NEWS

Renewed Hope for Indy’s Drake Apartments

Once threatened with demolition, the historic Drake apartment building in Indianapolis is poised to regain status as an anchor on the city’s main thoroughfare.

Drake Apartments Indianapolis

A New Lease on Life

Late last year, prospects for the historic Drake Apartments in Indianapolis looked dim. The eight-story building on Meridian Street north of downtown had been vacant since 2016, shuttered by its owner, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. When the museum announced plans to demolish the Drake last July, preservation advocates and city leaders rallied, negotiating with the museum to give the building a second chance. The outcome represents a remarkable turnaround for the previously threatened building, now poised to resume its status as an anchor on the city’s main thoroughfare.

Designed by local architect Henry Ziegler Dietz for developer Arthur Baynham, the Drake’s imposing brick and limestone edifice features exceptionally large central bay windows spanning the entire height of the building, along with original eight-light wooden casement windows. The Tudor Revival-style building was completed in 1928 during a multi-family housing boom in Indianapolis. Many grand apartment buildings from the time still line Meridian Street today, including the Buckingham, Balmoral, and Admiral apartments, all located across the street from the Drake.

Drake Apartments Indianapolis

After the museum’s announcement last summer, the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission (IHPC) voted to protect the Drake, with IHPC board member James Kienle calling it “probably the most important historic apartment building in the city.” The resolution passed by the IHPC designates the building as a local landmark, adds it to the Marion County Register of Historic Places, and recommends approval of a historic area plan to the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission.

The City also partnered with the Children’s Museum to solicit proposals from developers interested in rehabilitating the building. Because of its recent local landmark designation, any redevelopment of the Drake must respect the building’s historic character. Officials hope to select a winning proposal in April.

For more information on plans for the Drake, contact Indiana Landmarks’ Central Regional Office, 800-450-4534, 317-639-4534, central@indianalandmarks.org.

Sign up for our e-newsletter.

Stay up to date on the latest news, stories, and events from Indiana Landmarks, around the state or in your area.