Amos and Leigh Riley Evans of Mapleton Fall Creek CDC Facing The Now Closed Chase Bank During Interview
This Chase Bank In The Meadows Is Spared (For Now)
The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Thursday, July 30, 2015. After sixty-nine years on the corner of 38th Street and Washington Boulevard, on the border between the Butler/Tarkington and Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhoods, sat a bank branch with Art Deco architecture, more beautiful inside than outside. It housed first an Indiana National Bank for many years, then a Bank One, then a Chase. Thursday, July 30th, the bank was closed. Allegedly because of changing technologies, consumer habits and perhaps a lack of understand of the area by bankers in New York and Chicago. This was the first Chase Bank branch closed in an African-American majority Indianapolis neighborhood in years. On this bank’s last day, Afternoons with Amos took to the street, in a broadcast powered by battery operated wireless broadcasting equipment to stand literally on the sidewalk as the on the bank’s last afternoon of business to lead a discussion between neighborhood leaders, and listeners on where does the community go from here. The date of the closing also comes one week after the stunning news that four inner city grocery stores, the only ones in the neighborhood, were closing after fifty-eight years in business. The resulting huge food desert has sparked an outcry from the community and its leaders. In literally hours a shuttle service was launched to get folks without transportation to grocery stores. And folks are deeply concerned about the future positive economic development in Black-majority inner city neighborhoods.
Veteran Neighborhood Leader Al Polin Preaches Wisdom to Amos/Listeners
Amos With Rep. Greg Porter
Afternoons with Amos opened the program with the news that one of the proposed Chase Bank closings – that of its branch in the Meadows Area on Meadows Drive just north of 38th Street has been postponed for the foreseeable future. A decision urged by local Chase Bank leaders who were very familiar with the progress occurring in the Meadows in recent years. During the outdoor sidewalk broadcast, a number of leaders in the Mapleton-Fall Creek and Meadows and northeast neighborhoods appeared and weighed in in the problems and what lies ahead for the neighborhoods. (Leigh Riley Evans Interview Starts At 4:31 Mark On PODCAST Media Player). Leigh Riley Evans, Executive Director of the Mapleton Fall Creek Community Development Corporation talked about her area and the challenges it faces with Chase Bank and grocery closings and the larger issues neighborhood revitalization causes.
“Delores” A Neighborhood Resident Weighs In
Amandula Anderson (back shown) With Amos And Rep. Porter
(Al Polin Interview Starts At 42:56 Mark). Al Poilin, a veteran neighborhood leader and current President of the Mapleton Fall Creek neighborhood Association gave an impassioned plea to listeners not to sit on the sidelines, not to call Afternoons with Amos and complain, but get involved, get active and get engaged in their neighborhood organizations and their area’s community development corporations (CDC’s). (Rep. Greg Porter Interview Starts At 51:53 Mark). State Rep. Greg Porter, who represents the area and who banks at the now closed Chase branch talked about meetings he attended with Chase officials that at least led to one of the three banks being spared. Porter also talked about the medium and short term challenges neighborhoods face in bringing about more development and retail stores that will truly meet residents needs.
Pam Humes Talks About Annual Health Dept. Back To School Event
(Amandula Anderson Interview Starts At 59:00 Mark). Amandula Anderson, Executive Director of the United NE Community Development Corporation, one of the many groups driving redevelopment in the Meadows, Devington and other Northeast side neighborhoods talked extensively about economic development in the area. Anderson talked frankly about the objections businesses give about not wanting to invest in the area. Anderson also dealt with myths in the community that high crime and theft is why the Cub Foods store failed in the Meadows in the 1990’s. Anderson recounted the facts that it was Cub Foods poor business plan that doomed the stores, not theft across the country. (Listener “Delores” Remarks Start At 19:17 Mark). Even “Delores” a listener came up to our broadcast location and put in her two cents, as phone callers did about the history in the now closed Chase Bank Branch. (Interview Starts At 34:17 Mark). Rounding out the broadcast was Pam Humes, Director of Covering Kids and Family, who talked about the annual Back to School Event sponsored by the Marion County Health Department. From 8am to Noon, this Saturday, August 1st, outside the headquarters of the Marion County Health Department, you can get sports physicals for your children along with required immunizations. Plus school supplies, back packs and more. There’ll also be fun activities for kids, information from area organizations for adults and much more. The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST for Thursday, July 30, 2015 Runs 92 Minutes. ©2015 WTLC/Radio One. PODCAST Starts After Brief Video Ad.
