Your vision for Lucasville?

November 26, 2007
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Lucas Oil StadiumThe host of Property Lines, Cory Schouten, is on vacation this week. Meanwhile, the blog will feature discussion questions about Indianapolis real estate. Today's topic is the area surrounding Lucas Oil Stadium. It has become a virtual Wild West, as one blog reader said recently. The area is home to several development proposals, including the giant Legends District-SoDo project, along with Merrill Street Tower. What's your vision for the area? Can the stadium truly "extend" downtown? Look for new topics on Wednesday and Friday. Live posting resumes Dec. 3.
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  • DTWNovember 26, 2007 1:55 PM
    Of course it can. Columbus OH, KC, LA and many other cities have developed
    entire districts around new stadiums.
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  • berwickguyNovember 26, 2007 2:19 PM
    Let's hope this becomes a stimulant to more creative development.
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  • benjaminNovember 26, 2007 3:14 PM
    Anyone who really considers downtown to only be within NSEW streets is a bit close minded to begin with. (Yes, I know it was Ralston's plan) Downtown has already extended past these boundaries and hopefully more development keeps happening to make it more legit.
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  • DaveNovember 26, 2007 3:36 PM
    Looks like it's already happening. There's clearly going to be a lot of development south of the tracks.
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  • ChrisNovember 26, 2007 3:52 PM
    I'd love to see the mega blocks surrounding the stadium broken up into smaller more intimate ones. Unique architecture from block to block and builing to buiding would be great as well. Some high density development is always needed downtown, but I think that some areas surrounding the stadium in the style of Mass Ave. would be more attainable and welcoming. Any news on the Merril Street Building or Rawlston Square? How about Penn Center?
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  • NickNovember 26, 2007 4:51 PM
    No, I think the bigger developments like SODO are exactly what is needed on that side of downtown. This is an area where historic preservation is not much of an issue, and it is the perfect opportunity to break out of the rut that (deservedly) preserving architectural and atmosphere has put us. A blockbuster development like SODO is a case in point. Yes, it has the morbid condo curiosity, but its mixture of entertainment, restaurants and big box retail is exactly what is needed to attract people to that part of town. We can all sit and kid ourselves that we need boutique stores and farmers markets, but the fact of the matter is a Target and the like is what a downtown resident (me being one) is most likely to leave downtown to visit. Adding this sort of retail to a development in an urban setting (no acres of parking), will gurantee that Lucasville is not just a destination during Colts games.
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  • PhilNovember 26, 2007 6:11 PM
    I would love to see an real night life area pop up. It seems like the only places to go downtown are nicer restaurants or dive bars. There is very little in-between.
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  • chrisNovember 27, 2007 12:01 AM
    Nick, I agree with you, Sodo is a great proposal. It is self contained, but it has a street presence once inside. The massive Post Office is a prime example of a mega block that stymies any foot traffic whatsoever. The stadium itself is a rather massive mega block that may not show many signs of life unless there is an event. I've got no problem with Target, as long as it doesn't look like a suburban store with lots of parking. Sodo has underground parking, so once again, I think it's ideal. My point is that I'd like to see something along the lines of the narrow Mass Ave. as opposed to six lane one way streets that aren't pedestrian friendly.
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  • CoryWNovember 27, 2007 10:16 AM
    Great question Cory!! Obviously, we are seeing developmnet pop up around The Luke. However, the designs we are seeing are much less than favorable. The two hotels that are currently U/C to the west are a fine example of what should NOT be built in the Mile Square (or it's surrounding Regional Center). Those are suburban, interstate hotels with EIFS and stucco. Not something that is common in the downtown. It's not the planner who are to blame eitehr, rather, the people above them that allow developers and such to cry to anyone that will listen in hopes of getting their way.

    I am very pleased with the SoDo proposal and I really hope it comes to fruition. Imagine that area if/when it is built!

    I hope that the Popst Office is able to move so that the City can push forward with developing a transit hub on that site. Cory, do you have any info on this that you could share?
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  • liberty bellNovember 27, 2007 2:29 PM
    If the neighborhood actually becomes known as Lucasville due to the naming rights winner of the stadium I will completely give up hope for downtown.

    Please someone correct me in my assumption that this is from whence the nickname derives?
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  • DustinNovember 27, 2007 3:27 PM
    Lucasville? Pathetic name for a section of downtown. How about Touchdown District? *burp*
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  • MarshallNovember 27, 2007 6:07 PM
    What's wrong with the name Lucasville being used to describe an area of downtown? Ever hear of a place called Wrigleyville? I like it, and I hope it sticks...

    BTW, Dustin, have you officially gained your troll status on these boards?
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  • liberty bellNovember 27, 2007 11:13 PM
    Marshall, my opinion (as a 2.5 year resident) is that Indy is too corporate, chain driven, and uninterested in exploring/exploiting what is unique about it as a city. Naming a district of downtown after a company would, IMO, prove that concern.

    Granted, focus-grouped, committee-selected names for districts usually sound like nothing more than marketing and rarely stick. It would be good, IMO, if a name that related to the district's history or physical attributes blossomed naturally via usage on the street.

    And what happens when Lucas Oil merges with Mobil/Exxon/Dubai Ports/Starbucks? Does Lucasville stick? Or does the district get renamed?
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  • DustinNovember 28, 2007 1:20 AM
    Marshall, I understand your need to point out that I'm a troll on here. Apparently your point of thought about the Lucasville name and comparing it to Wrigleyville only proves one thing about you; BORING. You must be a very boring individual who does not seek outside of the box thinking in terms of establishing unique characteristics of a downtown area. As for liberty's post, he/she explained my original post more specifically. Surely you might want to reread liberty's post over and over again Marshall. I wouldn't want you to forget or misread a WORD considering how dense you might be. Have a good day!
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  • MarshallNovember 28, 2007 4:25 AM
    My ONLY point is that is a very unofficial nickname, and nothing more. Development in the area has / will have very little to do with the nick. Dustin, it amazes me that you are able to deduce so much about my personality and intelligence from a 4 sentence post.

    Thank you for the more reasonable response, liberty bell.... I can appreciate your viewpoint!
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  • BillNovember 28, 2007 4:16 PM
    The area just south of LOS already has an historic name: Irish Hills.
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  • E.R.H.November 28, 2007 8:00 PM
    Are there seriously ANY hills south of there? o_O
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  • DustinNovember 28, 2007 11:23 PM
    Marshall, I'm happy to know you feel better and understand :)
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  • E.R.H.November 28, 2007 11:27 PM
    Hopefully we can get an ESPNZone to come to Lucasville!
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  • CoryWNovember 29, 2007 10:25 AM
    I would LOVE for Indy to get an ESPN Zone. I can't figure out why we haven't gotten one yet. Hell, even lesser known cities without pro teams are slated to get one (Louisville).
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  • XYZNovember 29, 2007 4:53 PM
    The area immediately south of LOS is called Babe Denney. Irish Hills is immediately east of downtown.
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  • E.R.H.November 30, 2007 1:00 AM
    I would also love to see a Cheesecake Factory there. Hopefully one day downtown can get one!
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  • Helen(unionstation13)November 30, 2007 7:10 PM
    I would like to see the few historic structures and the few historic homes near it restored and re-used. I love the current proposals in the area. A mix of highrises to low rises/high density would be great. I think use of brick and stone would be great for this area.
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  • indy4everDecember 3, 2007 8:32 PM
    Technically the area east of downtown is Irish Hill, singular. Named because prior to the interstates, it was a pronounced hill overlooking downtown that was heavy with Irish immigrants.
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  • GBowJanuary 30, 2008 1:02 PM
    LOS is so out of scale to downton Indy it looks awful!
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  1. First, the Athenaeum is going to have to get past the hurdle with the Lockerbie residents and the agreement that the parcel would be residential. Second, and in my opinion, this prime piece of property should include parking, PLUS, a black box theater(s), some market rate and affordable artist housing and a plan to renovate and reconfigure the second story theater. I would negotiate to add the DeHaan property surface parking lot into the development mix, place a one story surface parking garage on the DeHaan lot on the street level (for the Dehaan tenants use during the daytime) and add a second story to the garage that would become an addition to the current second story theater and then change the direction of the theater by moving the stage across the alley and on top of the DeHaan lot parking. You can add all the stage elements that are currently missing from the Athenaeum stage to make it more attractive for use by Ballet, Opera and traveling productions. Plus, the theater changes would probably help solve some of the soundproofing issues. Alas,it does not seem to be a part of the strategic plan to conduct a study to determine best use of the property. Seems like the current plan is a quick and easy move that ignores the property best use/potential and any strategic property planning for the effect on future generations.

  2. I recall that MSA's pilings are still in the ground and hard to remove. It’s not likely any proposal will include significant underground construction/parking because of this. Start adding 2 floors of retail, 8 floors of parking and 5-10 floors of possible hotel, and/or 10-20 floors of residential, and you are at 30 floors already with possible expansion of all the uses. But then again I could be wrong.

  3. Accoriding to their website there is no deadline to the Do Not Call list. What is this article referring to??

  4. On what planet are they entitled to this largesse from the stockholders? These people make multi-million dollar salaries: Pay for your own personal travel.

  5. It matters because they're already paid enormously fat salaries: Pay for your own personal travel. Being "taxed on it" isn't a valid excuse--so what? They're still being gifted a raft of luxury perks from somebody else's money on top of an enormous, lavish salary.

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