JUNE 27-JULY 3, 2011
This week, see what national advertising campaign has Young & Laramore back in the national spotlight and read about what's next for Emmis Communications after agreeing to sell three big-market radio stations. In Focus, meet Brad Chambers, who quietly built Buckingham Cos. into a real estate colossus. In Forefront, columnists weigh in on defunding Planned Parenthood, among other topics. And At Home Quarterly visits a Carmel house that wraps around a golf course clubhouse.
Front PageBack to Top
Bush Stadium fixup fans tax tensions
The city plans to tap a taxing district downtown to help pay for the Bush Stadium renovation, rekindling concern among some elected officials and taxing experts that the Mayor’s Office is using the massive district to fund whatever special city needs crop up.
Read MoreObservers: Inexperience with mainline carriers hurting Republic
Two years after regional carrier Republic Airways Holdings made a gutsy move into the branded airline business by buying Frontier Airlines and Midwest Airlines, its stock price is down nearly 60 percent.
Read MoreTomisue Hilbert settles suit over $15M policy
Tomisue Hilbert quietly settled a 3-year-old lawsuit last month over whether a controversial life insurance policy issued in 2006 on her mother, Suzy Tomlinson, was valid, and whether the beneficiary of the policy, J.B. Carlson, committed fraud.
Read MoreTop StoriesBack to Top
Startup takes on abandoned homes in Indianapolis
Indianapolis is in the early stages of expanding the practice of land banks, which allow government agencies and not-for-profits to take over tax-foreclosed properties and put them back into productive use,. Land banks have shown positive results in states such as Michigan and Ohio.
Read MoreCustom work helps tiny sign shop land big clients
ACS Sign Solutions is a small Hoosier company with a far reach, landing recent deals to create signs for The New York Times offices and Avon Cosmetics’ corporate headquarters in Manhattan.
Read MoreChristian foundation sees donations soar
A local Christian foundation is pulling in donations at such a rapid clip that it could double in size this year.
Read MoreSmulyan says Emmis ready ‘to go back on offensive’
Emmis' sale of two stations in Chicago and one in New York City will allow the company to chop more than $100 million off its $331 million in long-term debt—clearing the way for it to arrange a refinancing under favorable terms.
Read MoreQuirky ads put local agency in national spotlight
Young & Laramore is back on the national stage with a new round of Stanley Steemer television commercials, which began airing in May. The quirky, humorous 15- and 30-second spots are gaining the Indianapolis agency national attention.
Read MoreDid Mayor Ballard jump gun on charter closure?
An Indianapolis charter school marked for closure by Mayor Greg Ballard posted huge gains in ISTEP scores this year, and school leaders plan to ask Ballard to reconsider his decision.
Read MoreFocusBack to Top
Chambers quietly built Buckingham into real estate colossus
The North of South mixed-use project in downtown Indianapolis is just the latest development for Brad Chambers, who started out in the landscaping business.
Read More16 Park project helping to transform Indianapolis neighborhood
The first building of a new complex on near-north side is set to be completed in August
Read MoreMARR: Farewell to a long list of great colleagues and mentors
Six people were key mentors and associates during real estate career in Indianapolis.
Read MoreOpinionBack to Top
EDITORIAL: Star newsroom layoffs shortsighted
There was no rejoicing when word of The Indianapolis Star’s most recent round of layoffs reached the IBJ newsroom, no celebratory toasts to the continued erosion of our once-mighty daily competitor.
Read MoreMAURER: Eskenazi blazed path worth following
Entrepreneurship is a grand game and money is simply a means of keeping score. The essence of entrepreneurship is the joy of the game.
Read MoreMARCUS: A tale of Colts, Packers and Longhorns
What we gain by having the Colts and Pacers is mainly a psychological benefit. We feel that we are big league because we have big-league teams carrying our name.
Read MoreJOSEPH: Is working for yourself or for others riskier?
In business ownership, individual performance is the key indicator of success.
Read MoreHICKS: Jobless compensation and the incentive to work
In essence, the body of research tells us that longish periods of unemployment compensation tend to cause longish periods of unemployment.
Read MoreSKARBECK: Businessws with ‘moats’ more likely to succeed
In economic terms, consider a business that has a “sustainable competitive advantage” that serves as a moat against the competition. A business that can stave off the competition is likely to produce attractive profits.
Read More16 Tech District holds great promise
The recently announced 16 Tech District adds a new tool to Indianapolis’ strong life sciences arsenal.
Read MoreInsurance industry protects consumers
I write in response to [Julia Vaughn’s Forefront column June 13] titled “State protects insurers better than consumers” and its mistaken view that insurance commissioner Stephen Robertson’s support of medical loss ratio reform does nothing to protect consumers.
Read MoreAnother call to add a Dillard’s downtown
I couldn’t agree with [Greg Morris commentary, June 6] more about bringing Dillard’s to Indianapolis.
Read MoreTurn failed IPS sites into charter schools
No one obviously wants the government to raise our children, but it is clear to me that someone needs to step up and create real reform in the state’s largest school district.
Read MoreLugar column sparks policy questions
Sen. Lugar, although I think of myself as conservative, I disagree with you on some points [in your May 23 Forefront column].
Read MoreIn BriefBack to Top
Troubled economy fueling hospital deals
Battered by stagnant population growth and blue-collar job loss, Howard Regional Health is merging with Indiana University Health—a deal that reflects the challenges faced by hospitals in Indiana’s outlying cities.
Read MoreCharitable giving picks up despite rocky economy
After pulling back from charitable giving for two years, Americans were slightly more generous in 2010—donating an estimated $290.9 billion, according to a national study released Monday.
Read MoreIndyCar appears poised to drop Milwaukee race
IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard is considering taking the open-wheel series to the Road America road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis., for 2012. That race could replace the Milwaukee race, which Bernard said faces a 50-percent chance of being eliminated.
Read MoreReport: State’s life science sector continues to grow
A total of 220 life sciences startups have been launched in Indiana since 2004, or an average of 44 per year, according to a new report from BioCrossroads that tracked the industry’s growth over the last eight years.
Read MoreCity’s Rebuild Indy money to revamp railroad overpasses
The city of Indianapolis released bids soliciting contractors to repaint, clean and add lighting underneath the overpasses at Meridian, Pennsylvania and Illinois streets and College and Capitol avenues downtown, and on 10th Street east of the Monon Trail.
Read MorePROXY CORNER: Vera Bradley Inc.
Fort Wayne-based Vera Bradley Inc. sells handbags, accessories, paper-and-gift items and travel items through 3,300 specialty stores and 45 Vera Bradley stores nationwide.
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