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Disband the IEDC.
Immediately after giving a portion of the site to Elanco, the IEDC should’ve transferred the remaining GM Stamping Plant land to DMD. The City of Indianapolis has, after all, spent over $100M of its own money on the site’s infrastructure with the understanding that the City would get: 1) An expansion of WRSP that incorporates the site’s history and allows folks to interact with the White River; and 2) New, non-Elanco mixed-used development to boost property tax revenue. The City is getting neither.
Instead, the IEDC shopped the non-Elanco land too narrowly – only focusing on biotech tenants for a fanciful ‘OneHealth’ district. Then, when the search inevitably failed, the IEDC gave the remaining land to Elanco who will surely maintain the space as a glorified suburban office park right outside of Downtown with way too much surface parking that generates no tax revenue.
Additionally, WRSP plans have been reduced down to a glorified river-walk that has few redeeming features and that nobody will use (assuming that the park expansion is even built at this point):
1) Due to the fact that the IEDC gave practically the entire Stamping Plant to Elanco (rather than give the land to DMD for RFP processes or find another way to attract mixed-use development), the park will inherently be unable to generate much demand from the largely vacant land to its west. Other than Elanco employees, people will have to cross the river from Downtown to utilize the WRSP expansion.
2) There will be little reason for people to cross the river from Downtown for the WRSP expansion. The tasteful ode to the site’s history – the crane bay structure – is no longer incorporated. Then the IEDC nixed plans to build a kayak launch because the public Development Corporation wasn’t bold enough/smart enough to work with relevant stakeholders to remedy the proximate low head dam. All other features planned for WRSP expansion have analogous features on the east side of the river.
At this point, the ‘OneHealth’ district is a failure and LEAP is certainly trending that way too. In both cases, the State/IEDC would’ve been better off delegating its dollars directly to municipalities rather than spend copious amounts of money flipping real estate.
Very informative. I didn’t know the details but knew something was wrong when security stopped me from riding on the newly paved White River Parkway leading to Elanco. I was told by private security that it was state owned property and no one is allowed on it.
To be fair Wildstyle, you’re more of a sensationalist than someone in the know.
I certainly defer to Roberts knowledge and experience on better understanding large scale development and many other people in “know” when I need to know something
Well said, Robert H. Typical short-sightedness and lack of transparency by the state.
A monstrous betrayal to the community at large for preserving just a little bit of Indianapolis’ history and surprising slap at the Lilly Endowment for trying to help them honor community legacy
There are similar stories all around this city. It’s indefensible
Another bait and switch! Based on the statements and rationalizations in this article, of the Elanco and state folks, this was a long term goal all along. No efforts by the state leadership and legislature were to preserve the innovative annd historic Albert Kahn structure. If you recall, most of the length of the structure had already been demolished for the Elanco building. Ambrose was the only smart one, to sell this property for over $20M, even if they lost money on the deal. The city would have still been trying to decide which way north is. The ridiculous $43M bridge to nowhere, from nowhere, is the city’s albatross in their efforts to kill Indy Eleven, and relocate ancient cemeteries. This whole process, and early proposals, is an example of more lost opportunities and the classic political cluster ***$.
This is absolutely disgusting. I’m so tired of the endless broken promises by the State and City.