(Greensburg, IN) – Iron Men Properties and the City of Greensburg kicked off construction on a new downtown multifamily apartment development with a groundbreaking on Wednesday afternoon.
The market-rate 88-unit Ironwood Apartments will redevelop the former Decatur County Jail site at 200 S. Broadway St.
City leaders, Decatur County officials, Iron Men Properties leadership, and a representative from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation were among those in attendance.
“Our team and I get to celebrate our groundbreaking. We get to watch the construction happen, but the vision’s been here since the (City of Greensburg) Redevelopment Commission bought this property in 2021 from Decatur County government after the jail was torn down. That’s when the idea of here’s what goes here, here’s what’s beneficial to our communities,” said Mayor Joshua Marsh.
He added Greensburg has a demand for high-quality rental properties and short-term professional housing.
“This is the largest investment in our downtown ever. It’s the catalyst for the future of our community and our downtown,” Marsh said. “I’m hopeful that it’s phase one of a multi-phase project.”
Iron Men Properties co-owner Joe Blake says his company is excited to become part of the Tree City community.
“At Iron Men Properties, our mission is to uplift communities through high-quality housing developments that create long-term impact,” Blake said. “Throughout Indiana, we’ve focused on transforming underutilized and blighted downtown spaces into vibrant residential communities, and we’re proud to partner with Greensburg on a project that will contribute to the city’s continued growth and revitalization.”
Blake added this could be a catalyst for growth in downtown Greensburg.
“What we have found historically with projects like this, is that two-thirds of the people who will occupy this project will come from outside your community,” he said. “Now, I think that’s significant.”
Iron Men has also developed sites in other county seats around Indiana, including Delphi, Lebanon, and Frankfort.
Iron Men co-owner Alex Blake emceed the event. Remarks were also delivered by Darren Burkhart with the Greensburg Redevelopment Commission; Accelerate Rural Indiana Treasurer Bruce Everheart; Heidi Young, senior program manager with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation; Main Street Greensburg executive director Allison Beck, and Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs executive director Fred Glynn.
The development is being funded through READI grants, and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027.
