Mixed-use Districts.
Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 742-105
in effectSec. 742-105. - Mixed-use Districts.
A. General Mixed-Use District provisions.
1. Compliance with Chapter 741. In compliance with IC 36-7-4-701, the Commission and City-County Council have required that all property in the Mixed-Use Primary Zoning Districts comply with of Chapter 741 Subdivision Regulations. Condominium development shall not be regulated by Chapter 741, but shall be regulated per IC 32-1-6.
2. Outdoor retail sales of beverages, flowers and food from carts on sidewalks and public areas. The outdoor retail sales of beverages, flowers and food from carts on sidewalks and public areas shall be subject to the provisions of, and approved by the City Controller in accordance with Chapter 961 of the Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County, and shall not be subject to the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance.
3. Accessory uses and structures. Accessory uses and structures are permitted in the Mixed-Use Districts in accordance with Table 743-1: Use Table. Unless specifically exempted, accessory uses and structures must meet all standards of the Zoning Ordinance, in particular use-specific standards in Section 743-306 (Accessory and Temporary Uses) and the development standards of Chapter 744.
B. Mixed-Use One District (MU-1).
1. Purpose. The MU-1 District is intended for the development of high-rise office uses and apartments intermixed, grouped in varying combinations or provided in the same building. MU-1 is designed for use along arterials with both high-traffic counts and positive pedestrian experience or demand. Appropriate settings for the MU-1 District include the midtown and uptown areas of the city, very near rapid transit stops, or in the midst of high intensity regional commercial complexes.
TABLE 742-105-1 MU-1 DISTRICT DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS
LOT STANDARDS
Minimum street frontage | 50 ft.
SETBACKS
Minimum front setback | 12 ft.
Maximum front setback | 40 ft.
Minimum front transitional yard | 20 ft.
Minimum side yard | 10 ft.
Minimum side transitional yard | 15 ft.
Minimum rear yard | 10 ft.
Minimum rear transitional yard | 15 ft.
BUILDING STANDARDS
Minimum building height | 25 ft.
Maximum building height | unlimited
Minimum transitional building height | 25 ft.
Maximum transitional building height | 45 ft.
This Table is a summary of selected standards; refer to Chapter 744, Article II Lot and Building Dimensions, for additional regulations.
*In case of a discrepancy with this summary table, the master table in Chapter 744-II governs.
2. Examples.
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3. Application and general provisions. The standards contained in this subsection Section 742-105.B. are in addition to the standards in Chapter 743, Uses and Use-Specific Standards, and Chapter 744, Development Standards.
4. Form standards.
a. Building mass and placement. No surface parking area shall be located within 20 feet of the primary street frontage.
b. Entry orientation.
1. Each primary building shall have at least one operable pedestrian entrance on the primary street façade. For primary buildings located on corner lots, the required pedestrian entrance may be located on the primary street façade or at the corner where the two streets intersect.
2. The required pedestrian entrance shall open directly to the outside without requiring pedestrians to pass through a parking garage, parking lot, or other non-pedestrian area located between the entrance and the frontage. Each ground floor single-family attached dwelling facing a local or collector street shall have a separate pedestrian entry leading from the primary façade directly to the frontage.
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3. Each required pedestrian entrance shall be clearly defined and emphasized using changes in plane, changes in material, elements such as lintels, pediments, pilasters, awnings, canopies, or other additional architectural detail.
4. Each pedestrian entrance shall have a light feature with a dusk-to-dawn light sensor.
5. Each pedestrian entrance shall include a window in the door or immediately adjacent to the door between three feet and six feet above floor level. A door viewer in the door may be substituted on entrances that are not on a façade.
c. Windows/doors/transparency.
1. On the façade of each primary building except single-family attached dwellings, at least 40% of the wall surface area between three feet and eight feet above grade level shall be of glass or other transparent materials.
2. For nonresidential uses, required ground floor glass or other transparent materials shall allow two-way visibility between three feet and eight feet above grade level. For residential and live-work uses, required ground floor shall be transparent to allow views into common hallways, foyers, or entryways, but may be translucent or opaque when on individual dwelling units.
3. No glass or other transparent materials shall reflect more than 30 percent of visible light.
4. Replacing windows in an existing building is permitted; however, the replacing window must match the building's original window opening within a tolerance of two inches of each opening side.
d. Roof. All roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be completely and effectively screened from view on all sides of the building with a parapet consistent with the building's design and materials.
e. Administrative adjustments. Upon petition of the applicant, adjustments to any of the Form Standards in this Section 742-105.B.4. except the requirements and standards for perimeter sidewalks may be approved by the Administrator if compliance would result in reduced pedestrian access to the property, or damage to or removal of mature and healthy trees, provided that any adjustment of a dimensional standard shall not exceed 5%, and the Administrator determines that any adverse impacts on the surrounding area have been mitigated to the extent reasonably practicable.
5. Illustration.
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6. Other standards.
a. For each dwelling unit, at least 55 square feet of usable outdoor space shall be provided. The outdoor space may be in the form of balconies, porches, or patios for exclusive use by the individual unit, or the outdoor space may be provided in common for use by all of the residents. Common outdoor space may be on the ground, on a roof, or on a balcony. Common outdoor space shall be improved with elements for active use by the residents, such as benches, game courts, pool, playground equipment, gardens, picnic areas, lighting, landscaping.
b. Outdoor seating or patio uses may be located in the front yard.
c. Game courts shall not be located in a front yard.
d. Drive-Through facilities, including customer windows, stacking spaces, or service units, shall not be located in a front yard, and are subject to the standards in Chapter 744, Article IV Parking, Loading, and Drive-through.
e. Accessory retail or service commercial uses shall not exceed 10% of the gross floor area of the primary building in which the accessory use is located, and no single accessory use shall exceed 5,000 square feet in gross floor area.
f. Vehicle access.
1. Curb cuts shall only be permitted if access cannot be provided from an alley.
2. No curb cut shall exceed 24 feet in width.
C. Mixed Use Two (MU-2), Mixed Use Three (MU-3), and Mixed Use Four (MU-4) Districts.
1. Purpose. The MU-2, MU-3, and MU-4 Districts are intended to create compact, walkable places at a variety of scales and intensity, appropriate to their contexts. These districts advance their Livability Principles of this code, further the mixed-use intent of the Comp Planand rely on a connected network of slow or multi-modal streets, and a fine grain of human- scale buildings that line and activate the streetscapes. Each district has the following specific purposes and applicability:
TABLE 742-105-2 - Walkable Neighborhood District Purposes
Mixed Use Two (MU-2)
[image omitted; see the official code] | The MU-2 District is intended to meet the daily needs for surrounding neighborhoods, and include, small social spaces that serve as neighborhood gathering places. The district includes primarily neighborhood-serving businesses and institutions, including a wide range of small-scale retail and service uses that typically do not draw customers from beyond the adjacent neighborhoods, and employment, institutional and residential uses that complement the compact, walkable development pattern. The MU-2 District is implemented as a small node or on busy corridors in the Traditional Neighborhood or City Neighborhood Typologies of the Land Use Pattern Book, or as a Village Mixed Use Typology. The typical size of a district is from 2 to 20 acres (1 to 4 blocks) but depends on the context and what integrates best into surrounding neighborhoods and complimentary zoning districts.
Mixed Use Three (MU-3) [1]
[image omitted; see the official code] | The MU-3 District is intended to serve broader communities and are accessible by transit, and include social spaces that serve as civic gathering places. The district includes a wide range of community-serving businesses and institutions, including retail and services, employment, institutional and residential uses that complement the compact, walkable development pattern. District- wide parking strategies allow this district to serve as a community destination yet maintain the pedestrian focus and transit accessibility. The MU-3 District is implemented along major corridors in the Traditional Neighborhood or City Neighborhood Typologies of the Land Use Pattern Book, or as a Village Mixed Use or Urban Mixed-Use Typology. This district should be located ½ mile or more from other similar destinations. The typical size of a district is from 6 to 30 acres (2 to 8 blocks), but depends on the context and what integrates best into surrounding neighborhoods and complimentary zoning districts.
Mixed Use Four (MU-4) [1]
[image omitted; see the official code] | The MU-4 District is intended to create urban centers that serve as regional destinations and are accessible by transit, and include social spaces that serve as civic gathering places. The district includes a concentration of retails and services, employment, institutions and residential uses in a compact, walkable development pattern. District-wide parking strategies allow this district to serve as a regional destination yet maintain the pedestrian focus and transit accessibility. The MU-4 District implements the Urban Mixed-Use Typology of the Land Use Pattern Book. This district should be located ½ mile or more from other similar community or regional destinations. The typical size of a district is from 8 to 40 acres (4 to 12 blocks) but depends on the context and what integrates best into surrounding neighborhoods and complimentary zoning districts.
[1] A request for rezoning to the MU-3 or MU-4 District shall first require the adoption of a Village Land Use Plan for the area by the Commission.
2. Examples. The MU-2, MU-3 and MU-4 Districts regulate development by building type, with a range of building types permitted in each district and where each type has specific lot and building form standards. The following are examples of each type.
3. Building Types | Photos
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4. Building type standards. Table 742-105-3 provides development standards for each building type and the zoning district where each type is permitted.
TABLE 742-105-3 COMMERCIAL AND MIXED-USE BUILDING TYPE STANDARDS
NAME/TYPE | LOT | SETBACKS | BUILDING | ZONING DISTRICTS
AREA | WIDTH | FRONT | SIDE | CORNER SIDE | REAR | HEIGHT (MAX.) | OPEN SPACE* | MU-2 | MU-3 | MU-4
Live/Work | 1.5K—6K sf | 18'—50' | See Section 744. Article VII. Section 01C. Private Frontage Types | 5' | 10' | 20' | 40'/3 stories | n/a | ■ | ■ | ■
Compact Mixed-Use | < 3K sf | 20'—30' | 5'/0' if party wall | 0'—10' | 0' min./10' if alley | 44'/3 stories | 100 sf/unit | ■ | ■ | ■
Small Mixed-Use | 3K—10K sf | 30'—100' | 5'/0' if party wall | 0'—10' | 0' min./10' if alley | 44'/3 stories | 5%; and 50 sf /unit | ■ | ■ | ■
Medium Mixed-Use | 10K—1 ac. (or ¼ block max) | 100'—200' | 5'/0' if party wall | 0'—10' | 0' min./10' if alley | 80'/6 stories | 10%; and 50 sf/unit | □ | ■ | ■
Large Mixed Use | 1 ac.—2.5 ac. (or ½ block max) | 200'—400' | 5'/0' if party wall | 0'—10' | 0' min./ 10' if alley | 160'/12 stories | 10% | □ | ■
Row House - Large | See Residential Building Type Standards in Table 742-103-11 | □ | □ | □
Row House - Small | □ | □ | □
Small Apartment | □ | □ | □
Medium Apartment | □ | □
Large Apartment | □
■ = Permitted by right
□ = Limited to blocks not designated as a Pedestrian Frontage type according to Section 744-702.C.
* Open Space expressed as a % shall be measured as a % of the total building footprint. Mixed-use buildings with residential uses shall also provide the additional per-unit open space. See Mixed Use and Commercial Design Standards, Section 744. Article VII. Section 744-02.F. Block and Lot Open Space.
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5. Other standards. All lots and buildings in the MU-2, MU-3 and MU-4 Districts shall conform to the Mixed-use and Commercial Design Standards in Section 744-702.
(G.O. 64, 2015, § 2; G.O. 26, 2021, § 4; G.O. 23, 2023, § 4)
Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIIPUHEWE_CH742DI_ARTIPRDI_S742-105MIEDIFetched: 10/27/2026