Distribution holds promise for Central Indiana
A new report shows that, despite a sluggish national economy, the Indianapolis area should continue to attract industrial
businesses and distribution centers next year.
Commercial Real Estate
Articles
Kite drops about 10 percent of its staff as retail market flounders
Kite Realty Group Trust has joined local peers Duke Realty Corp. and Lauth Group Inc. in laying off employees as it copes
with dried-up credit and a soft retail market.
Chicago’s Jones Lang LaSalle attracts talented local brokers to establish Indy branch
Some of the city’s most prominent commercial real estate brokers have resigned from locally owned Meridian Real Estate to
launch an Indianapolis affiliate of Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle.
Duke Realty star starts new company
Aasif Bade started Ambrose Property Group with three employees this month.
Meridian founder steps aside
Veteran office broker John Robinson, one of the founders of locally based Meridian Real Estate, has left the firm and is working
on a new venture.
California’s Blue Real Estate establishes local presence
Blue Real Estate, a California firm that made a bundle selling West Coast office buildings at the market’s peak, has been
buying up local buildings and trying to learn the Indianapolis market.
Airport terminal to rent out space, keep many employees in old facility
The new, $1.1 billion terminal at Indianapolis International Airport likely won’t house as many airport employees as the existing
facility. Instead, portions of the terminal are being set aside for their revenue-generating potential.
Indiana CEOs are cautious during financial mayhem
CEOs with Simon Property, Duke Realty Corp. and Interactive Intelligence Inc. report that their companies are taking an uncharacteristically
cautious approach to acquisitions and investments, given the faltering economy.
DBSI, an Idaho company with Indiana properties, faces class-action suit
DBSI, an Idaho real estate firm with 250 properties worth $2 billion faces a class-action suit. Some of its properties and
investors are in Indianapolis.
M&I Plaza, only 30-percent occupied, may sell at cut-rate price
A local real estate developer has emerged as a top contender to buy the 28-story M&I Plaza–potentially at half the
$50 million price the building fetched a decade ago. Paul Kite Co. confirmed it is in talks with Maryland-based
CapitalSource Inc., which took over the struggling office tower in June after foreclosing on a $5 million
mezzanine loan.
Tough economy touching all industries, but some are hurting more than others
Stock markets are falling, jobs are disappearing, and the outlook for the economy seems grim. Banks, real estate developers,
retailers and manufacturers are taking the worst hits, but all types of businesses in central Indiana are hurting. From health
care to technology, education to philanthropy, every industry is trying to take the setbacks in stride.
Safeco weighs downtown exit; owners of insurer’s building market space
Insurance giant Safeco Corp. is expected to either vacate or scale back its downtown operation next year–a move that could
deal a major blow to the office market. At stake are about 700 downtown jobs, some or all of which could be eliminated or
shifted to the suburbs. A final decision about the fate of Safeco’s five-building downtown office complex likely will come
after Boston-based Liberty Mutual completes its $6.2 billion acquisition of Seattle-based Safeco.
Strip-mall developer scales back as housing slump hurts small retail centers
A local developer known for its strip centers has stopped building new projects, scaled back its staff, and is trying to
unload several of its properties in an apparent bid to survive. Williams Realty Group earlier this year
shuttered its custom-home-building operation, DayMarc Homes, and now observers are wondering if owners Dave
Crockett and Marc Freije can keep the rest of Williams afloat.
Sports Corp. made city a sports giant, but real estate plans fell short
Construction of Pan Am Plaza in the mid-1980s was a major step in the evolution of Indianapolis into a sports town worthy
of hosting a Super Bowl. But the office building, parking garage, skating rinks and public gathering place came up short over
the years in other ways for both taxpayers and developer, the Indiana Sports Corp.
Ralston Square development lures bar, hotel, bowling alley
A trendy bar and an upscale hotel have agreed to anchor the 11-story Ralston Square project slated for South Street between
Meridian and Pennsylvania streets. The developers of the $60 million mixed-use project are moving forward after landing the
tenants necessary to secure a loan commitment, said Brian Epstein, president of locally based Urban Space Commercial Properties
and a partner on the project.
Lender claims M&I Plaza when it fails to sell at auction
A Maryland company has taken ownership of downtown’s 28-story M&I Plaza just three months before a major tenant departure
leaves the skyscraper 70-percent vacant. The new owner is CapitalSource Inc., a commercial finance and investment firm based
in Chevy Chase, Md. It had been a lender to the former owner, which defaulted.
Business leaders battle over real estate left behind by Payton Wells
The Malibus and Impalas disappeared from Payton Wells Chevrolet more than 18 months ago, but the controversy over the defunct
dealership at 1510 N. Meridian St. is far from being in the rearview mirror for some of the city’s top businesspeople and
developers. A court battle over the dealership’s properties could determine when and how the roughly six acres of prime land
are redeveloped.
New Lafayette Square owner pitching major expansion
Lafayette Square Mall could look a lot like the revitalized Glendale Town Center in a few years if the mall’s new owners get
their way. A proposed site plan shows that New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. doesn’t intend to settle for filling
the mall’s ample vacant space.
DeBartolo to buy Metropolis from Dominion Capital
Tampa, Fla.-based DeBartolo Development has reached a preliminary agreement to buy Plainfield’s Metropolis mall out of foreclosure
and hopes to hook Macy’s and Bass Pro Shops to anchor a second phase.
Renovated Central Library spawns neighborhood revival
A local developer plans to spend up to $45 million building a “north village of downtown” on several parcels it has assembled
near the Central Library. Buckingham Cos. plans to build apartments, offices, restaurants and retail space-all surrounding
its headquarters in the three-story Stokely-Van Camp building at the southeast corner of Meridian and St. Joseph streets.