City to review $50M project

June 13, 2007
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A redevelopment proposal for the north end of downtown is up for zoning approval at 1 p.m. Thursday. Grain DealersIf developers can secure financing and city approval, the $50-million project would incorporate the existing Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance building along Meridian Street and add a 14-story tower with a 130-room hotel, 160 condos and 500 parking spaces. It would include space for a restaurant, sports bar and office space, all sitting south of 18th Street between Illinois and Meridian streets. The developer, locally based Inner-Urban Homes & Hospitality, is asking for the city to vacate air rights above Pierson Street to allow for the new building to extend from Meridian to Illinois. A four-story parking garage along Illinois would be topped by 10 floors of condos. Planning staff has recommended approval.
UPDATE: The hearing has been continued to July 12.
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  • CorrNDJune 13, 2007 3:50 PM
    Sounds like a good project for the area, except that they really need to include ground floor retail under the garage and condos on the Illinois side.
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  • TonyJune 13, 2007 5:53 PM
    I think this would be a great shot in the arm for an area in need of one. I'd like to see some renderings though before making final judgement.
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  • SophiaJune 13, 2007 6:32 PM
    Sounds like a wonderful project for this part of town. Hopefully the structure will be interesting to look at as well, unlike that god-awful piece of trash j w marriott.
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  • AnonymousJune 13, 2007 7:34 PM
    I'm pretty impressed with the renderings so far. They aren't great, but they're much better than half of the stuff that goes up downtown. I'm not aware of any opposition to the project; therefore, I'm pretty sure it'll probably fly through.
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  • SophiaJune 13, 2007 7:46 PM
    Anonymous, where have you seen renderings?
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  • CoryJune 14, 2007 6:43 AM
    The only rendering I've seen is a sketch elevation in the documents submitted to the city. If anyone wants to see a copy, send me an e-mail and I'll forward it.
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  • cagJune 14, 2007 10:44 AM
    I'd like to know more about how the parking garage will look. Some parking garages flow seemlessly into the total structure so you are not put off by the design, others are just plopped in as the developer sees fit and don't do anything for the overall flow of the building.

    How can we see more drawings? IBJ peeps - Get drawings in the paper for us to see!!!!
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  • LucyJune 14, 2007 12:05 PM
    I like the idea of the project and it's definately a good thing for this part of downtown, but when will condo-mania subside? Everything I've read is saying that the condo market is waning. What ever happened to apartmnents? Does downtown really need more condos?
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  • Jim BJune 14, 2007 12:27 PM
    I like the idea very much, especially since I live in the area. I would, however, like to see renderings of the project. I also agree with the idea of retail on the ground level of the parking garage. Otherwise, I'm anxious to see the project happen.
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  • CDC GuyJune 14, 2007 2:10 PM
    The hearing was continued to July 12 so that some issues with neighboring businesses can be worked out. At the hearing, a representative said that Near North Development Corp. is working with all the parties to reach agreement and help the development move forward.
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  • C-ClampJune 14, 2007 2:27 PM
    What in the world issue could Near North Development Corp. have against this? I thought CDCs were there to improve an area not let existing blight continue. The project is probably eliminating some kind of CDBG money the CDC expected (everyone knows that CDBG $ is the life support of CDCs).
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  • tbJune 14, 2007 2:37 PM
    He said NNDC is helping to move the project forward.

    I like the sports bar idea. It's a pain to go downtown for a quick drink. We have limited choices north of 16th street.

    Im all for it.
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  • gdmtenuredJune 14, 2007 2:51 PM
    If the area revives that could become the new insurance corridor that it was when AETNA,ConnecticutMutual,AmericanStates VernonFire,Merchants Prpoerty and Indianapolis Life all were located along with the Embers and many other bars,nightclubs and e the headquarters of the Simon organization in its infancy.

    Too bad we don't have an insurance comissioner who understands the dynamics we could bring to this state by focusing on the Risk retention and risk purchasing groups that states like Arizona,Vermont and Florida have taken from the alternative risk market.
    Even a price cutter like Mutuallyowned Graindealers couldn't afford any longer to insure the risks they cut their eye teeth on and had to abandon the area along with Indiana gas nd the other long standing businessses in this now ghost town part of the city.
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  • C-ClampJune 14, 2007 3:25 PM
    Hey tb, it looked as if the project was moving fine until NDC decided to stop the press and work with all parties. Beware any time you hear someone say, I am with the CDC and am here to help!
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  • ArchiTrashSureJune 14, 2007 3:37 PM
    One more chance for the city to try to get some interesting architecture...

    I'm not in the business - what does it mean to have air rights vacated? Is it a building height ordinance?
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  • CDC GuyJune 14, 2007 3:42 PM
    The city's property rights extend upward over streets. In order to build over a street the vacation is necessary.
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  • CDC GuyJune 14, 2007 3:45 PM
    The proposed 190-foot building will interfere with signals to and from the TV stations in the immediate vicinity, and those stations would likely oppose the development in the absence of written agreements with the developers. Thus, the delay requested by the developer for time to work things out.
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  • MariaJune 14, 2007 8:23 PM
    I'm sure McAna will find some way to screw this project up
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  • Whosyer Grocer?June 14, 2007 9:57 PM
    Downtown will not be advantageous to the suburbs until we get our own Walmart or Target.
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  • JoshJune 18, 2007 3:28 PM
    A Target would be great, but let's keep walmart as far away from downtown as we can.
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  • C-ClampJune 19, 2007 3:48 PM
    Hey, Maria, if NNDC doesn't, your suggestion probably will. Those who have no way to impact the world otherwise use the public due process forum for attention and to simply wave a flag that says, I exist!
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  • thundermuttJune 20, 2007 9:10 AM
    And people who have an axe to grind (and no facts to back up their positions) use public blogs to do the very same thing.
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  • MartinJune 20, 2007 6:44 PM
    Ruth Hayes and the NNDC are an albatross around the neck of Indianapolis.
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  • C-ClampJune 21, 2007 7:44 AM
    thundermutt, if that was an intended slam directed at me, that's a compliment coming from a government-knows-aller like you!
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  • CDC GuyJune 21, 2007 8:12 AM
    Martin, Ruth Hayes is president of the Nora Northside Community Council. Near North Development Corporation (NNDC) is a CDC whose service area is in Center Township from downtown to the Children's Museum. Big difference between the two.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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  1. liek the rest of America

  2. These quaint,obsessed musings by the stalkers are certainly entertaining, but I'm trying to figure out what, if anything, all the yelping below has to do with Zak Brown.

  3. It's evident that Moffett was pushing the right buttons and corporate America is now trying to squash him. He just wanted to withdraw the free pilot services provided to the company by the pilots to try and put some pressure on a company that has not been interested in negotiating a contract in over 5 years. The company does not provide a contract because not having one has saved them a bundle of money. Shame on any Republic pilots not standing behind their union leader just because things are getting tough, can you not see such strategic moves by the company as putting the last union president in a corporate position and into THEIR pocket. Do you really believe the last union president is so appalled at the attempts by Moffett, do you not remember his oppositions to the company? We stood behind him. It has been proven over and over again for thousands of years without fail, a man cannot serve two masters. Anyone that believes people vote contrary to their paycheck and livelihood deserve to be taken advantage of, the recent statements by the former union president are laughable as he denounces the current union president from his new corporate position. Have you ever seen a drafted sports player score points for his previous team, it cannot be done, he is not on the pilots side anymore, he gets his money a different way now than you and I do, and he should not be allowed to remain on the seniority list. A drafted player brings strength, credibility, tactical knowledge, and a strategic advantage to his NEW team, he would not be drafted or paid were it otherwise. We are all forced to choose only one side to play for and support, not doing so has many references in life such as insider trading and shaving points, all illegal for good reason. This basic fact is why corporate moguls, scientist, and engineers all sign non-discloser agreements and non-compete clauses, as protection in case they are lured into switching sides as our former union president has done. No NFL coach ever drafted a player so that both teams could benefit and better understand each other, they are recruited to win the game against that former team, period. Likewise the company does not recruit the former union president by accident or mutual understanding, its strategy. Don't confuse playing the game with good sportsman-like conduct in support of common business and prosperity goals, with the requirement to only play for one side. Good men we all love and favor fall subject to this manipulation, often without their knowledge, and it is not a betrayal of their friendship to oppose them when they switch sides. If we did not love and trust them, they would not have been chosen and lured to the other side in the first place. The deception by the drafted player is not made at a conscious level, it's just human nature and it's all about money and power which corrupts our ability to be objective and loyal to two masters. This is why our court system created the defense attorney, and why our military created counter intelligence. Its strategy and its propaganda, and it works, and that's why the "powers to be" manipulate the chess pieces by sometimes changing their colors. Some players know they are being manipulated when their color is changed, but it brings them more money and power so they do not care. The rest have good intentions but do not even realize they are being manipulated. This tactic is also known by another name, Divide and Conquer. In battle sending an imperfect message with an imperfect team is obviously not ideal, but it's still being sent by YOUR team, your union leader, a leader that has common goals and common rewards with you, they are the best, because we have elected them to do a job for us. If you are not backing Moffett but believing the spin by those that have recently switched sides, you are taking food out of your own mouth. Showing unity and backing an imperfect situation still results in taking just as much ground, it's about unity and bargaining power. It's not necessary to wait around for that perfect attack because it will never come, the company will spin and attempt to destroy anyone that gets in their way. Ultimately it's not about any specific attack anyway, ASAP or whatever it makes no difference, it is and always has been only about power. If this company cared about safety it would not build pairings with 8 hour overnights, come on, are you that naive? Besides, do you really think Hoffa cares, no, he got a call from corporate America and was squeezed into denouncing Moffett. If he didn't they would spin the safety card against him and the Teamsters National with implication for truckers, future contracts, insurance rates etc...saying something like the Teamsters use safety as a bargaining chip, blah blah blah... Do you really think any pilot is going to do something unsafe for the contract, absolutely not, the only ones threatening safety here is the company with reduced rest, fatigue, and poverty. Do you not find it odd that Hoffa and the Teamsters are opposing a Teamster president publicly? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and work with one of their own? Why did they not sit down and help him strategize, correct any mistakes, and charge ahead? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and leverage a contract for all those pilots that have been paying Teamster dues, isn't that why we have all been paying Teamster dues in the first place? I sure haven't been paying dues so that the Teamsters National could come along and write this kind of an article undercutting our union leader and our unity. Whose side is the Teamsters National really on, it's obviously not the Republic pilots side.

  4. No matter what Moffatt does the company is going to spin it like he is the terrorist and brainwash people like you into believing it, wake up, back your players that are trying to change things for you and your livelihood. Where has Hoffa been for the last 6 years, except collecting our dues. Seriously, do you really think an FO going for upgrade, signed off by a checkairman ready for the upgrade, who then fails, is not even capable of returning as a First Officer.

  5. whoa!

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