MAY 14-20, 2021
Thirty-three-year-old Eli Simon, whose grandfather and great-uncles founded Simon Property Group more than a half-century ago, is quietly emerging as a key executive in the family retail real estate empire. Greg Andrews has the inside story of his rise and his new responsibilities. Also in this week’s issue, Mickey Shuey explains how teams such as the Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Pacers are trying to accommodate sports bettors in their home facilities. And in a Q&A with IBJ, Jennifer Pace Robinson shares her goals as the new CEO of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Front PageBack to Top
Robinson spent 3 decades on journey to children’s museum CEO
Jennifer Pace Robinson has worked her way up at The Children’s Museum over three decades, filling a variety of roles dealing directly with museum visitors and with the behind-the-scenes work that makes the museum tick.
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Indy’s pro sports teams find ways to welcome gamblers
Teams are trying to earn indirect revenue from mobile sports betting, carving out areas in their facilities that cater to fans who want to follow their bets while taking in a game downtown.
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A 33-year-old Simon becomes force inside family company
Eli Simon, whose grandfather and great-uncles founded Simon Property Group more than a half-century ago, is quietly emerging as a key executive in the retail real estate empire.
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Study recommendations will help tackle eviction crisis
An almost 30-page policy agenda and a nearly 20-page action plan tackles the city’s diminishing stock of quality affordable rental housing.
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Restaurants eating up federal COVID relief
As the pandemic subsides, local eateries are hopeful that a new coronavirus relief program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, will help them emerge intact.
Read MoreQ&A: Craig Baker preparing to open the AMP at 16 Tech
Restaurateur and chef Craig Baker is leading operations at the AMP, the artisan marketplace at 16 Tech Innovation District.
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Ascension St. Vincent unveils three major projects on 86th Street campus worth $325M
The heavy investment in the campus—including a new women’s hospital and a brain and spine center—is the latest indication that Ascension St. Vincent is committed to the location, a major anchor along the busy West 86th Street corridor.
Read MoreAuto innovator in the Racing Capital of the World: Milton Reeves
While working in his 20s in a sawmill in Columbus, he realized that workers could not control the speed of their saws, so he invented a variable-speed transmission.
Read MoreLocal venture fund raises $20M to invest in diverse startups
Sixty8 Capital, an Indianapolis-based, seed-stage venture capital firm supporting Black, Latino, female and LGBTQ+ led startups, announced Monday the first close of its new $20 million venture fund. Sixty8Capital is launching the fund in partnership with Indianapolis-based Allos Ventures.
Read MoreHolcomb signs order restoring work-search rule for jobless benefits
Indiana is joining several other states creating more requirements for people to stay on unemployment, with many businesses blaming the ease of obtaining the weekly jobless benefits with making it more difficult to fill job openings.
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Mark Montieth: Legalization of sports wagering dangerous for some
Billy isn’t his real name, but his gambling problem was as real as the loans he was taking out to finance his habit and as real as the weekly Gamblers Anonymous meetings he now attends to ward off the demons.
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Website operators must be strategic, authentic to rank high in Google results
It might alarm many business owners to learn that the vast majority of website pages get zero traffic from the world’s largest search engines, most notably Google.
Read MorePanel: Diversifying tech requires intentionality
IBJ’s annual Technology Power Panel on May 7 led to a lively discussion—moderated by IBJ reporter Anthony Schoettle—that focused in part on diversity in the tech sector.
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Editorial: Holcomb’s measured approach on unemployment benefits is right path
What is required is a careful balancing act between encouraging people to get back to work to fill the many available jobs and continuing to offer support to people who can’t find work in their fields.
Read MoreNate Feltman: Forty Under 40 alumni continue to lead
At this year’s event, IBJ will present its inaugural Forty Under 40 Alumni Award, which recognizes a previous honoree who has continued to make significant contributions to the central Indiana community.
Read MoreDavid Johnson: Indiana has everything to gain from Endless Frontier Act
This legislation would promote resiliency and competitiveness in our nation’s (and state’s) advanced-manufacturing sector.
Read MoreDennis Sasso: Latinx is not a term that Latin Americans use or even know
It betrays Spanish grammar and is unnecessary to accomplish the gender-neutral and inclusive purposes it seeks to serve.
Read MorePete the Planner: Encourage grads to start saving for retirement now
New grads will face many challenges, but if they address the retirement challenge from the very beginning, everything else will fall into place.
Read MoreIn the workplace: Boom will force companies to reevaluate culture
After the talent displacement of 2020, we’re beginning to see unemployment numbers drop again. Predictably, a boom will stimulate even more demand for top talent as businesses reopen, capacity swells and seasons change.
Read MoreCecil Bohanon & Nick Curott: Economic fix requires more than jobless reforms
The problem is not so much a lack of available jobs.
Read MoreLetter: Unemployment benefits are disincentive to work
It’s not “Donald Trump’s immigration policy” and his “disdain for Black and brown people” (ridiculous statements) that are keeping hospitality workers in short supply. Laborers are few in a lot of industries these days.
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Punch Bowl Social to reopen downtown location next week
The 23,000-square-foot restaurant-and-entertainment venue, part of a Denver-based chain, has been closed since March 2020, eliminating 91 jobs.
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Lilly to start bringing back downtown employees June 1, requiring vaccinations at first
The company plans to open its campus to all employees by July 12. The move comes as more companies continue to slowly reopen offices and navigate tricky territory with vaccinations.
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Veteran journalist Greg Andrews named publisher, editor of The Indiana Lawyer
IBJ Media CEO Nate Feltman said he’s confident that under Andrews’ leadership, The Indiana Lawyer “will become an even more essential read for the legal community and beyond. We have the opportunity to become much more relevant both in central Indiana and statewide.”
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Simon joint venture to buy 300-store Eddie Bauer
The outdoor gear and apparel retailer is slated to join a growing stable of high-profile retail brands owned by Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group and its partner.
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Owner closes Fountain Square icon Peppy Grill
Plans are in the works for a new location and further expansion of the greasy-spoon concept.
Read MoreForefrontBack to Top
Brandt Hershman: Free college should concern taxpayers, colleges
Significant financial assistance already exists, and community college is a relative bargain, especially when viewed against the average 37% increase in earnings that an associate-degree recipient receives over someone holding a high school diploma.
Read MoreMayor Tom DeBaun: Free community college provides opportunities for all
When President Biden indicated that he wanted free community college educational opportunities for all, there was a sense of relief and enthusiasm from those employers and educators that have been working on this issue.
Read MoreEd DeLaney: America’s gun culture prevents real change
“The core idea behind conservative support for red-flag laws is that the problem is not with the gun, but with people.”
Read MoreKaren Celestino-Horseman: Lessons I learned at home during the pandemic
“The universe gave me the gift of a year to complete the task, so how much did I get done? Nothing.”
Read MoreMichael Leppert: Create a healthy personal perspective while job hunting
“Take the time to create your own clear perspective in every possible way while you are updating your resume or shopping for that new interview suit.”
Read MoreJim Shella: Good customer service is still in style
“What grates on me more than anything are store employees who disregard the customer.”
Read MoreAbdul-Hakim Shabazz: America is not a racist country
America is not a racist country. America is a country that has racists in it, but it is not a racist country.
Read MoreMarshawn Wolley: America should strive to be anti-racist
“After all, not being racist isn’t the same as being anti-racist.”
Read MoreBrad Rateike: Gov’s new initiative encourages local collaboration
Like I said, there is political calm here in Indiana, and our state is in great shape because of it—all things considered.
Read MoreJennifer Wagner: Candidates should report contributions more regularly
“Instead of focusing on timing, let’s make the process more transparent by requiring donations be reported within seven days of receipt.”
Read MoreDr. Richard Feldman: Session falls short on health care bills
“The session was notable for what was not considered or did not survive the session; many bills were simply put off until next year.”
Read MoreClaire Fiddian-Green: State should invest in emotional needs of students
“One critical support that K-12 schools can provide for students is the intentional development of social-emotional learning competencies.”
Read MoreDeborah Daniels: Passage of police-reform law is commendable
“One of the provisions of the act most likely to be impactful is the new requirement of de-escalation training.”
Read MoreDana Black: New policing law is a step in the right direction
“The bipartisan legislation takes aim at reforming Indiana’s law enforcement by requiring de-escalation training and other provisions for officer conduct.”
Read MoreRiley Parr: Republicans must start righting progressive agendas
“I suspect another time for choosing is fast approaching—because … if people don’t, 2+2 will soon equal 5.”
Read MoreCurt Smith: A letter to Georgians: Stay steadfast
“Our experience here confirms that the organizations attacking our residents and elected leaders did not carry through on their threats.”
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