Frustrations remain for forest alliance even after shifting strategies
The group wants the city to dedicate funding to buy forested areas, to protect them from private development.
Government & Economic Development
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Legislation seeks speedier path to home building
House Bill 1001 would allow single-family houses and duplexes to be approved without a hearing in areas that are zoned residential.
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The Chicago Bears, Indiana and the math behind NFL stadium deals
Professional sports experts say past NFL stadium deals might offer Indiana lawmakers a few clues to what a Lake County deal could mean for both the team and the state.
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Commerce secretary wants to turn the IEDC inside out
In some ways, social media platforms are unlike traditional media platforms, such as radio and television. In other ways, they are very similar.
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IBJ Podcast: With billions at stake, hyperscale data centers become charged issue in Indiana
The sudden surge in announced centers—representing more than $15 billion in potential investment—has generated a lot of concern about their drain on Indiana utilities and, in some cases, their water-intensive cooling systems.
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Articles
Does Indiana’s environmental reform bill streamline standards or make unnecessary cuts?
Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order for state agencies to keep businesses in mind when setting environmental rules. That directive could soon materialize in changes to rules governing the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
New City-County Council leaders want to leave 2025 drama behind
New Democratic leaders say they want to concentrate on policymaking, collaboration and transparency.
Indianapolis finds energy-use benchmarking policy is a tall order
It’s been almost five years since the city joined sustainability-minded municipalities in passing an ordinance that requires owners of large buildings to report their annual utility use. Today, most building owners aren’t complying.
Trump seeks to quell rebellion over data centers
Trump is attempting to ease voters’ concern over the AI build-out as the politics of data centers is rapidly shifting against Silicon Valley and lawmakers who support its push to quickly build hulking structures nationwide.
State health insurance plan changes reflect Braun’s vision
For 2026, the plan features significantly lower out-of-pocket costs for members who use the plan’s “narrow network” that limits choice.
Braun push to reduce utility rates could be blocked by mandates in laws
Gov. Mike Braun has made energy a centerpiece of his first year, but his focus isn’t only about generating more electricity to feed growing demand from economic development. He also wants to lower the price of power for business and residential consumers.
City taps new firm for Indiana Avenue strategy
A year after a $450,000 contract intended to help shape development for historic Indiana Avenue expired with no published results or recommendations, the city of Indianapolis has hired a new contractor.
Downtown post office property once again stirs what-ifs
For 20 years, every mayoral administration has explored taking over or facilitating the sale of the post office directly east of Lucas Oil Stadium—with each attempt failing to gain traction.
City’s roster of cultural districts spikes from seven to 19
The move nearly triples the number of highlighted areas and recasts perceptions of what areas are worthy of recommending to visitors.
3 counties put moratoriums on data center projects
The potential conflict between the state’s data infrastructure goals and local reluctance to house data centers is the newest chapter in the debate between municipalities and the Statehouse about home-rule matters.
Labor Department won’t release full October jobs report, a casualty of the 43-day federal shutdown
Wednesday’s announcement means the September jobs numbers will likely get extra scrutiny Thursday.
City-County Council encounters obstacles to HR reform
Nearly six months ago, a Chicago law firm made a series of recommendations to the council aimed at making the city of Indianapolis a safer and better operation for its employees. Few of those recommendations have been implemented.
Abrupt crane bay demolition at former GM stamping plant site caught many off guard
It took only a five-line clause in the state’s August land sale to Elanco Animal Health to bring down what was left of a nearly 100-year-old crane bay along the western bank of the White River.
Carmel mayor, councilors aim to get past internal discord
Carmel’s elected leaders are working to mend differences after a contentious budget-writing season during which conflicts arose and disagreements played out in public.
Tax changes could force shift in local priorities
Budget-writing season has been especially difficult this year in many Indiana cities, towns and counties as elected officials grapple with the effects of a new law that overhauled the tax systems that fund local governments.
Editorial: Tax law merits more discussion as impacts reverberate statewide
We are concerned the tax changes will make it harder for communities to grow.
City’s rebranded land bank aims to be more strategic in property redevelopment
Over the past several months, Indianapolis leaders have been staking colorful signs into the yards of city-owned vacant properties in what amounts to a promise to neighbors that they plan to put the properties back on the tax rolls.
Large hospitals gird for Braun’s plan to change Medicaid reimbursement
Indiana’s hospital systems could face hundreds of millions of dollars in annual Medicaid reimbursement cuts if the rates they charge to employer-provided insurance plans are higher than thresholds set by Gov. Mike Braun’s administration.
Mayor’s call center workers form union
The Mayor’s Action Center at the City-County Building has a dozen employees who operate as the front line for complaints and questions for the Hogsett administration. Yet, those employees are among the lowest paid in the city-county enterprise.