Vacant Buildings' Hidden Dangers: A Wake-Up Call for Indianapolis and Beyond

A fire at a vacant building on the south side of Indianapolis has damaged a nearby brewery and coffee shop, highlighting the hidden dangers posed by these properties. The blaze started just before midnight on Thursday night in the 2300 block of Shelby Street.

Cory Robinson, a property owner who lives next to the vacant building, has been frustrated with the situation for four years due to squatters, homelessness, fires, and health hazards. "I've been calling on this property for four years because of squatters, homelessness, fires, and health hazards," he said.

Neighbors reported that squatters frequent the building, which police believe may have started the fire. "Very upset, happy that something is moving forward, but unfortunately this is how it has to happen," Robinson said.

Fires at vacant buildings continue to be a major issue in Indianapolis, posing a safety risk to both first responders and the community. According to the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS), "We have had vacant board orders going back to 2020 and we have opened our first repair case in 2016, and those issues have been ongoing ever since." said Dawn Olsen, Chief Communications Officer for DBNS.

Robinson hopes that something more can be done to prevent similar incidents from happening again. "All of these properties were significantly harmed by this and there are other vacant properties all across the city that are going through the same thing," he said.

In response to the fire, DBNS will perform an emergency demolition, partially demolishing the structure and securing the site for safety reasons. The city has also urged residents to report any concerns about vacant properties in their neighborhood to the Mayor's Action Center or RequestIndy.