Plaza Progress! Tipp City and Woodard Revitalizing Tipp’s Old Grocery
Plaza Progress! How Tipp City and Woodard are Revitalizing Tipp City’s Old Grocery
Staff Reports, Tippecanoe Gazette
An exclusive walkthrough of the former grocery building with Tipp City Manager Eric Mack and Woodard Development’s Brad Doudican
On a sunny afternoon inside the old La Plaza Tapatia grocery store — aka, Food Town — the Tippecanoe Gazette scored an exclusive look behind Tipp City’s most intriguing redevelopment project. We walked the space, now owned by the City of Tipp City, while chatting with Eric Mack, Tipp’s City Manager, and Brad Doudican of Woodard Development. Woodard has been tasked with bringing new life to the Tipp Plaza—and the old grocery space, a once-bustling community anchor.
From Forgotten Space to Future Possibility
The echo of footsteps in the freshly cleared aisles signaled just how far the building has come. “When we first stepped in, we knew there was a long road ahead,” Doudican shared. Woodard Development, together with Tipp City's council and staff, began their hands-on involvement more than two years ago, culminating in the City’s purchase of the building and other adjacent property in February of 2025. “Our role started with helping the city acquire this property,” Doudican explained. "Then came a lot of property management—figuring out the leases, refreshing the building, and making the whole plaza presentable again."
City Steps Up to Address Long-Standing Issues
Eric Mack shed light on why the city purchased the plaza, stating that it had been a "major eyesore" and a source of ongoing complaints for years. "The goal was to clean up this issue for the city," he said, describing the extensive work done since the February acquisition to stabilize the property and begin the redevelopment process.
"This place had been closed for about two years," Mack noted. "A significant amount of abandoned food was left behind by the previous tenant, and, unfortunately, much of it was unusable. We coordinated with the Needy Basket food bank to salvage what we could and responsibly disposed of the rest."
Recent videos on social media showed the empty grocery store full of trash and shelves stacked with expired food. But today’s tour of the space brought a measure of relief – and an opportunity for the city to get ahead of the potential problem.
Out With the Old, In with the Clean
The city took possession of the property in February and addressed the interior issues—and the abandoned food—as quickly as possible. Woodard’s team replaced the roof, sealed up the building, addressed concrete and asphalt issues in the parking lot, and took care of security. They also repaved the entire parking lot and restriped all the parking areas.
“We started on the outside and worked our way in,” Doudican said, emphasizing the commitment to both safety and curb appeal.
Their biggest challenge was the need to remove an entire store’s worth of left-behind food. Local food pantries were invited in to take away and reuse as much canned food and other items as they could. Unfortunately, because the store had been closed for so long, most of the food was expired and had to be destroyed.
Engaging the Community and Planning Ahead
Existing tenants remain in the retail spaces surrounding the old grocery, with Mack indicating leases remain in place. "As long as the tenants stay, we want to ensure they have a safe and comfortable environment," Mack explained. In the interim, these leases even provide a small but steady source of income for the city. "However, the long-term vision is still being developed in partnership with Woodard Development and City Council."
What’s Next for the Plaza?
For now, Doudican says the goal is to maintain a clean, dry, and secure environment. “The city is still determining what the future holds for this space,” he said. “Our job is to stabilize things, keep it in good shape, and hold the line until those plans take shape. It’s about working together with the community.”
Community Appreciation
Residents and city officials have taken note of the changes. Surveillance and safety have improved, and the blighted vacancy that worried neighbors is finally under control. “We’re excited about the project and can’t wait to see what’s next,” Doudican told the Gazette as the interview wrapped up.
And residents and city officials have already noticed changes, especially the revamped parking lot, which has drawn positive feedback. "We're excited about the progress," Mack stated. "There's a real partnership between the city, Woodard Development, and our community to chart the plaza's future."
Exclusivity Matters
As the only publication granted this firsthand tour and interview, the Tippecanoe Gazette is proud to bring readers the latest updates on Tipp City’s ongoing renewal. With progress on display, one thing is clear: when it comes to the Tipp City Plaza—and the old grocery space—the transformation is just getting started.
Stay tuned for more updates—straight from the source—right here in your Tippecanoe Gazette by subscribing for home delivery or picking up a copy at one of our retail distributors.
