If you have taken College Avenue over the bridge over Fall Creek, you may have noticed Development on the corner of College + Sutherland. It’s hard to miss.
There is a group of shipping containers that are completed and will soon welcome guests.
Local Airbnb host and real estate professional James Rapp had his eye on the property for over a year and made an offer within 30 hours of the listing. He purchased the property on which the Indy Urban Jungle The development is now delayed in March 2021.
Rapp said shipping containers weren’t the original idea. He just knew he wanted the property and he liked modern contemporary styles.
“We, Indiana and the Midwest in general, are a big importer – not an exporter. We import a lot more containers than we ship, so they’re often just 20 containers high in depots,” Rapp said.
Host James Rapp has a green thumb and therefore made sure to include some green in each unit.
The project was a major undertaking, from clearing the land, hauling the shipping containers from a site in south Indy to welding, customizing the units, furnishing them, building a driveway for parking and more. It finally crosses the finish line and is available for guests to book starting Sunday, August 18th – just in time for Swifties looking for accommodation in November.
The urban retreat features approximately 1,500 square feet of green space and three rental homes—each made from seven shipping containers. Each rental home has three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, plus a kitchen, greenhouse, and rooftop deck. Each rental home has its own theme, with furniture, decor, and memorabilia that is special to Rapp. Many of the pieces you’ll see belonged to him or his grandmother.
The topics include:
- The Gotham | Pop culture themes, greyscale, NYC loft vibes
- The Marley | Modern boho theme, earthy tones, animal art + a tribute to the reggae legend
- The plane tree | Contemporary coastal style, bright beach blue with vintage accents
Floor-to-ceiling windows provide plenty of natural light in each unit.
Rapp also manages Indy’s first house made of shipping containers on Bellefontaine Street + his first Airbnb accommodation, the Urban Jungle Condo on Mass Ave., which he has hosted since 2018.
“I was in technical sales and was starting to go a little crazy at my desk. So when I started this experiment, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to do this forever,'” Rapp said.
Local editor Nicole was given a tour of the units. So if you want to gain more insight – follow us on Instagram.
