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Lilly understands that the future has to be built. It is building manufacturing capacity. It is building data capacity. It is building scientific capacity. But that alone doesn’t do enough to help Indianapolis compete with Boston, Cambridge, Copenhagen, San Diego, or Basel for the world’s best scientific and executive talent. The company and the city must also build the human environment required to attract and retain the people who will make that future possible. A trillion-dollar life sciences company cannot fully thrive if its surrounding urban fabric tells the world that Indianapolis is content with ugly asphalt parking lots, blank walls, mediocre streets, and low expectations. The physical city is part of the recruitment package. The world’s most valuable companies do more to make their cities beautiful places to live, why not Lilly in Indy? Lilly is not a small local employer doing its civic best. It is one of the most valuable companies in the world, headquartered in a city that desperately needs a higher standard of urban ambition. If a company of Lilly’s scale cannot help lift the physical environment around its own headquarters, who exactly is supposed to do it? Will Lilly stay with the lackluster status quo, or will use its influence and gigantic wealth to help create a real urban life-sciences district: walkable, mixed-use, architecturally serious, safe, beautiful, active, and magnetic to talent for its own good and that of Indianapolis?
One could argue that the corner of the city core that the Lilly campus exists in is one of the most walkable areas in the city. A grocery store close by, a cultural district and multiple neighborhoods nearby plus City Way a block up Delaware, the cultural trail and other trails being built nearby, etc. I don’t disagree that we can and should always do more to increase density, invest in pedestrian infrastructure, etc, but we could instead point to the northwest quadrant of the city by the statehouse as a prime example of severely underdeveloped prime real estate.
The investment into communities that the Endowment continues to make should also not be overlooked.
Paul M.
+1
Lilly has been awesome for Indianapolis, but could do slot more with little effort to help make Indianapolis a very desirable city to live.
Lilly has done more for the city and state in my lifetime then any other corporation located here. Yes, I’m sure they can do more and no doubt will but we should be greatful for what they have done so far. Indianapolis is fortunate to have such a valuable company located here and that is committed to staying for the long term. Thanks Lilly!!
I agree Indianapolis is fortunate to have Lilly. But gratitude should not require low expectations. Lilly is not merely a generous local employer anymore; it is one of the most valuable companies in the world. At that scale, the question is not whether Lilly has done some good. Of course it has. The question is whether what it has done for the physical city is remotely commensurate with its global stature, its talent needs, and the opportunity in front of Indianapolis. Lilly is roughly a $1 Trillion market cap company. One-tenth of one percent of the value is $1 Billion. Think of what could be accomplished with that – at 60% debt to total cap they could do $2.5 Billion in improvement – enough to add homes and work places for 10,000 people and what would that do for the middle class in Indy and how might that add to the gravitational pull of the center and make it a better place to call home?
Also, Lilly Endowment and Eli Lilly and Company should not be conflated. The Endowment has done enormous good, but it is a separate institution. My point is about what the company itself can do with its corporate influence, landholdings, design standards, and wealth.
And while the area around Lilly has walkable assets nearby, proximity is not the same as place-making. Look at what Amazon did for the Lake Union District in Seattle – they built a thriving district top talent flocked to instead of moved away from. Too much of the “urban” fabric surrounding fabric is suburban corporate development dropped into the city: parking lots, blank edges, mediocre streets, and low architectural ambition. The standard should not be “better than some other underdeveloped part of downtown.” The standard should be whether Lilly’s district helps Indianapolis compete with Boston, Cambridge, Copenhagen, San Diego, and Basel for top talent. The built environment is talent infrastructure. Lilly should invest in it accordingly.
Paul M.
+1 again
Lilly had been very good to Indianapolis. But there are still things that could greatly enhance Indianapolis as a great place for high tech bio researchers to want to live and work.
Examples:
1). I have came across many IUPUI students that are in the STEMs. These students are in their Masters and PHD level research. They almost all leave Indy for Boston, San Diego, and other prominent high tech cities with much more to see and do.
They want an urban environment with amenities.
These students have all said the same thing. Quality of life!
The vast majority of these students are international, with a large percentage from India.
Create an international market place and entertainment district on or very close to the IUPUI campus. This is something that would really resonate with these students and possibly entice them to stay. Starting a business or working for a research company in Indianapolis.
2). Develop an entertainment district downtown close to the hotels and the convention center. A place where locals, tourist, and the IUPUI students could all congregate to, to have a great time. ** People want to return to a place that is fun, entertaining, and memorable. **The economic development impact could be very significant,
Think Nashville or Austin.
3). Many under utilized buildings downtown that look neglected that could be revitalized into apartments for students. Students would love to live in a place where they could live, work, and play. Again, a quality of life issue.
I came across so many people here for conventions or other special events that thought Indianapolis was nice ( but with a yawn ). Let’s make Indianapolis an exciting place to live and work. Lilly could assist in that effort.