If you’ve taken College Avenue across the bridge over Fall Creek, you may have noticed a development on the corner of College + Sutherland. It’s kind of hard to miss.
There’s a cluster of shipping containers that have reached completion and will soon be welcoming guests.
Local Airbnb host and real estate professional James Rapp had his eye on the lot for over a year and put in an offer within 30 hours of it being listed. He bought the property where the Indy Urban Jungles development now sits back in March of 2021.
Rapp said shipping containers wasn’t the initial idea. He just knew that he wanted the lot and he liked modern contemporary styles.
“We, as in Indiana and the Midwest in general, we’re a big importer — not an exporter. We bring in a lot more containers than we ship out, so a lot of times they just sit in depots 20 high,” Rapp said.
Host James Rapp has a green thumb, so he made sure to bring some greenery into each unit.
Photo by Miss Cara Photography
The project was a big undertaking, from clearing the land, getting the shipping containers from a site on the south side of Indy to welding, customizing the units, furnishing them, putting in a driveway for parking, and more. It’s finally crossing the finish line and going live for guests to book on Sunday, August 18 — just in time for Swifties who are looking for a place to stay in November.
The urban getaway has ~150 yards of greenspace and three rental homes — each made up of seven shipping containers. Each rental has three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, plus a kitchen, greenhouse, and rooftop deck. Each rental has its own theme with furniture, decor, and memorabilia that are special to Rapp. A lot of the pieces you’ll see belonged to him or his grandmother.
The themes include:
- The Gotham | Pop culture-themed, grayscale, NYC loft vibes
- The Marley | Modern boho-themed, earthy tones, animal art + a tribute to the reggae legend
- The Sycamore | Coastal contemporary-themed, bright beachy blue with vintage touches
The floor to ceiling windows allow lots of natural light in each unit.
Photo by Miss Cara Photography
Rapp also manages Indy’s first shipping container home on Bellefontaine Street + his first Airbnb rental, the Urban Jungle condo on Mass Ave, which he started hosting in 2018.
“I was doing tech sales and started getting a little stir crazy at the desk, so I once I started that experiment I was like ‘alright, I’m gonna do this forever,’” Rapp said.
City Editor Nicole got a tour of the units, so if you want more of an inside look — follow our Instagram.
