Big Car Collaborative and J.P. Morgan help neighborhoods — and residents — thrive.
Sponsored by JPMorganChase
Across the country, many communities lack access to the everyday places that help neighborhoods thrive—health clinics, schools, cultural centers, grocery stores and the kinds of small businesses that create jobs and bring people together. The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program was created to help close that gap, channeling private investment into projects that might otherwise struggle to secure financing in underserved areas.
To strengthen a neighborhood, it’s essential that all Indianapolis residents share in its growth, with access to the spaces and opportunities that create lasting economic mobility.
The Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi), developed by 501(c)(3) nonprofit Big Car Collaborative with financing from J.P. Morgan, transformed an existing 40,000-square-foot industrial building into a vibrant mixed-use community hub. Since the CAMi Main building opened in May 2026, a space that had stood empty has now become a gathering place at the heart of the neighborhood — a theater where neighbors can experience live performance, a culinary space where food brings people together, gallery spaces that inspire curiosity and creativity, retail storefronts that give local entrepreneurs a foothold and offices that anchor daily activity.
The building is designed above all for the people who will fill it. Artists and residents gain affordable places to create, sell their work and connect with one another; workers benefit from on-site workforce training that opens doors to new opportunity; and neighbors of all ages find a welcoming place to learn, shop and come together.
“We’re incredibly grateful to JPMorganChase for investing not just in a building, but in creativity and community,” said Jim Walker, Big Car Collaborative Executive Director and Co-founder. “It has been inspiring to see CAMi Main filled with visitors, artists, neighbors and local businesses. In just a few months, it has already become the kind of place where new relationships are forming, ideas are taking shape and people from Indianapolis and beyond are coming together in meaningful ways.”
“Big Car reminds us that community development isn’t owned by any one profession — it takes all of us. This project wasn’t just about art; it was about people and place, creating spaces where neighbors can gather, connect and feel proud of where they live,” said Melissa Pillars, Executive Director, New Markets Tax Credit Originations. “By elevating culture, relationships and welcoming public spaces, Big Car helped transform overlooked areas into places full of life and possibility.”
A broader commitment to Indianapolis’s future
While Big Car Collaborative is foundational, the vibrancy of a community depends on much more. In Indianapolis, the firm provides banking services to 770,000 customers and works across sectors to expand economic opportunity. Over the last five years, JPMorganChase has invested $20 million in local nonprofit organizations, supported 62,000 small business clients and delivered financial health education to thousands of residents to broaden access to banking, financial health resources, homeownership and other wealth building tools.
“As we work with local stakeholders to expand community spaces, JPMorganChase’s goal is to create inclusive economic opportunity for all,” said Christina Moungey, Indiana and Kentucky Region Manager, Commercial Banking, J.P. Morgan and Indiana Market Leadership Team Co-Chair, JPMorganChase. “When our communities thrive, we all thrive.”
The journey to expand opportunity across the country continues, with industry leaders like Big Car Media, Inc. finding a path forward to bring real solutions to the Indianapolis community.
Learn more about community development and the New Markets Tax Credit program at jpmorgan.com/commercial-real-estate.
Visit camindy.org to explore CAMi’s exhibitions, events, and programs, and bigcar.org to learn more about Big Car’s work.
