Image: Indiana Avenue, 1964. Source: Paul Wetzel, Indiana Album
OUR HISTORY
ULLI’s primary focus is Historic Indiana Avenue, one of the nation’s most significant Black heritage communities, and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Image: Walker Theater, Indiana Ave, 1956. Source: Indiana Historical Society, O. James Fox Collection
Indiana Avenue was once a lively and thriving community with an established economic community of Black entrepreneurs, musicians, performers, and storefronts. The avenue supported multiple communities by being a gateway and hub for culture and commerce.
Under the guise of urban renewal, Indiana Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods received disinterest and disinvestment by the city. Between the 1950s and 2000, nearly 5,000 homes and businesses were demolished in the area through planned development, blight removal, and the creation of interstate and highways.
Urban Legacy Lands Initiative was founded after the Indianapolis community came together alongside Reclaim Indiana Avenue in 2020 to stop an inappropriate five-story development on Historic Indiana Avenue. ULLI was created as a nonprofit Cultural Heritage Development Corporation (CHDC) based in Indianapolis, Indiana, focusing on creating a model for the preservation and stewardship of Black heritage communities through equitable and inclusive neighborhood growth and development.
OUR PRIORITIES
Engaging Community
Building Alliances
Advocating for Culturally-Respectful Design
We are dedicated to creating spaces and opportunities for open dialogue, education, and cultural exchange. Through community involvement, we aim to not only share the stories and history of Black people and spaces in our city but also to ensure that the voices and experiences remain at the heart of our work.
By forging strong partnerships, we can leverage collective resources and expertise to make a more significant impact. Together, we can maximize our resources and expertise to make a collective and significant impact. We actively seek partnerships with organizations and individuals who share our commitment to revealing and protecting the heritage of Black people and places.
We are dedicated to advocating for the integration of culturally respectful design principles in all aspects of urban planning, development, and historic preservation. We strive to ensure the built environment reflects the rich heritage of Black communities and encourages appreciation and understanding.
Image: Walker Theater, Indiana Ave. Source: Indiana Historical Society
OUR FOUNDER
Claudia Polley founded Urban Legacy Lands Initiative after the Indianapolis community came together in 2020 to stop an inappropriate five-story development on Historic Indiana Avenue. With few tangible historical and cultural structures remaining on Indiana Avenue, Claudia recognized the need to prevent further damage to the Black community. Through this, Claudia created the vision for ULLI, to center on Black cultural heritage in community revitalization, real estate development, and placemaking.