Another delay on Di Rimini: Time for a demolition order?

February 20, 2013
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Di Rimini IndyThe owner of the unfinished 31-unit apartment building at 733 N. Capitol Ave. now hopes to sell the property instead of investing more than $1.5 million to bring it into code compliance. The land-use attorney for Stock Yards Bank & Trust told the Metropolitan Development Commission of the bank's intent at a meeting today, said Department of Metropolitan Development spokesman John Bartholomew. The bank requested a delay of a public hearing on the project until April 17. Stock Yards took over the property from a developer who put up a vastly different building than the one the city approved and had been working with city planners in a bid to salvage the project and the $2.8 million it lent the developer. "The MDC has expressed frustration this issue has not yet been resolved," Bartholomew wrote in an email. "The DMD will not sign off on any outside building change until code enforcement deems it safe." The city ordered construction stopped in 2010 after code enforcement and planning officials discovered Jeff Sparks was building a different structure than approved, including serious safety flaws. Despite the order, the owners began moving tenants into the building, leading the state's fire marshal to issue an emergency order barring occupancy. If the bank is no longer willing to take a loss and clean up the mess, maybe it's time for demolition.

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  • Demo
    rwhFebruary 21, 2013 8:39 AM
    The revised exterior still is unacceptable. The building does not fit in with the downtown. Its an embarassment to the City. Indianapolis has to do better. There is no way this should have been approved even if it was built per the original design. The building needs to be demolished or let the fire department burn the building for training.
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    • Agreed, Demo
      pjFebruary 21, 2013 9:13 AM
      I agree, let's demolish this property and get something new here. Sorry for the bank, but they made the mistake of not doing their due diligence, their problem, their loss.
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    • What a joke
      IndyFebruary 21, 2013 10:39 AM
      It is a complete joke that this building has not been demolished yet. Its sad, but knowing Indy's lack of guts, it will not being demolished.
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    • Good Question.
      PyroFebruary 21, 2013 11:14 AM
      Why do arsonists torch quality projects like the Cosmo or 16Park and ignore abortions like this?
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    • DEMO
      CommentaryFebruary 21, 2013 11:47 AM
      Take this project off life support.
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    • Tear it down...
      Downtown TJFebruary 21, 2013 11:48 AM
      I'm not adding anything new, but..... TEAR IT DOWN!!!
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Eyesore
      ReedFebruary 21, 2013 12:04 PM
      It is an eyesore!! Out of compliance; disobeyed order not to occupy? Require torn down .. Land value is greater than cheap built horrible designed building.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Gingerbread House
      Dave in IndyFebruary 21, 2013 12:10 PM
      Looks like a 10 year old's attempts at stacking Gingerbread single wide, mobile homes on top of each other at different lengths. My comments are insulting - to 10 year olds everywhere.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Tear it down!!
      MariaFebruary 21, 2013 1:22 PM
      Mr Ballard, tear down this eyesore!!!
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Demolish
      Robert KennedyFebruary 21, 2013 1:31 PM
      This should have come down months ago. We should not get any further entangled in dispute between the lender and the developer. We have an obligation to abide by Regional Center Ordinance. If we don't we might as well trash it.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Awful
      brguyFebruary 21, 2013 2:22 PM
      This mess is an embarassment to the city and detracts from the immediate neighborhood. How it got this far should be investigated...something smells about how it passed periodic inspections...that is, if there were those inspections. It should be leveled as soon as possible.
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    • RE Robert Kennedy
      DTFebruary 21, 2013 5:10 PM
      I agree Robert Kennedy with your comments about the Regional Center Guidelines. Unfortunately, though, they are already in the trash. Just look at the DISGUSTING parking garage being built next to the One America building. What a disgrace.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • all agreed
      NickFebruary 27, 2013 12:06 PM
      I think we have universal agreement that the fraud of the builder should be punished by tearing down his building. The bank can go after their loss hopefully through secured land. The owner and builder made a deal with the city (not a good one at that) and the city has the right to code enforce its terms. This should have been done three years ago. The city should expedite any due process or course of law and put dishonest people in their place. Sitting on this matter for three years suggests city officials have tentacles to people involved in this project or their lawyers. It's time the liars are put in their place.
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    • Bring it down
      Eric RowlandFebruary 28, 2013 2:28 PM
      Terrible aesthetics aside, I can't imagine that it would even be economically feasible to keep it up given the extent of the code violations and difficulty to correct them. It is my understanding that there aren't even any drawings of the foundations, and given that they didn't follow any of the other approved plans, who would trust that it even has a good foundation?
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Agreed
      Cara LMarch 26, 2013 1:16 PM
      I agree, I drive by this building daily and it is so awful to look at!
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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    1. So the Mayor adds another non value added layer to having a vehicle towed? Whereby the City Government RECIEVES AN ILLEGAL KICKBACK FROM A LGOISTICS COMPANY THAT SUBS THE WORK TO LOCAL TOW COMPANIES? What is the service the City performs for receiving the "tribute"? This is RICO!!!!! What a corrupt and unnecessary layer. What a dirtbag Mayor and his cronies.

    2. Owner occupied housing. Clear enough?

    3. So people think I am paranoid. It's from experience in dealing with puds requested by developers who make major donations themselves to representatives, have nice fund raisers for those running for office and hide through pac's. then there are the public relation firms. You will note some pr comments below. You there Clyde Lee? My opinion. Commercial along 421, great. Multifamily housing, terrible idea that will change the town. Senior condos or zero lot line homes west, great. I suggest keeping all entries to commercial areas at 421. All entries to owner occupied on sycamore. Will keep the traffic on sycamore down some. Two other things. You can't trust what will be there in 10 years. Steve builds quality stuff, but areas change over time. Look at the changes at the wall mart center at 86th and 421 over the last 10 years. Look at the apartments and neighborhoods behind St Vincent's. Raintree properties WILL decrease in value if commercial and multifamily goes in near. It has already been happening around the bridges area. The houses that have been sold recently are way below market. Several deals not closed due to the Illinois construction and the whole unsurety of the bridges. It's pretty simple, Zionsville will approve the whole thing because the city council has been groomed over a LONG period of time for this. I might even suggest some are in their position as a result of this.

    4. Esta, do you have a dog in this fight? You seem to really want to knock anyone against this project. No, I didn't move to Indiana for the architecture. I moved here for that red barn in the field. The horses and fields of corn. A place that is NOT overdeveloped. There are plenty of nearby places in Indianapolis that could be REDEVELOPED instead.

    5. RKW - OK, we get it, you're paranoid. The question is, are you paranoid enough? Greg - Yes, Pittman(s) is (are) at it again. They are developers, they build things. It's what they do. So when you go to work tomorrow, Greg, you're at it again too. Cliff - Really? You moved to Indiana for its progressive architecture? That's like moving to England for the cuisine. Zionsvillain - The house you moved to was once a field or woods. I'm willing to bet folks were upset when that ground was plowed under and a house was built. But I guess now that you are in, everything should stop? "My house was OK, but the next one is sprawl." SE Guy - Please don't paint us with such a wide brush. Most reasonable Zionsville residents welcome planned, measured development.

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