Indianapolis Development News

[Sunday_Bloody_Sundae]

dp

[unvrsty07]

Near-Northside building to reopen as apartments

Minkis Builders will reopen the historic Marie Building, in Indianapolis' Fall Creek Place neighborhood, in two months. Built about 1908, the brick building is undergoing a $1.3 million renovation to hold six apartments. A newly built carriage house will hold garages. Minkis bought the building at 655 E. 24th St. from the city.

[billionbucks]

City planners are seeing red over the bright yellow facade at a new Buffalo Wild Wings under construction along Washington Street downtown. Turns out the developers won approval for a sign package with awnings but didn’t submit any facade changes, as required by city code. The city has alerted the owner to the problem and plans to issue a stop-work order if necessary. The new look is “very distracting” and “takes away from the entire streetscape,” said Jeff York, a senior planner. “They wholly did not get approval for what they’re doing there.” Franchise owner Pete Watson could not be reached this morning. He owns 12 BW3 locations, including stores in Castleton, Fishers, Broad Ripple and Greenwood.
http://propertylines.ibj.com/



I would almost have to agree. What is with the bright yellow and checkerboard? I'd also agree with the comments on ibj where they have said the windows should be bigger ... what is that random door?

[indyfiend]

Their stand-alone stores are usually very tasteful:



Don't know why they went all on this one.

[socrates#1fan]

Originally Posted by pig

Neither the city nor the state seem too interested in making any kind of decision about our favorite piece of parkland so, yeah, it's as good as dead.

Until prime real estate comes back around.
That odd group thinks they have one, but really the only reason development hasn't occurred isn't due to their bickering but rather financial reasons.

[Mr Peanut]

Originally Posted by billionbucks

I would almost have to agree. What is with the bright yellow and checkerboard? I'd also agree with the comments on ibj where they have said the windows should be bigger ... what is that random door?

They're actually making the facade that color? WTF? The whole thing looks so random, like there's no rhyme or reason to any of it. Bizarre.

[IndyYeah]

Originally Posted by philaustin06

if my memory serves me right, last I heard west merrill tower had moved locations and was granted the zoning requirements it needed to begin construction. Not really sure what they're waiting on..

I wish that West Merrill was now waiting for the decision to redesign the ____thing. Dreaming, but anyway, the Stutz Tower has my high vote for any tower to be built!

[billionbucks]

I recently came across a wikipedia page devoted to downtown Indianapolis sky scrapers. Did anyone already know about it? I only skimmed it, so I'm not sure if it needs to be cleaned and updated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...n_Indianapolis

[indyarch]

Originally Posted by unvrsty07

Near-Northside building to reopen as apartments

Minkis Builders will reopen the historic Marie Building, in Indianapolis' Fall Creek Place neighborhood, in two months. Built about 1908, the brick building is undergoing a $1.3 million renovation to hold six apartments. A newly built carriage house will hold garages. Minkis bought the building at 655 E. 24th St. from the city.

unvrsty07 - My wife and I have been keenly watching the progress on this building, as it's right across the street from our house. Of course there is more to be desired on a historic renovation like this (vinyl windows?), but they are relatively affordable and we are ecstatic to potentially have 7+ new neighbors where an abandoned, partially collapsed, direlect building once stood. The added density will also be a welcomed change for the rapidly changing 'east side' of FCP.

BTW, if anyone happens to be in the area over the next couple of months while it's still under construction, try to get up to the rooftop terrace above the carriage house. It offers some really nice views of the skyline.

[cwilson758]

From IndyStar:

Redevelopment enriches area
Affordable housing project planned in South Broad Ripple

When Susan Smith opened City Dogs Grocery in South Broad Ripple 11/2 years ago, it seemed as though she was putting her start-up business in a ghetto.

"I came down here, and everything looked so crummy," said Smith, 60, who lives a few blocks from her pet food store, which is in a renovated building at 49th Street and College Avenue. "Everything was boarded up. There was graffiti. . . . I felt like, 'I'm really a pioneer.' "
The upside was the promise of more redevelopment sprouting in the area, where Leif Hinterberger's company, Carreau Design, remade the century-old building that houses Smith's pet food shop.

These days, there's more to believe in.

Upscale grocer Fresh Market opened last month at 54th Street and College on the former Atlas Supermarket property.

Around it, independent businesses thrive, and plans are moving ahead for an $18 million affordable housing redevelopment project in the 4900 block of College. Carreau has city land-use approvals for a three-story development, The Uptown, on the west side of that block. It could hold 72 apartments and a mix of street-level businesses.

Carreau is continuing to seek city and federal funding for the project, and Hinterberger said construction work could begin next spring.

"We knew it was going to take off," said Smith.

The area -- inside the upscale Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association's boundaries -- has the ingredients for business success: Blocks of nearby residents who need services and businesses opening and expanding.

Investments like that of Fresh Market, and successful retail corners in the area -- including 49th and Pennsylvania streets -- are spurring interest and market confidence, said Terry Sweeney, vice president of real estate development for Indianapolis Downtown Inc.

"It's good for the neighborhoods in and around those developments," said Sweeney. "That gives them needed services in a pedestrian-friendly environment that complements the neighborhood."

Reversing the trends of 25 years ago, when regional malls were choice destinations, shoppers are increasingly seeking pedestrian-friendly experiences like those the area provides, experts say.

"Having these unique shopping areas adds some dimension to a shopping experience," said Sweeney. "People like to go to these smaller things and just shop."

With such synergy behind them, Smith and two other area residents -- former art teacher Sarah Larkin and real estate agent Scott Lacy -- have formed the College Avenue Neighborhood Development Organization or CAN DO!

The idea: Clean up blighted neighborhood areas starting with 49th and College, help neighbors and spur more important investment in the area.

The group also supports Carreau Design's plans for its affordable housing project, despite recent concerns raised by some neighbors that the project is too dense and could create parking and drainage problems.

CAN DO! has formed a corporation, but the group plans to make it a nonprofit organization and a Community Development Corporation, so it can apply for grant money, among other things.

The group hosted a wine and cheese open house last month, and also painted parts of a decaying old building at 49th and College. Its next event will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 21 at Zest restaurant, 1134 E. 54th.

"We are really about restoring the avenue to its past glory days," said Larkin, 59, who is president of CAN DO! "We have seen 54th Street come alive. We have seen 52nd Street come alive. Now it's time for 49th Street to blossom."

Smith agrees.

"We aren't talkers," she said. "We are doers."

[indyfiend]

Originally Posted by indyarch

unvrsty07 - My wife and I have been keenly watching the progress on this building, as it's right across the street from our house. Of course there is more to be desired on a historic renovation like this (vinyl windows?), but they are relatively affordable and we are ecstatic to potentially have 7+ new neighbors where an abandoned, partially collapsed, direlect building once stood. The added density will also be a welcomed change for the rapidly changing 'east side' of FCP.

BTW, if anyone happens to be in the area over the next couple of months while it's still under construction, try to get up to the rooftop terrace above the carriage house. It offers some really nice views of the skyline.

I just took a look at this building on google maps street view. What a great historic structure! Should be a real asset to the neighborhood when completed.

[indyarch]

Originally Posted by indyfiend

I just took a look at this building on google maps street view. What a great historic structure! Should be a real asset to the neighborhood when completed.

indyfiend - i believe this building's original use was a boarding house for women. it's hard to believe there was a time in our country when it was socially unacceptable for single women to live alone!

[indyfiend]

Originally Posted by indyarch

indyfiend - i believe this building's original use was a boarding house for women. it's hard to believe there was a time in our country when it was socially unacceptable for single women to live alone!

Yeah, you gotta watch those women. The next thing you know they'll want to vote and own property!

[unvrsty07]

ExactTarget to lease more space Downtown

E-mail marketing company ExactTarget has agreed to lease 30,000 square feet of office space in the Gibson Building in Downtown Indianapolis, says Summit Realty Group. The five-story building at 433 N. Capitol Ave., renovated last year, is partially occupied by OneAmerica Financial Partners. ExactTarget is based in the Guaranty Building on Monument Circle, where it's running out of space for its growing operation.

[thundermutt]

Originally Posted by cwilson758

From IndyStar:

When Susan Smith opened City Dogs Grocery in South Broad Ripple 11/2 years ago, it seemed as though she was putting her start-up business in a ghetto.... Smith and two other area residents -- former art teacher Sarah Larkin and real estate agent Scott Lacy -- have formed the College Avenue Neighborhood Development Organization or CAN DO!

The idea: Clean up blighted neighborhood areas starting with 49th and College, help neighbors and spur more important investment in the area.

The group also supports Carreau Design's plans for its affordable housing project...

The reason that corner's blighted is because Carreau Design has owned for quite a few years (and allowed to go to seed) the buildings between 49th and 50th on the west side of College. He rehabbed the building Smith occupies.

How disingenuous it is to get a tenant in one of your buildings to front for your redevelopment scheme that has a huge funding gap...and when the "redeveloper" is the reason the area's blighted.

Sheesh.

And Ms. Smith, 49th and College ain't ghetto. Not even close.

[IndyYeah]

Originally Posted by unvrsty07

Near-Northside building to reopen as apartments

Minkis Builders will reopen the historic Marie Building, in Indianapolis' Fall Creek Place neighborhood, in two months. Built about 1908, the brick building is undergoing a $1.3 million renovation to hold six apartments. A newly built carriage house will hold garages. Minkis bought the building at 655 E. 24th St. from the city.

Seems like alot of money invested for just 6 apartments. Must be a nice place

[thehoss257]

New mixed-use buildings proposed by Axia... Does anyone know the status?

image hosted on flickr

[thundermutt]

These guys have a good track record...they're doing Meridian at 21 around the corner from this proposal. One of the partners also did the mixed-use buildings across Talbott on the north side of 22nd where Tea's Me is located. They also have something under construction in Lockerbie. See web site www.axiaurban.com

They have a row of townhouses for sale at 21st and Penn plus five or six doubles scattered up and down Penn...several million dollars worth of $400K-plus houses. I suspect those need to sell first.

[Sunday_Bloody_Sundae]

I remember hearing something on the news about how the tax situation isn't working in favor for live-work units, like those that I believe are on Deleware (The Funky Colorful Ones).

[cwilson758]

One of those Delware untis is for sale. I am betting that has something to do with it. I know a person who lives in one of those, so I will have to ask him if it has been an issue for those resdinets.