NOVEMBER 16-22, 2009
This week, read the latest on the legal battle between Indianapolis City Market and five current or former tenants that are behind on rent and find out what downtown building the Indiana State Teachers Retirement Fund is negotiating to buy. In Focus, see what local convention planners have to do to lure the big fish to Indianapolis. And in A&E, Style columnist Gabrielle Poshadlo explores the specialized art of millinery.
Front PageBack to Top
Indy route not part of high-speed rail funding application
The decision to sidetrack a 110-mph Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati train hasn’t received any attention
locally. High-speed rail could someday become an economic development engine here, but it has
not gained as much attention here as improved highways or a commuter rail line from downtown to Noblesville.
Bob & Tom keep Q95 on a roll even as classic-rock format shows age
Q95’s Tom Griswold and Bob Kevoian have maintained their lofty ratings, keeping the Clear Channel Radio station near the top
of the Indianapolis radio market.
New Anthem pay-for-performance program gives docs $3.1M
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana is doling out $3.1 million to Indianapolis-area doctors—its first payments
based on a local quality measuring system.
Top StoriesBack to Top
City Market gets OK to evict anchor Constantino’s
The cash-strapped, half-vacant City Market is playing legal hardball with five current or former tenants that are behind
on rent, a move that’s led to the imminent eviction of Constantino’s Market Place.
Art Center trims staff to head off long-term problems
The Indianapolis Art Center laid off its full-time curator and cut one other position this month in an effort to pay down
short-term credit and deal with reduced income from its classes.
Rokita builds rep as tough enforcer of securities laws
Secretary of State Todd Rokita has relied on fines and fees to greatly increase his office’s firepower without a tax hike.
Read MoreRetailers surprisingly upbeat as they head into holidays
Those in the trenches say this won’t be a blockbuster Christmas, but it won’t be horrid, either.
Read MoreTeachers’ pension fund poised to buy downtown building from Duke
The Indiana State Teachers’ Retirement Fund is negotiating to buy a 12-story office building across from the
Statehouse in what could be the year’s largest downtown office transaction.
Scott Watanabe looks to transform digital textbooks
Watanabe, son of the late Eli Lilly and Co. scientist, has hired investment bankers to help raise $10 million for his business, Encompass Media.
Read MoreNew high-definition technology transforming television advertising in Indianapolis
Red Digital Cinema Technology gives video producers the ability to shoot in high-definition quality without
the expense of film, and local advertisers are taking advantage.
FocusBack to Top
Local convention leaders wine, dine crucial meeting planners
Behind every convention that rolls into Indianapolis is a tedious sales effort as intense and invisible as a riptide. Sometimes
the sale cycle lasts as long as six years.
Indiana tourism sites staying busy despite soft economy
Hoosiers are shrugging off hard times and heading out on vacation, so much so that some of the state’s top attractions actually
are seeing attendance boomlets. But the travelers are sticking close to home, and they’re clenching their dollars tightly.
Indianapolis Zoo attendance clipped by weather, economy
Indianapolis Zoo attendance is down in 2009, but poor weather may be to blame as much as the weak economy.
Read MoreMILLER: Travelers still want experiences despite proliferating technology
Consumers are using technology to look for the greatest value, not necessarily the lowest price.
Read MoreOpinionBack to Top
EDITORIAL: Wise decision on federal rail funds
Local advocates of high-speed rail are understandably disappointed that the Indiana Department of Transportation has dropped
the Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati corridor from its application for federal rail funds, but the logic
behind doing so seems sound.
MAURER: Inspiration flowers in Bloomington
As a participant in the Spirit and Place Festival that took place in Indianapolis Nov. 6-15, I was invited to share
a personal story of how an ordinary space was infused with special meaning for me. This is my story.
MARCUS: Diversity reigns among state’s economies
Not every county in Indiana is like every other county. This is important to understand (particularly if you are a state
legislator) because we cannot assume one remedy is appropriate for all ills statewide.
SHABAZZ: Thank you for choosing to smoke, or not
Anti-smoking advocates like to push the image of servers forced to work in a smoke-filled bar because they have no choice. Sorry my friends, in real life the facts tend to lead otherwise.
Read MoreColumn on airport got it wrong
In its Nov. 2 issue, IBJ published a Bloomington reader’s Viewpoint regarding the new terminal at Indianapolis
International Airport. It was both uninformed and misleading.
SKARBECK: Getting a good price hinges on stock’s value
Making investment decisions based on where a stock price has been in the past or betting on where it may go in the future is futile and foolish unless the investor has determined the value of the stock.
Read MoreHICKS: Content expertise best basis for teacher licensing
At a time when we are desperate for science and math teachers, and when several big firms are laying off scientists, we should
be jumping at the chance to get them into the classroom.
In BriefBack to Top
Lilly, WellPoint CEOs pin health care reform hopes on Senate
After the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a sweeping health care overhaul, leaders of Indiana’s two
largest health care entities turned their hopes to the U.S. Senate to give them a bill more to their liking.
Indiana State Bar Association names new president
Bingham McHale partner Roderick Morgan has been named president of the association. He is the first black lawyer to lead the
ISBA.
Indiana bank CEOs get bigger pay hike than peers
For banks, the last two years have been among the most tumultuous in history. Financial institution CEOs across the country
responded by trimming their raises in 2009. But in Indiana, bank chiefs didn’t follow form.
Aarden Pharmaceuticals chose Indianapolis over San Diego for headquarters
Thanks partly to a state grant and support from Indiana’s BioCrossroads life sciences initiative, principals “decided
locating here would give Aarden a better chance of success.
Sarah Fisher extends sponsorship deal with AAA
Izod IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher recently renewed her contract with AAA Hoosier Insurance. AAA will continue to
be a personal sponsor of Fisher and will remain an associate sponsor on Fisher’s No. 67 car for the 2010 and 2011 Indianapolis
500s.
Indiana Pacers offer special ticket deal for members of military
All active military, reserve and retired military members with military identification can purchase balcony tickets for $5,
club-level tickets for $10, or lower-level seats for $15, starting two hours before tip-off.
Construction under way on downtown condo conversion
The Shelton, a five-story building on Delaware Street, is getting a $3 million makeover.
Read MoreAmazon.com offers holiday piece work
Speedy gift wrappers who are willing to put in a few hours at Amazon.com’s Whitestown fulfillment center can earn
a few bucks for Indiana charities.
PROXY CORNER: Noble Roman’s Inc.
Noble Roman’s Inc. sells and services franchises for non-traditional and co-branded food service operations under the trade name Noble Roman’s Pizza.
Read More