A luxury hotel and spa, rooftop dining, an entertainment venue, senior living and even a Ferris wheel are among the features a developer hopes to build on the Washington Square Mall property on Indianapolis' Far Eastside.
About two dozen residents attended an Oct. 22 meeting at the Warren Township Schools Administration building to hear the pitch from California-based BRC Commercial Properties, LLC. The company calls its concept "The Washington Grand Hotel, Resort, and Conference Center" and estimates the cost at roughly $5 billion. BRC representatives stressed that the ideas are not final and that residents will have more chances to offer input at future meetings.
Many in the neighborhood agree the site needs new life. Eastsider Page Lacy said the property and the area around it "has been going down for decades." She said she wants to see something positive come of it, "something that would help the neighborhood and not just be any old thing." Lacy added that she has wondered whether Washington Square will end up like Lafayette Square Mall on the west side, where a developer's plans after the mall closed ran into setbacks. That property is now being converted into apartments.
Teri Rypel called the meeting a good starting point but said much remains to be done before anything is built. In her words, no funding was mentioned, and she questioned whether BRC even has an investor willing to take on the project.
BRC CEO Britt Wagner said the project would be paid for by "several major investors," including some "international investors." He said nondisclosure agreements prevent him from naming them.
Ownership is another open question. The mall is divided among more than a dozen owners, with Ohio-based Durga Property Holdings LLC considered the primary one. BRC representative Eddie Hager told the meeting the company has signed a purchase agreement and is in final discussions with Durga. A Durga representative said that is false.
Keith Lee Jr., operations manager for Washington Square Mall, works with Durga principal Kumar Vemulapalli. Lee said neither he, his lawyer nor Vemulapalli know of any purchase agreement. He accused Wagner of giving the community false hope. Lee said he asked Wagner for the agreement on the day of the meeting and was told it was not on hand. "I think that's not fair, because what if this community also wants to see it, to see proof that something is in motion right now?" Lee said.
Wagner told Mirror Indy that a purchase agreement was signed in 2025, but said he could not share it because of a nondisclosure agreement.
The property is for sale, and the mall remains open with about a dozen local businesses. Wagner said he has spoken with a few tenants, some of whom worry about losing their businesses. He said BRC would be committed to helping them find new locations once redevelopment begins.
If BRC buys the property, Wagner said, he hopes the project can be finished within five years. Dates for future community meetings have not been set, he said, but they will take place. "All we're trying to do is something for the community," Wagner said.
