The Tinner Park Development in Herron-Morton demonstrates best practices in real estate development and responsible use of land to create a thriving community. Through leadership, vision and innovation in design and architecture, the development created housing and employment. But more importantly, by partnering with local historic associations and listening to its residents, it added to an abundant sense of community.
A townhome model, with its vertical living and attached first-floor garages, is a novel approach for Herron-Morton, typically represented by ornate Queen Anne and Italianate style architecture, popular around the turn of the century. Transitional in style, masonry, metal and Hardie siding were purposefully selected as materials to evoke a feeling of history.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, Herron-Morton is rich in history and architecture. But its appeal is more than the architectural grandeur of the neighborhood’s historic homes. Above all, Herron-Morton is an inviting, friendly place to live where its people are never just residents. Instead, they are neighbors—pieces of a fabric woven into the tapestry of a community defined by porch parties, neighborhood events and locally owned businesses. When development began, the responsibility to honor the neighborhood’s roots was top of mind.
- Rod Collier, Rottman-Collier Architects
By working with the Herron-Morton Place Association and the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission, the development intentionally honored the historic aesthetic. The project included building new townhomes, but also how to restore a 1900s carriage house, how to convert a dilapidated garage into an office building and how to preserve a severely fire-damaged 1900s-era home.
With 22 townhomes and a shared gas firepit for residents, architecture of Tinner Park East included gabled roofs as a nod to the past, while bright, open interiors provided modern, functional living spaces. Front porches were purposefully designed into nearly every home, as it’s common in Herron-Morton for neighbors to visit one another outside in what affectionately refer to as “porch parties.” This area of the development included a severely damaged 1900s-era historic home, which ultimately could not be saved. But to honor it, a new single-family townhome now stands alone in its place—the only one that does not share walls with its neighbor.
A premium product along New Jersey Street, Tinner Park West included 37 townhomes—many with private rooftop terraces for more neighborly gathering space. Because Herron-Morton historically had commercial buildings, 10 additional townhomes were uniquely configured with second entrances allowing homeowners to operate a business on their first floor while living upstairs.
One of the oldest buildings in the neighborhood, the carriage house recognized as a historic structure by IHPC. Originally built in 1900, restoration is underway on the two-story building that once housed horse-drawn carriages downstairs while horses’ caretakers resided on the floor above. When complete, this one-of-a-kind building will become a 2,600 square foot single-family home with three bedrooms and 3.5 baths, living space for a guest suite or office and a large, covered rooftop terrace.
Another key component of the development was restoring an abandoned historic retail/apartment and theatre building into the Onyx+East corporate headquarters. Onyx+East added more than 60 jobs to the neighborhood, and staying true to Herron-Morton, the original charm of the structure was preserved. The roof and floors had deteriorated, and the exterior walls had masonry that was failing. But through innovation in restoration, architect Mark Demerly preserved the original garage door openings to create an indoor-outdoor office environment.
Onyx+East is a full-service home builder, executing development, construction, marketing, design and sales. Comprised of inspired and industrious individuals who are passionate about active lifestyles, O+E is focused on providing an exceptional living experience, while transforming neighborhoods and enhancing peoples’ lives.
Onyx+East has also been voted “Indy’s Best Home Builder” for two straight years (2020 and 2021) by the Indianapolis Star and was named to this year’s “Great Employers To Work For In Indiana” list by BridgeTower Media Company and to Indiana Business Journal’s ‘Fast 25’ Fastest Growing Companies List.
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