Zionsville Times Sentinel

May 19, 2010

By Nick McClain

Two local land use professionals shed light on an often-misunderstood form of zoning at a Planned Unit Development educational forum, Tuesday, May 11. The forum was just days before the Zionsville Plan Commission was to vote on enabling PUDs in the town at their meeting on Monday, May 17.

The experts, Brad Johnson, president of Ground Rules Inc. and Jeff Kingsbury, a Zionsville resident and managing principal of development firm Greenstreet Ltd., told those who attended that they felt PUDs are a needed mechanism for flexibility from rigid zoning laws.

“The issue is, do we want the PUD tool in the toolbox?” Johnson said. “It is in a city or town’s best interest to have it, because all zoning and subdivision ordinances have flaws.”

Kingsbury agreed, saying it can lead to creative development.

“It can be a very good tool for communities to implement the vision that they have,” he said. “As a developer, I like the opportunity to create something different that responds to the marketplace but is also in line with the community’s vision.”

PUD is a type of building development and regulatory process that allows for designed groupings of varied land uses, including housing, recreation, commercial centers, even industrial parks, all within one contained development, something which can’t be accomplished under traditional zoning without the timely process of multiple variance requests.

The Cornerstone Club, a group of Zionsville citizens interested in educating the public, hosted the session. Approximately 70 people, including the entire Zionsville Town Council and most of the plan commission, were in attendance to hear from Johnson and Kingsbury, who were chosen for their expertise and local ties.

After the plan commission voted on the PUD enabling ordinance on Monday, May 17, it will go to the Zionsville Town Council, who will vote on it at its Monday, June 7, meeting.

Ground Rules is an urban planning firm in Zionsville that works primarily with municipalities. Johnson also resides locally. He cleared up what he felt were misconceptions to PUD zoning, including the idea that it was a “blank check” to developers.

“It’s not an entitlement to develop, it’s actually the opposite,” Johnson said.

It is often more expensive and risky to developers to go through the PUD process, he said, and a PUD differs from conventional zoning in that a municipality has more leverage in negotiations with a developer.

“You can deny a PUD for pretty much any reason,” Johnson said.

In the case of conventional zoning, if a developer meets the ordinance, they have to be approved by the plan commission, whether the community wants the development or not, he said. Similarly, while under conventional zoning, developments are approved only by the appointed plan commission, PUDs must be approved by the plan commission and the elected town council.

“That’s the great thing,” Johnson said. “You can elect them out of these offices if they are not doing what the community wants.”

Kingsbury advocated Smart Growth, a development principal that involves incorporating walkability and mixed uses and creating communities where people can live, work, shop and play. He said PUDs are one way to achieve that.

“It’s a tool in a toolbox that allows you to achieve Smart Growth,” Kingsbury said.

Kingsbury said while PUD zoning can be one mechanism to supplement the shortcomings of zoning ordinances, he said a community must have a clear vision of what it wants to be.

“Do we have clarity in what we want the community to look like?” he asked.

Council president Matt Price said they do.

“We do know exactly the direction we’re going,” he said. “We know we are committed to low-density development, diversifying our tax base in target areas and a commitment to green space and open areas. It’s simply a matter of what tools do we have at our disposal to get us to that point.”

Price said he didn’t envision using the PUD zoning except in certain areas, such as the Dow site on 106th Street.

“I think we’ll have very few opportunities where a PUD would make sense, and no one is seriously advocating PUD use for residential development,” he said. “But we have unique parcels of property in Zionsville that will require flexibility in order to attract commercial development.”

The moderator for the forum was Jean Palmer Heck, a Zionsville resident and president of Real-Impact Inc., a communications firm. Johnson also spoke at a PUD educational seminar hosted by the Boone County Economic Development Corporation last summer in Zionsville.

Cornerstone member Cindy Lamberjack said she felt the event was very well attended. Cornerstone intends for the PUD forum to be the first in a series of three informational sessions on current issues affecting the town. As of press time, they have no set topic or dates for the next two sessions. Ideas can be sent to zcornerstone@gmail.com.

Their goal is to provide answers to the questions surrounding the redevelopment of an old industrial site east of downtown.  The initiative is part of the Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and CRA/LA’s long term vision of transforming the site into the world’s top clean technology manufacturing corridor.  The Mayor expects the corridor to encourage the development and attraction of business and green collar jobs, putting Los Angeles at the forefront of the clean technology revolution.

“We expect to receive valuable recommendations from ULI that will make the CleanTech Corridor a national model for transforming an old, downtown industrial core into an incubator for green jobs and technology,” said Villaraigosa. “I look forward to learning more about how to make Los Angeles the global capital of clean technology by leveraging development trends such as sustainability and green urbanism that will create good-paying green jobs.”

Next week’s 10-person panel will spend five days touring the subject area as well as meeting with stakeholders and members of the local community. After carefully analyzing the area and interviewing up to 100 individuals, the panel will then spend two days framing their recommendations and drafting a report which will be presented to the public on May 21, 2010 at the Kyoto Grand Hotel.

“Cleantech is really at the intersection of ULI’s sustainability mission and the new global economy that is emerging in large metropolitan areas,” said Panel Chair John M. Walsh, president, TIG Real Estate Services, Inc., Carrolton, Texas.  “We think this an excellent opportunity evolve existing industrial into a Green-21st century economic engine.”

In addition Panel Chair Walsh, other panel members include:  Brian T. Coleman, chief executive officer, Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, Brooklyn;  Thomas Curley, AIA LEED AP, Thomas Curley Associates LLC, New York;  Ron Golem, principal, Bay Area Economics (BAE), Emeryville, Calif.;  Diana Gonzalez, president, DMG Consulting Services, Miami;  Jim Heid, founder, UrbanGreen, LLC, San Francisco;  Jeff Kingsbury, managing principal, Greenstreet, Ltd., Zionsville, Ind.;  Ralph L. Nunez, president/design principal, Design Team Limited, Southfield, Mich.;  Sharon E. Pandak, partner, Greehan, Taves, Pandak & Stoner, PLLC, Woodridge, Va.;  and Michael A. Stern, principal, Strada, Pittsburgh.

Through the advisory services program, ULI assembles experts in the fields of real estate and land use planning to participate on panels worldwide, offering recommendations for complex planning and development projects, programs and policies. According to Tom Eitler, Vice President at ULI, the strength of the panel program lies in ULI’s unique ability to draw on the knowledge and experience of its nearly 30,000 members, including land developers, public officials, academics, lenders, architects, planners and urban designers.

This analysis from a wide variety of land use experts, coupled with substantial input from representatives of the communities, produces excellent results “time after time,” Eitler says. “The panel process helps build consensus to support an effort that benefits the entire community. It’s often the fresh, outside view provided by the panel that achieves these results. We seek possibilities and opportunities that might have been overlooked. The advisory services panel program is all about seeing things a different way.”

ULI teams approach the project from all perspectives, including market potential, land use and design, financing and development strategies, and organizing for implementation. Each team proposes practical solutions that serve as a blueprint to move the project forward. Panelists have developed strategies for a broad range of land uses, including downtown revitalization; retail/entertainment development, inner-city neighborhood revival, affordable housing, brownfields development, public facility sites such as stadiums, arenas and convention centers, transit-oriented development, resort and master-planned communities, and military base reuse.

Past sponsors of ULI advisory services panels include: federal, state and local government agencies; regional councils of government; chambers of commerce; redevelopment authorities; private developers and property owners; community development corporations; lenders; historic preservation groups; non-profit community groups; environmental organizations; and economic development agencies.

For more information on the ULI Advisory Services panel for the Los Angeles Cleantech Corridor, go to:  http://www.uli.org/cleantech

About the Urban Land Institute:
The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a global nonprofit education and research Institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members representing all aspects of land use.

‘There is a lot of pride there,’ said consultant who toured town
By Josh Duke
The Indianapolis Star
October 4, 2008

A panel of national experts in planning and land use has endorsed a plan to reinvigorate Speedway.

The Urban Land Institute released a 33-page report Friday lauding the town’s $500 million redevelopment project to bolster 350 acres south of the track. The report also recommended local officials encourage statewide support, saying it’s an attraction that could benefit all Hoosiers.

“The report inspires and challenges us to continue to move forward,” said Scott Harris, executive director of the redevelopment. “They validated the direction we are going, which is a comfortable feeling.”

Mansur Real Estate, the lead developer on the town’s redevelopment project, suggested inviting the Urban Land Institute to evaluate the project.

The six-member panel visited Speedway for three days in May. They reviewed the project, met with local leaders and toured the area.

“There is a tremendous opportunity for this community if they can continue to work together,” said Joe Davis, a panelist from Silver Spring, Md., who runs a planning and consulting firm. “I had never been to Speedway before, but I quickly realized in touring the town that there is a lot of pride there.”

The panel recommended no significant changes to the town’s plan, which became public in June 2007. The plan calls for shifting major streets, bringing in more retail and industry, and creating a racing-related theme to draw tourists.

The panelists did recommend creating unique concepts to draw tourists to the area such as a new racing museum and track experience,  a tall tower ride to get a bird’s eye view of the track, race car driving simulators and even a driving school for racers and fans.

“They couldn’t believe we had this sporting icon with an area around it that they thought were lost opportunities,” Harris said.

Developments outside track could help Speed Zone plan

Anthony Schoettle
Indianapolis Business Journal
November 8, 2008

Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are in talks to move their Hall of Fame Museum from the interior of the oval to a spot just outside the south end of the track, an area that could also house a new Speedway hotel. An announcement could come as soon as early next year. That move could fuel a flurry of commercial developments that Speedway town officials hope to start unveiling in the first quarter of 2009.

The museum move would be done in conjunction with the Speedway Redevelopment Commission’s plans to revitalize the areas immediately south and west of the track and along Main Street in the town on the west edge of Indianapolis.

Speedway redevelopment officials want the museum and hotel to anchor an entertainment and retail district at the southwest corner of the track. The Redevelopment Commission’s plans call for vacating parts of 16th Street and Georgetown Road to make it happen.

“At this point, with our hotel and museum, we’re in serious discussions,” said IMS Chief Operating Officer Joie Chitwood. “The hotel is a top priority. The museum now is in a great location, but who knows what the future holds. We’re looking at all our options.”

The new and expanded museum and Speedway hotel wouldn’t be the only attractions in the area. Scott Harris, who became executive director of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission when it was created in 2005, said he is in discussions with at least one other motorsports-related museum along with restaurants and other retail operators.

“We’re moving forward aggressively and hope we’ll have some announcements to make in the first part of 2009,” said Harris, 58, a 10-year resident of Speedway who previously served as a consultant to medical practices. “The Speedway knows our time lines, and we hope they have an announcement some time in the spring also.” An announcement, Harris said, could come as the IMS celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009.

Year-round attraction

If IMS and the redevelopment commission can work together to bring multiple attractions to the area outside the track, it would create a new visitor experience that could draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Speedway each year—far beyond the month of May and during the Brickyard 400, said David Moroknek, president of MainGate Inc., a local maker and retailer of motorsports-related goods and apparel.

“If they did a museum or even an expanded hotel stand-alone, I don’t know if it would work,” said Moroknek, who served as senior director of marketing and consumer products for IMS from 1994 to 2003. “But if you do it as part of a whole redevelopment and tie the community in, I think it would be a big success.”

Moving the museum from the track’s infield to a prominent place near a jazzed-up entrance would lift the image of the facility and dramatically increase traffic there, said Tim Frost, president of Frost Motorsports, a Chicago-based motorsports business consultancy.

“It’s about visibility, and right now the Speedway’s museum doesn’t have any,” said Frost, who recently completed a study on motorsports museums. “Unless you’re seeking it out, you’ll never see it where it is on the interior of the track. I think moving it to a more prominent location and into an enhanced space would be a tremendous benefit to the Speedway.”

Moroknek thinks moving it to a more prominent location could make it as much a destination for locals and visitors as The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Museum of Art or the Indianapolis Zoo.

“It would create a central gathering place for people visiting the track,” Moroknek said. “And I think that raises a lot of other development possibilities.”

While the Speedway’s collection of cars is impressive, Frost said it’s in need of a makeover.

“When you look at what NASCAR is doing with their new Hall of Fame in Charlotte, it may be time for the Speedway to make a move,” Frost said. “There’s a difference between a museum and a car collection. In today’s environment, people are looking for more interactivity.”

The $160 million NASCAR Hall of Fame being built now will include a theater, a restaurant, and office and meeting space. The museum scheduled to open in early 2010 will have more than three times the IMS museum’s 30,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Museums are usually modest profit centers for tracks and race series, Frost said, but the exposure is invaluable. The IMS museum draws 250,000 visitors annually, about one-third during the month of May.

“By moving this facility to the outside of the track and creating a central place of activity, you make this a year-round attraction,” Frost said. “I think it becomes not only a regional and national draw, but an international draw.”

The redevelopment commission’s goal is to link the revitalized district, including the new IMS museum and other attractions, to Speedway’s Main Street, Harris said. “We want that area to be like Broad Ripple or a Mass Avenue downtown.”

IMS’ Chitwood said the idea of creating a zone that draws people to the area year-round has fueled talk of a new hotel. The current Speedway-owned motel, renamed the Brickyard Crossing Inn in 1994, was built in 1963. It has 108 rooms and modest gathering areas, but few other amenities to attract visitors or corporate entertainers year-round.

Work about to begin

The larger project, dubbed the “Speed Zone,” is starting to rev its engine. Key to its success is shifting 16th Street to the south, away from the track, to create a pedestrian zone. That’s the area most likely to be the site of the new museum. Planners also want to close Georgetown Road south of 25th Street to create a park and pedestrian promenade immediately west of the track.

Two multi-lane roundabouts also are planned—one at the junction of Crawfordsville Road, 16th Street and Main Street, and one where an extended Holt Road would cross the new 16th Street.

The infrastructure changes, Harris said, are “fundamental aspects” of the project, because they reroute traffic to make the area pedestrianfriendly and help increase the visibility of Main Street businesses.

Harris said local officials are very close to obtaining 28 acres along Main Street from two property owners he would not identify. Speedway town officials recently started appraising land for right-of-way acquisition. Some of that land is owned by IMS, which is cooperating on the project.

Harris said design and engineering work for the rerouting of 16th Street is 95-percent complete. Indianapolis-based American StructurePoint won that $1.6 million contract, part of the $30 million it will cost to move 16th Street. Other parts of the project will be put out to bid in January or February.

“We think we’ll be moving dirt sometime between February and April, and then I think you’ll see a number of announcements to follow,” Harris said.

The cost for the entire project, which has been estimated at $400 million to $500 million, should be more concrete in February, he said. The town will pay for the proposed infrastructure changes—including Main Street enhancements—through a series of bonds paid off by revenue from the town’s 350-acre tax increment financing district. The rest of the funding will come from public-private sources, Harris said.

By the Indianapolis 500’s centennial celebration in 2011, Harris hopes the reconfigured road system, a new park beside the track, and improvements on Main Street will be complete. Larry DeGaris, director of academic sports marketing programs at the University of Indianapolis, said by making the area a destination with multiple attractions, the potential economic impact spreads far beyond Speedway.
“I think this project has a ton of potential, and could possibly double the traffic to the Speedway’s museum, and in turn provide fuel for other developments,” DeGaris said. “That’s why this project makes so much sense.”

Bruce C. Smith
Indianapolis Star
April 21, 2009

Developers helping Speedway to rebuild Main Street are working on a short list of businesses considered strong prospects to join in the town’s project to remake the areas around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“We’re focused on approximately 23 prospects, which are consistent with the master plan for the Speed Zone,” said Charles R. Cagann, president of Indianapolis-based Mansur Real Estate Services.

The company was selected by the Speedway Redevelopment Commission as the master developer for the $500 million project to rebuild the aging Main Street and industrial areas near the race track.

And Cagann’s report to the redevelopment commission Monday night was one of the latest indications that the project continues to inch forward.

The town’s engineers, American Structurepoint, are more than 40 percent complete on some of the technical designs for the work.

Redevelopment Commission Executive Director Scott Harris said town representatives are working for state and federal grants, “so we can use our Speedway (local) dollars most effectively.”

He said applications for that money are targeted for funding of Speedway projects by 2010.

Cagann put a similar 2010 time frame on the development company’s work to attract new businesses to the Speed Zone, the redevelopment area spreading between Main and Holt Road, and between 10th and 16th streets.

Cagann didn’t name any names but he said Mansur is looking for new businesses for the Speed Zone to fit the master plan.

That includes several more restaurants, some neighborhood businesses, motor sports-related companies, auto museums and a college with classes in auto racing or technology, all intended to draw more people to Main Street.

Regarding the search for preliminary deals for businesses to settle on the new Main, he said, “Our goal is to have at least four or five letters of intent signed by the end of this year.”

For Immediate Release

Media Inquiries

Scott Harris

Speedway Redevelopment Commission

317.695.9161

Speedway Gives Green Light on Master Developer

Speed Zone Master Developers Take On Second Major Speedway Project

SPEEDWAY, INDIANA – August 8, 2008 – The Speedway Redevelopment Commission today announced that it has retained Mansur Real Estate Services, Inc. and Greenstreet Ltd. as the Master Developer for the second major redevelopment project in the Town of Speedway.  Several shopping centers, motels and apartment complexes are located in the redevelopment area that spans nearly 300 acres on the northwest side of Speedway, east of I-465 along Crawfordsville Road.

Mansur and Greenstreet are also currently partnering as the Master Developer of the Speed Zone, a 400-acre redevelopment area south of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  The additional area announced today brings total Speedway redevelopment efforts to nearly 700 acres.

“Members of the Commission felt that the partnership of Mansur and Greenstreet has performed well in the Speed Zone.  Further, a unified approach is essential as we focus on this second and equally important redevelopment area,” said Scott Harris, Executive Director of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission.

“We’re excited and eager to increase our involvement in helping to develop the future of Speedway,” said Chuck Cagann, president of Mansur.  “We applaud the vision of Town officials, and appreciate the opportunity to help them achieve that vision.”

The second redevelopment area is currently being planned by Indianapolis-based American Structurepoint, Inc., which was also responsible for the master plan of the Speed Zone.  Principles of the redevelopment strategy include:

• Foster a safe and secure mixed-use neighborhood;
• Develop a diversity of housing options;
• Create a regional shopping destination, which complements the redevelopment efforts within the Speed Zone;
• Integrate into a multimodal regional transportation network; and
• Increase walkability and transportation alternatives.

Mansur, Greenstreet and Structurepoint will be engaged in a formal master planning process for the area, which will include various opportunities for public involvement.

More information can be obtained from www.redevelopspeedway.com

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About the Speedway Redevelopment Commission

The Speedway Redevelopment Commission (SRC) is comprised of five volunteer members who are residents of Speedway.  The SRC is committed to fostering economic growth in order to redefine the Town of Speedway as a 21st Century community, which simultaneously recognizes its heritage and embraces its future.

About Mansur Real Estate Services, Inc. and Greenstreet Ltd.

Founded in 1982, Mansur Real Estate Services is one of the Midwest’s leading real estate development companies, and specializes in serving the development and historic redevelopment needs of municipalities and private landowners, and assisting companies with build-to-suit and turnkey development services.  Founded in 2004, Greenstreet Ltd. is a real estate development and advisory firm, which leverages sustainable strategies in the planning, development, marketing and sale of urban redevelopments nationwide.  Collectively, Mansur and Greenstreet have developed and sold nearly $1 billion in real estate throughout the United States and abroad.

Media Inquiries

Scott Harris

Speedway Redevelopment Commission

317.695.9161

Speedway Taps Master Developer

Town Selects Team of Mansur Real Estate Services, Inc. and Greenstreet Ltd.

SPEEDWAY, INDIANA – December 5, 2007 – The Speedway Redevelopment Commission today announced that it has selected Mansur Real Estate Services Inc. and Greenstreet Ltd. as master developers for the town’s one-half-billion dollar redevelopment initiative.

Mansur, based in Indianapolis and founded in 1982, has developed a diverse portfolio of Indianapolis projects, including office towers (Market Tower), hotels (Omni Severin), golf course communities (Hamilton Proper in Fishers), and numerous historic redevelopment or adaptive reuse projects such as Farm Bureau Insurance headquarters, WellPoint headquarters on Monument Circle, and Lockerbie Marketplace development downtown.

Founded in 2004, Greenstreet is a real estate development, brokerage and advisory firm, which leverages sustainable strategies in the planning, development, marketing and sale of urban redevelopments nationwide.   The principals of the firm have sold over $350 million in real estate and been involved in the planning, entitlement and development of over 35,000 acres, including some of nation’s most notable redevelopment initiatives.

According to Harris, “Mansur and Greenstreet have everything we are looking for:  experience, construction and design capability, and national relationships to help us market the property, and a strong vision.  Additionally, they have the knowledge base and creative acumen to provide us with the most appropriate development options and help the SRC make the wisest decisions for our taxpayers, fellow public officials, our business and educational communities, including Allison Transmission, Praxair Surface Technologies and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  While the other presentations were very strong, we believed the Mansur/Greenstreet team clearly distinguished itself.”

Mansur President, Charles R. Cagann, describes the project as, “…one of the most ambitious, exciting and challenging we will ever have the privilege of working on.  What is truly distinctive about this development, in addition to its various components, is the fact that is allows us to aggregate our core strengths in planning, community development, construction and leasing, and direct them uniformly to create something genuinely and authentically extraordinary.  Our entire team is exceptionally honored by the trust and confidence the Speedway Redevelopment Commission has placed in us.  We are committed to justifying their trust.”

Elements of The Speed Zone including the re-routing of 16th Street, the extension of Holt Road north to 30th Street, the vacation of Georgetown Road from 16th Street to 25th Street, the revitalization of Speedway’s main street, and the creation of dozens of new sites for retail, hotel, industrial and manufacturing facilities, many related to the racing industry.  Infrastructure work is expected to begin in 2009.

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About the Speedway Redevelopment Commission

The Speedway Redevelopment Commission (SRC) is comprised of five volunteer members who are residents of Speedway.  The SRC is committed to fostering economic growth in order to redefine the Town of Speedway as a 21st Century community, which simultaneously recognizes its heritage and embraces its future.

About Mansur Real Estate Services, Inc. and Greenstreet Ltd.

Founded in 1982, Mansur Real Estate Services is one of the Midwest’s leading real estate development companies, and specializes in serving the development and historic redevelopment needs of municipalities and private landowners, and assisting companies with build-to-suit and turnkey development services.  Founded in 2004, Greenstreet Ltd. is a real estate development and advisory firm, which leverages sustainable strategies in the planning, development, marketing and sale of urban redevelopments nationwide.  Collectively, Mansur and Greenstreet have developed and sold nearly $1 billion in real estate throughout the United States and abroad.

For Immediate Release

Urban Land Institute Gives Speedway, Indiana’s Redevelopment Stamp of Approval

Expert panel calls “Speed Zone” redevelopment plan “unique in America,” and sees

potential for world-class motor sports center that will benefit entire state

SPEEDWAY, INDIANA – Ocotber 3, 2008 – The Speedway Redevelopment Commission (SRC) released the ULI advisory services panel report today for the Town of Speedway, validating its Master Plan, highlighting market potential and encouraging statewide support.  The Urban Land Institute (ULI), based in Washington D.C., is an international research and education organization committed to sustainable land use.

The Speedway Redevelopment Commission and the master developer for the initiative, Mansur Real Estate Services, Inc. and Greenstreet Ltd., requested a ULI advisory services evaluation after the SRC completed its “Speed Zone” Master Plan, a $500 million revitalization strategy focused on a 400-acre section of land near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Following ULI’s selection of Speedway as one of the more than 20 advisory service panels conducted each year, it participated in a three-day evaluation of Speedway’s redevelopment opportunities and identified implementation strategies, including public/private financing sources, themed/destination retail development and sustainable energy solutions.  The unbiased team of six nationally recognized experts conducted the process which included interviews with more than 30 public and private stakeholders in the Speed Zone.

In the panel report, the community of Speedway is applauded for its willingness to embrace the future while continuing to incorporate the town’s unique history.  “The Speed Zone has the potential to transform Speedway,” said ULI advisory services panel chairman Michael Maxwell, a real estate developer in Miami, Florida.  “The panel understands the vision and validates its direction.  We see tremendous opportunity for Speedway to create a world-class motor sports education, technology and cultural center within a revitalized town center.  This would be unique in America.  The community’s combination of talent, track, technology, education, place and the drive to succeed are its strengths and essential tools.’

The panel stressed the importance of recognizing and capitalizing on the town’s amenities, identifying specific development districts and implementing strategies to revitalize retail and entertainment in the area.

Recommendations include:

• Defining development districts to address individual segments of Speedway’s markets. Districts include the Motor Sports Technology district, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway district, the Museum/Entertainment/Retail district and the Town Center district
• Working with the state of Indiana to define targeted efforts to attract domestic and international companies, stimulate startup firms and leverage proximity to the IMS
• Expanding the Town Center district, also known as “Main Street” to include three distinct areas: the Town Center, Educational/Incubator and Business Services Center
• Developing a new central utility plant and sustainable energy systems to serve the area’s industrial and commercial users
• Creating a business assistance program to support existing and new businesses that will provide management, marketing maintenance and safety to Speedway
• Refining the brand of the town to create an identity that evokes an immediate, recognizable sense of place

The panel noted that this development would have positive implications for the city of Indianapolis, the central Indiana region and the state of Indiana, and that these entities should play a role in financing these projects.

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members.  Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.  Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

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Speedway’s Main Street Project Shifts into High Gear

One of State’s largest redevelopment plans begins with $6.7 million Main Street road project

SPEEDWAY, INDIANA – November 19, 2009 –  Officials from the Speedway Redevelopment Commission (SRC), Town of Speedway, Marion County and the state broke ground today on the town’s first redevelopment‐related construction project.  The $6.7 million Main Street road construction project is part of Speedway’s aggressive plan to attract new development and investment to the area.

“Main Street will be the backbone of a bustling, vibrant downtown district,” said SRC President Vince Noblet.  “The project we’re commencing today will bring a safer pedestrian experience, with room for sidewalk cafes and a bike path to re‐energize the atmosphere on Main Street and attract new businesses, shops and restaurants.”

The Main Street project is the first milestone in the town’s Redevelopment Area One and is part of a $500 million investment to breathe new life into 400 acres of multi‐use property that will be primed for commercial, shopping and entertainment, residential and research and development projects.  Made possible through private and public investment, the redevelopment zone will be a vibrant, thriving and attractive downtown that will foster growth within the existing business community and encourage development of new business.

In total, Speedway’s Redevelopment Area One will bring an anticipated total economic impact of $5.2 billion from road improvements, new development and business operations over its first 10 years.  “This Main Street project starts the engine of one of the largest public/private redevelopment projects in the state.  This project will not only impact the Town of Speedway, it will impact the region and the state of Indiana,” said Indianapolis City‐County Councillor Marilyn Pfisterer.   “This construction project will help invigorate our strained construction sector by putting skilled workers back on the job.”

Fully funded by the Town of Speedway, a redeveloped Main Street will be the centerpiece of the SRC’s Redevelopment Area One.  “We see tremendous opportunity for Speedway to create a world‐class motorsports education, technology and cultural center within a revitalized town center – this would be unique in America,” stated the Urban Land Institute in a report on the viability of the redevelopment project.

The master developer of the initiative is Mansur Real Estate Services, Inc. and Greenstreet Ltd.  American Structurepoint, Inc. is the civil engineer for the Main Street project and construction will be completed by Calumet Civil Contractors in four phases, allowing Main Street and its shops and businesses to remain open and accessible during the upgrades.

Key stakeholders in the project include major central Indiana employers, including Allison Transmission, Praxair Surface Technologies, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Indy Racing League.  “As we celebrate our Centennial Era and look toward our next 100 years, the Town of Speedway joins us in looking toward the future by moving forward with a redevelopment plan that is crucial to the success of the businesses that call Speedway home,” said Fred Nation, Indianapolis Motor Speedway vice president of communications.  “Racing is an integral part of the culture in Speedway and the redevelopment of Main Street will attract race fans by providing a variety of entertainment options close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

“Redevelopment in Speedway is not only important to attracting new businesses, it is critical to the long term success of this community and the large and small businesses located here, such as Allison Transmission,” said Eric Dickerson, director of public relations and marketing for Allison Transmission. “Breaking ground on Main Street marks the beginning of a project that will give the Town of Speedway and its business community a competitive edge.”

Once completed, the Main Street project will result in safer walkways for pedestrians, designated paths for bikers and features to help attract business to the street.

Bike path – A dedicated path will be added on the east side of Main Street to allow bikers and pedestrians to navigate Main Street safely

Sidewalk cafes – While upgrading the sidewalks on Main Street, certain portions will be increased in size to help attract future cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating.

Spacious sidewalks – Sidewalks on Main Street will be replaced and will increase in size. Intersections will have designated crosswalks to safely move pedestrians through the street.

Safety considerations – To help ensure Main Street will be pedestrian‐friendly, traffic calming elements will be installed to slow traffic at intersections. Raised intersections and curb bump‐outs will call attention to intersections and potential crossing pedestrians.

The project also includes green infrastructure features, such as permeable pavement and rain gardens which have the benefits of reducing the amount of stormwater flowing into the Town’s sewer system.  While upgrading the street, the Town of Speedway will also separate the sewer system that runs below Main Street.  The Town’s combined sewer system causes backups and flooding in neighborhoods, and overflows into Eagle Creek during large rain storms or snow melts.

“Combining these projects will save on engineering and construction costs because the above‐ground and below‐ground work can be coordinated as a single project,” said Barbara Lawrence, town manager. “To ensure healthy waterways in the future, we must comply with state and federal regulations by upgrading our wastewater treatment plant and eliminating the remaining combined sewer lines in Speedway.”

###

Good to Great by Jim Collins, 2001
My Place by M.R. James, 1992
Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman, 2008
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, 2007
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, 1997
Deep Economy by Bill McKibben, 2007
The Experience Economy by Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore, 1999
A River Runs Throught It and Other Stories by Norman Maclean, 1976
Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy, 2007
The Day After Tomorrow by Alan Folsom, 1995

Fiction and non-fiction, business and biography…all thought provoking for a variety of reasons.

jk

The Journal Gazette

October 20, 2009

Parkview hopes to present a plan next year for how its Randallia campus will look after it moves some services north in 2012 as part of a nearly $500 million expansion plan.

After the opening of the Parkview Regional Medical Center on the Parkview North campus in 2010, some services – including the Level II trauma center, heart, neurosciences and cancer services – will move north from the campus at 2200 Randallia Drive.

Sue Ehinger, Parkview chief operating officer, said the hospital wants to explore how to best use the facilities at the Randallia campus.

The hospital on Monday announced hiring the team of EDEN Collaborative, of Indianapolis, and Greenstreet Ltd. of Zionsville, to lead the redevelopment planning process for what the area will look like. The team also includes Moake Park Group, of Fort Wayne, and Williams Creek Consulting, of Indianapolis.

“We want to be in a position to offer residents opportunities for health care and other needed services that will assist in making the neighborhood sustainable and successful for years to come,” Ehinger said in a statement.

Hospital officials say Parkview Randallia, which now has 582 beds, will retain a 64-bed hospital and a 107-bed behavioral health hospital at 1720 Beacon St. that treats patients suffering from emotional, behavioral and chemical dependency problems.

It will have a full-service emergency room, outpatient services, obstetrics and surgery suites.

And it will keep the Parkview Eye Institute in Carew Medical Park at 1818 Carew St., near the Randallia site. With the reduction of beds, the hospital expects to raze the patient tower and parking garage.

City Councilwoman Karen Goldner, D-2nd, serves on the Parkview Select committee, which includes neighborhood and community leaders interested in the future of the Randallia campus. She said it was good news Parkview was taking this step because it showed the hospital’s commitment to the community.

“I’m just really excited they’ve decided to pursue this effort,” she said.

Parkview said it will work with community stakeholders to have a redevelopment plan to present to the public by mid-2010.

Indianapolis Business Journal

November 19, 2009

Speedway officials broke ground Thursday morning on the first phase of a $500 million redevelopment project they hope will transform the small town into a year-round racing-themed destination.

Initial work involves $6.7 million in road improvements to Main Street that should be finished by May 2011, laying the foundation for redevelopment to follow.

Though completion is roughly 18 months away, the project is generating interest from dozens of prospects who could locate along the aging thoroughfare plagued by vacant buildings and deteriorating façades.

Indianapolis-based Mansur Real Estate Services and Greenstreet Ltd., the master developers in charge of identifying tenants, said they’ve fielded calls from about 40 businesses, including restaurants, retailers, and motorsports companies.

“I think people get it,” Mansur President Chuck Caagan said. “They understand how this type of program could be a major draw.”

Dubbed the “Speed Zone,” the entire plan calls for new roads, parks, retail, restaurants and entertainment attractions to spruce up the Main Street business district and surrounding neighborhoods.

The ambitious redevelopment includes more than 350 acres from Main Street to Holt Road and from 16th to 10th streets, just south of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In all, 2.5 million square feet of new development could be constructed, which could return a 10-year economic impact of up to $5.2 billion and more than 2,000 jobs, officials say.

Work on the project began in July 2005, when town officials created the Speedway Redevelopment Commission to begin drafting a master plan for the redevelopment.

Scott Harris, executive director of the commission, is confident the redevelopment will come together as planned.

“It’s obviously picked up a lot of momentum, because we’re actually doing something,” he said. “It’s going to recreate what was a very historic Main Street.”

In the 1950s and ’60s, the seven-block Main Street served as the vibrant center of town, with a grocery store, two barbershops, a pharmacy and a cinema. But as factory work shifted and new shopping centers opened across town, Main Street suffered.

The Speed Zone project calls for widening Main Street, building an interactive “racing wall of fame” in front of the Praxair Surface Technologies plant that lines the east side of the thoroughfare, and adding mixed-use retail and condominium space on both sides of the street.

Area manufacturers such as Praxair and Allison Transmission employ about 3,500, which makes the area attractive to retailers as well, said Jeff Kingsbury, managing principal of the Greenstreet real estate development firm.

“Given the state of the economy and the overall real estate market, I think the level of interest we’ve had so far is really encouraging,” he said. “But I think it also points to the fact that we’ve got some exceptional assets to build upon.”

As part of the project, Allison and the Speedway Redevelopment Commission are seeking the closure of a 1,354-foot section of Grand Avenue, just south of West 10th Street.

Another part of the 10-year project includes rerouting 16th Street south, away from the track to create a pedestrian zone near the racetrack.

Planners also want to close Georgetown Road south of 25th Street to create a park and pedestrian promenade beside the track. Traffic would be diverted to Lynhurst Drive.

Two multi-lane roundabouts are planned—one at the junction of Crawfordsville Road, 16th Street and Main Street, and one where an extended Holt Road would cross the new 16th Street.

The town will pay for the proposed infrastructure changes and the Main Street façade and streetscape enhancements through a series of bonds paid off by revenue from the town’s 350-acre tax increment financing district. The rest of the funding will come from public-private sources, planners said.

The improvements to Main Street should be finished by May 2011, in time for the Indianapolis 500’s centennial celebration.

Whitestown-based Calumet Civil Contractors Inc. is the contractor for the Main Street road improvements.