The Chatham Arch Question Gets an Answer
The Chatham Park development, hotly contested by CANA, goes before the Department of Metropolitan Development this Wednesday, February 1.
Category «Neighborhoods»
New Downtown Plazas in Need of Connection
I’m a big fan of the new Transit Center downtown. It’s attractive and functional. And the connected public plaza is relatively attractive. Now, the city has finalized the second round of plans for another public plaza, across the street at the City County Building. The first time around, the winning proposal was going to bust the budget, …
The Chatham Arch Question, Part II: What Are the Consequences of Low Density Just a Mile from the Heart of Downtown?
In the first half of this two-part series I looked at the prevailing mentality articulated by some of the most influential members of the Chatham Arch neighborhood, evidenced by the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association (CANA) and its near-unanimous opposition to the redevelopment of a long-vacant charter school site at 9th and East Streets, into a mix …
New Proposal for Long-Delayed Hotel near Banker’s Life Fieldhouse
There’s been a hotel proposed for this property for at least a decade. Seriously. It popped back up again 2 years ago. Still, nothing has been built on this valuable surface lot at the corner of Georgia and Pennsylvania Streets. However, it’s a significant enough of a proposal that the latest iteration deserved a post …
The Chatham Arch Question, Part I: Why, in Older, Formerly Crowded Districts, Is Density Still a Dirty Word?
What does it mean to be historic, when historic also was (at least back in the day) synonymous with “high density”–a phrase that is anathema to much of the Chatham Arch community today?
The Marietta Progresses and Raises New Questions About Mass Ave Infill.
A few years ago, I reported on what might at the time have seen like a pretty run-of-the-mill transaction: the Marott Center downtown getting sold by its law-firm owners to a company known as Gershman Partners. It was a long-established, smartly preserved building along Massachusetts Avenue that survived from its heyday. And at the end …
Interactive Map of Indianapolis Transit Support
The big local news from the Election a few weeks ago was the passing of the IndyGo funding referendum. With almost 60% of the vote, voters in Marion County supported the measure, giving the City County Council a good indication of the direction of their upcoming vote on the issue. Thankfully, MIBOR released the election …
Potential Multi-Use Proposal for Chatham Arch
The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Committee has filed renderings for a proposal on the former Day Nursery, along East Street. This location currently serves as a de facto dog park. The renderings look promising: As usual, there are neighborhood concerns about the parking variance within the posted document. Overall, it looks like it could be a …
Mobilizing in Support for Mass Transit
The next month will be absolutely critical for supporters of Indianapolis Transit. First, they need to pass the budget for 2017. The budget didn’t clear a Committee Hearing last month in a surprise move. Fortunately there is still time to save the budget, with a hearing scheduled at the full Council next Monday at 7pm at the …
Friday Fun: Self-Driving Cars (in 2009)
There’s been a lot of talk in urban circles about how the implementation of self-driving vehicles will impact transportation in the future. Most of that talk is way out of my league, but I do have experience actually riding in a self-driven vehicle. Back in 2009, my wife and I visited Japan, and we checked out …