The AMP: ‘The Living Room of 16 Tech’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe AMP, the artisan marketplace and food hall in the 16 Tech Innovation District on the near westside of downtown Indianapolis, saw seven new tenants open in June. Operators say 22 of 23 spots in the unique gathering place have been filled, including Venezuelan fare, farm to table soul food, and Korean fusion cuisine. Concept developer and general manager Craig Baker says The AMP will be a key to success of the innovation district.
In an interview on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, Baker said he is trying to create a distinctive vibe. “I always like to refer to the AMP as the living room of 16 Tech. It’s really the amenity center. It’s a gathering place,” said Craig.
In a unique twist from traditional construction, two-thirds of the eateries are constructed from 20-and-40 feet steel shipping containers. “We use them to kind of delineate the space, but I really feel like once you put a roof on something it gives people the experience that makes it their own.”
The AMP is one element of the urban innovation district that is being developed as a central place for innovators and entrepreneurs in the fields of life sciences, technology, advanced manufacturing, and engineering to live and work.
“All through COVID, we’ve been able to develop this marketplace. We do have some grocery components. We got a fish market and a bakery. But really what’s coming together (is) a real sense of community between the vendors and just reaching out to the neighborhoods around us to get people in and expose them to all the different offerings,” said Baker.