Target, we ❤️ you

🫶 It's Friday, which means you've spent another week with us. Thank you!

🌧️ Today's weather: Windy and wet as the remnants of Hurricane Helene pass through. High near 73, with wind gusts up to 50 mph.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our Axios Indianapolis members Mark Murphy, Richard Dole and Tarik El-Bakri!

🎶 Sounds like: "We Didn't Start the Fire," the absolute banger by Billy Joel, who is coming to Lucas Oil Stadium with Sting next year.

• Tickets go on sale next week.

Today's newsletter is 942 words — a 3.5-minute read. Edited by Lindsey Erdody.

The Indianapolis theater home to the Circle City's most unpredictable performances is taking on a new identity that dares Indy residents to wonder, "what if?"

Catch up quick: IndyFringe Theatre is being reborn as IF Theatre.

Why it matters: The rebrand represents a new chapter for the organization, which has spent the past two decades contributing to the quirky vibes that have made the Mass Ave Cultural Arts District a can't-miss part of downtown.

The big picture: CEO Paul Daily told Axios the goal of the rebrand is to clarify that the theater has an entire season of shows outside of the annual festival that went by the same name.

Driving the news: Daily, who joined the organization in June, promised to spend his first 100 days on the job listening to the community.

• His takeaways from those conversations were that people loved IndyFringe, but they didn't know how to talk about IndyFringe.
• "It was always a question of do you mean the festival, or do you mean the theater? And a lot of people even didn't realize we were a year-round entity," he said.

Between the lines: Daily says he landed on "IF" as the new name fairly quickly.

• It was already on the website, merchandise and so many other places he looked around the complex.

What they're saying: Director of audience engagement Max McCreary describes the change as "simply coming out as what we've always been," noting that longtime fans shouldn't fear a deviation from the vision they know and love.

What's next: Daily and McCreary want to reintroduce the theater to residents through events and programming that will embrace the new branding.

Keep reading

🙋‍♀️ Hi, it's Arika!

For a few brief but beautiful days, I got to live out one of my wildest dreams — eating, sleeping and working within walking distance of a downtown Target.

Why it matters: The departure of major department stores predated the pandemic, but it continues to present gaping holes among downtown Indy's vacant storefronts — depressing downtown's post-pandemic rebound.

The big picture: Target is one of the nation's largest and most popular department stores, particularly among Millenials (like me) and Gen Zers.

• The Minneapolis-based retailer operates 11 Indianapolis-area stores.

Yes, but: Despite years of hoping, wishing and gossiping, we still don't have one downtown.

💭 Arika's thought bubble: In downtown Minneapolis, you can make a literal Target run — popping in for oh, I don't know … dry shampoo, perhaps, while your co-worker picks up a package of Coca-Cola flavor Oreos.

• As a downtown dweller, I love keeping my car parked for days at a time and doing all my travel on foot, but there is nowhere I can walk to for a can of green beans and end up snagging a scented candle, decorative pillow and a new pair of jeans.

👀 What we're watching: The redevelopment of Circle Centre Mall gives Target another chance to consider downtown.

• Execs will see more housing, residents and new development than the last time they kicked our tires.
• During last night's "State of Downtown," Downtown Indy Inc. shared that families living downtown have increased more than 66% since 2010 and roughly three-quarters of downtown residents are under the age of 60.
• Your move, Target!

Share this story

The Indianapolis Colts will try to leverage the momentum of their first win of the 2024 season into an upset at home.

Why it matters: The Colts (1-2) are preparing to host a Pittsburgh Steelers team that has yet to taste defeat this season.

What they're saying: "They're playing good defense right now. I know it's three games in, but I think they're only giving up like 8.5 points a game," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday.

The big picture: The latest NFL power rankings saw the Colts climb six spots to 18th out of 32 teams with analysts noting how Indy's defense finally put it together and managed to effectively shut down the Bears' running game in Week 3.

• However, they say the turnovers and accuracy issues of quarterback Anthony Richardson — who is completing less than half his passes and leads the league in interceptions — are hard to ignore.
• The Steelers, meanwhile, are sitting in ninth place, up five spots from one week ago.

Zoom in: The latest injury report includes cornerback Chris Lammons; defensive ends Tyquan Lewis and Kwity Paye; cornerback Kenny Moore II, tackle Braden Smith and linebacker Grant Stuard.

What's next: Kick off is 1pm Sunday.

If you go

The challenge: Cracked bricks, uneven floors, and sticking doors are signs of serious foundation damage.

The solution: Indiana Foundation Service specializes in identifying and fixing these issues before they worsen.

Don't wait — book a free inspection to restore your home's safety today.

🏈 No. 16-ranked Notre Dame takes on No. 15 Louisville tomorrow in South Bend. (WISH-TV)

🥤 Swig, the "dirty soda" shop, has opened its first Indiana location. (IndyStar)

🦺 The Ten-Point Coalition, a faith-based community group focused on violence reduction, says two-thirds of the neighborhoods patrolled by its volunteers have yet to see a murder this year. (WRTV)

✋ Democratic candidate for governor Jennifer McCormick called for a "pause" on plans to develop the LEAP District in Boone County as part of her plan to change the focus of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Step up, Indy — it's Circle City Classic weekend.

Why it matters: The annual football game has been a celebration of Black excellence, bringing the athletics and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities to Indianapolis for decades.

• It's also a fundraiser, raising money for Indiana Black Expo scholarships.

Zoom in: North Carolina Central will take on Norfolk State, 3pm tomorrow at Lucas Oil Stadium.

• Tickets start at $20.
• Pro tip: Get your refill before halftime when the team's marching bands compete in a Battle of the Bands.

It's more than a football game

The challenge: Musty smells, wet walls and mold point to a basement in need of repair.

The solution: Indiana Foundation Service can help keep your basement dry. Protect your home from water damage before it leads to bigger problems.

Schedule a free inspection.

🥰 Arika is heading home to celebrate family birthdays — including her dad's, which is tomorrow and feels extra special this year.

🤯 Justin screamed at the top of his lungs in excitement like many other fighting game nerds when Ken and Chun-Li were announced as characters in the new Fatal Fury game.

🏈 Lindsey is curious to see if IU can continue its winning streak this weekend against Maryland.