Building Small
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, New Development on Mar 31st, 2014 | 9 comments
I’m a huge fan of the new building to house a Chipotle on Washington Street downtown. So much so that I’ve taken photos of it in various stages of completion. Â Here it was last September:
Here it is as of Friday, March 28th:
A major advantage that this site has over the larger projects around town is its location in between two long-standing buildings. The architects of Chipotle building didn’t have to worry about the appearance 2 of the 4 facades. Â This shows the importance of preserving old buildings around town that make use of the entire parcel. Â
Another unique...
Moving Forward with BRT
Posted by Shayla in Transit on Mar 27th, 2014 | 1 comment
Now that SEA 176, better known as the mass transit bill, has been signed into law, the real work begins for transit advocates to push support for the Indy Connect plan. As we all know, SEA 176 prohibits light rail. It does not, however, prohibit heavy rail or commuter rail. But that’s another post for another time. The only alternatives studied by mass transit planners were light rail and bus rapid transit. Therefore, to complement the plan’s enhanced regular bus system, the five proposed rapid transit routes will be bus rapid transit (BRT).  BRT, as defined by...
Public Meeting to Discuss Midtown TIF District
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, New Development on Mar 24th, 2014 | 0 comments
The Midtown TIF district is a bit of a hot-button issue around town. The Midtown Economic Council will host a public meeting on Thursday to discuss some of the aspects of a few major proposals, including the potential Whole Foods and the transformation of Tarkington Park. Â More information about the meeting can be found via this...
Finally…..Mass Transit Bill Passed
Posted by Shayla in Neighborhoods on Mar 14th, 2014 | 19 comments
Last night, the Indiana General Assembly closed the 2014 session by passing SB176, otherwise known as the central Indiana mass transit bill.  After being scaled back, stripped, and amended here and there, an effort three years in the making now heads to Governor Pence for final approval before being placed on the ballot this fall for local voter approval. Voters will finally have the option of approving an income tax increase, of anywhere between 0.1 and 0.25 percent, to help cover the operating costs of expanded transit in their counties. The following counties are eligible for...
Georgia Street Programming
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, Pedestrian on Mar 14th, 2014 | 10 comments
The Georgia Street transformation has been completed for a few years now, so it’s a good time to look at how the public space is faring. Â This was an exciting project when it was first announced, but there was a major issue with its sustained success: most of the buildings that faced it had never really taken advantage of foot traffic. Â I’m not sure if that aspect has changed that much in the past 2 years. Â However, with the Indy Star taking over the top 2 floors of the former Nordstrom Space, there is hope that they will be able to open up the building a bit.
The good news is that...
