Your vision for Lucasville?
The host of Property Lines, Cory Schouten, is on vacation this week. Meanwhile, the blog will feature discussion questions about Indianapolis real estate. Today’s topic is the area surrounding Lucas Oil…
Real Estate
Articles
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Reforms could create barriers to homeownership
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Maybe it is because no one wants me to help cook, or perhaps it’s due to the stream of college football. Mostly I think I like it because it is such an unhurried, fun, shared day. This year, many of us gathered for Thanksgiving at family homes and we gave thanks for the many gifts life brings us in this nation. What many of us didn’t conscientiously dwell on is how important the simple act…
Ritter’s sets new game plan
The Indianapolis-based parent of the Ritter’s Frozen Custard brand has been stuck in a cold streak lately, facing scores of
new ice-cream competitors and a dwindling lineup of franchisees. But RFC Franchising LLC is planning big changes designed
to firm up the home-grown chain, which now has 48 stores in nine states, down from more than 60 locations in 2005.
Good news for housing market?
Local homeowners tired of all the bad news about the housing market likely will be encouraged by data in a recent Fortune Magazine article. The magazine studied the correlation…
Fixing a crumbling canal walk
The oldest portion of the downtown canal walk could soon get a $3.2-million upgrade. The city is finalizing plans for new pavement, stairs, retaining walls, lighting and railings along…
Commentary: Let’s welcome Hilbert back
You gotta love Steve Hilbert. He conceived of an idea and had the strength and focus to achieve an extraordinary result that he sustained over a number of years. … He will undoubtedly return to the grand game of entrepreneurship. If given the opportunity, I would be inclined to invest in his next venture. -July 10, 2000 I penned the above prediction in this column on the anointment of Gary Wendt as CEO and savior of Conseco Inc. After Stephen…
Concert hall component would test demand
Entertainment is a big part of a $480 million development proposed for the south side of downtown–plans include a 3,400-seat
theater to attract the likes of Bruce Springsteen and first-run tours of Broadway shows such as “Wicked.” The question is
whether the city can support another midsize venue.
VIEWPOINT: The high cost of traffic Band-Aids
According to the article titled “Traffic Transformation?” in the Oct. 15 IBJ, the Indiana Department of Transportation is working on a roughly $600 million plan to relieve traffic congestion in the area of interstates 465 and 69. Hold on a second! What is really broken here? I contend little to nothing. Yes, roadways need maintenance and upkeep, but these roadways operate just fine. Because this area is congested at the morning and evening rush hour, the perception exists that these…
SoDo proposal faces stiff odds
If Circle Centre mall were built today, it would cost $420 million. Throw in another $60 million, and you’ve got the price
of Legends District-SoDo, a proposed mixed-use development on the south edge of downtown.
Fountain Square buildings for sale
A prime block of Fountain Square real estate is on the market. Businessman Don Swayze is asking $1.2 million for two buildings and a used-car lot he owns along Virginia…
Five-o-clock, time for bar news
An upscale martini bar and restaurant has signed a deal to take the anchor retail space at 757 Mass Ave, the luxury condo building at the southwest corner of Massachusetts and College avenues….
Student-housing tower planned
A team of local developers is hoping to build a 550-bed, 16-story apartment tower near the IUPUI campus. The $40 million project, dubbed Paramount Tower, would target the lucrative student-housing market….
Tower’s history revealed
Contractors uncovered a bit of history this week as they continued renovation work at One Indiana Square, the 36-story office tower at Ohio and Pennsylvania streets. The work revealed parts…
Solving the tax debate
Gov. Mitch Daniels has proposed capping residential property taxes at 1 percent of a homeâ??s assessed value,
rental properties at 2 percent and businesses at 3 percent.
Now state Sen. Luke Kenley says the bipartisan commission on taxes he heads will…
Catching up: Simon honored
The Simon Property Group Headquarters took top honors at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful’s A Monumental Affair awards last week. The 30-year-old contest honors the city’s best architecture, development and construction. Last year’s top…
West-side group promotes ethnic eateries: Will visitors see gems among strip malls?
The Lafayette Square neighborhood is known for its aging mall and the ongoing struggle to keep tenants there and in the surrounding sea of strip centers. But some advocates want to promote a success story: the demographic diversity that has given rise to a plethora of ethnic eateries in the area. Visitors who take a trip through some of the retail centers and outlots off West 38th Street can find the ubiquitous pizza, gyros and sushi-along with more unusual Ethiopian,…
Glut of local golf courses puts squeeze on owners: Demand has never quite met expectations
Tiger Woods, the world’s No. 1 golfer, has been great for the sport. But he has not helped attract enough players to the game here and across the country to keep pace with the numbers who are stepping away because of age. That means many local golf course owners are closing the books on another tough season. Some area owners have seen the number of rounds played decline 40 percent since 2000. Golf course values here, meanwhile, have slid about…
High-rise in works near canal
A strong demand for student housing downtown is driving a $40 million plan for a high-rise apartment tower a couple of blocks
east of the Central Canal. The developer, a partnership of Fishers-based Paramount Realty Group and Indianapolis-based Alboher
Development Co. Inc., hopes to build the 16-story Paramount Tower on a OneAmerica parking lot.
A downtown transformation
A development team is finalizing plans for a $480 million mixed-use project that calls for condos, as many as three hotels, a theater and 175,000 square feet…
Fresh Market rendering
Several people have asked about renderings of the new Fresh Market at 54th and College. The best I can do for now is this color elevation. The top image is the view from 54th Street and shows the entrance for…