseph Archives Project
Eric and his wife Jenny moved here from Fishers in late 2019 to enjoy downtown living as empty-nesters. Eric's work is currently focused on developing an official archive of neighborhood documents and photos. Jenny is also an active supporter and serves on the social committee.
Brad Eckhart, Safety Committee
Brad and his partner Alfredo joined the neighborhood in 2017. He serves as a KIB block captain and participates on the beautification committee. He currently leads the traffic and pedestrian safety committee.
Ken Honeywell, Urban Times
Ken has been a writer, creative director, nonprofit consultant, and marketing strategist for more than 40 years. He retired from his ad agency in early 2022 and is looking forward to being more involved in the neighborhood. He serves as the neighborhood liaison for the Urban Times.
Nancy Orem, Member at Large
Nancy and her husband of 17 years have been in the neighborhood since late 2021, having relocated from Lockerbie Square. She is a retired IT project manager and earned her MLS degree to have fun in retirement. Between travels with her husband, she volunteers at the Indiana State Library and The Ray Bradbury Center @ IUPUI. She was an active participant in the historic documentation process of Lockerbie's historic district.
RJ Leburg, Member at Large
RJ and his wife Betsy moved to St. Joseph in 2021 along with their two young children. He is also a small business owner.
Kevin Espirto, Member at Large
Kevin was formerly an executive at a fortune 500 company which he left to found a small nonprofit. His organization operates Recovery Cafe in Unity Church.
Committee Members
In addition to board members, several in the neighborhood support through roles on committees.
Beautification Committee: Ric Good (chair), Eric Hannon, Susan Godley, Ben Langebartels..
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Adopt-a-Block Captains: Joey Amato, Ben & Audrey Csikos, Taylor Dooley, Brad Eckhart, Mark Godley, Ric Good, Eric Hannon, Aubre Jean, Ben Langebartels, Preston Long, Rita Milandri, Courtney Murray, Kelley Paul
Social Committee: Mark Sprout (chair), Jenny Hannon, Jan Good, Chris Cook, Alaric Aloor
Safety Committee: Brad Eckhart (chair), Sara & Alaric Aloor
St. Joseph Archives Project: Eric Hannon (chair), Jan Good, Harold Mailand, Becky Ratcliffe, Patrick Fowler
Contact Us
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