As of November, the city of Indianapolis will own the former Indiana Women’s Prison site.
The city and the state of Indiana have entered into an agreement under which Indianapolis will take ownership of the east-side property at 401 N. Randolph St. In a land swap, the state will receive 2600 S. Harding St., along with a portion of 710 N. Sherman Drive.
Under the terms of the agreement, the state will acquire 2600 S. Harding, with full occupancy expected in 2026, following the relocation of Indianapolis Animal Care Services from its southwest location near the White River. The state will also acquire nearly eight acres of the Sherman Park site at 710 N. Sherman Drive.
The home exchange will be completed in November.
Related: Residents ask state for transparency as ‘derelict’ building on east side remains empty
Former Indiana Women’s Prison was first in US
The former Indiana Women’s Prison, founded in 1873, was the first separate institution for female prisoners in the U.S.
The facility operated on the city’s east side for more than a century before moving to its current location on Girls School Road in 2009. The Randolph Street location later became the Indianapolis Re-Entry Educational Facility before closing in 2017.
History from the inside: Prison women publish book on Indiana women’s prison
Since then, management of the vacant building has been in the hands of the Indiana Department of Administration.
This new development comes after residents on the city’s east side complained for years that the state did not listen to them or explain what was happening to the former prison.
Jade Jackson is a public safety reporter for IndyStar. Contact her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Takes Ownership of Former Women’s Prison in Land Swap with Indiana
