As I drove into the parking lot of the new Launch Fishers building, I could see the structure was still under construction.  There were work crews everywhere, inside and outside the building.  The large auditorium was off limits to visitors as a construction site.

That didn’t deter Launch Fishers founder John Wechsler from inviting reporters in to take a look at the impressive facility.  I was the first journalist to arrive, and John was busy installing infrastructure.

He did take time out to give me a brief tour of some of the new Launch building.  Below is the video of the live Periscope broadcast during the afternoon of March 7th.

When you write a local news blog like mine, sometimes a story takes off when you least expect it.  In my case, it was an underestimation on my part about the popularity of Starbucks coffee shops.

I’ll admit, I have enjoyed a coffee or two there, but I am not a regular Starbucks customer.

Apparently, the area around 116th Street and Olio Road is more than ready for a new Starbucks store.

The Fishers City Council heard a first reading summary of a proposed new Starbucks close to the Walgreen’s store, near that busy intersection.  It only takes one council vote to send the proposal to the Fishers Plan Commission, where it is vetted by the staff, the subject of a public hearing where anyone is allowed to speak for or against the idea, then the commission votes.  I wrote a brief piece on this blog about it February 15th.

The staff report recommends Plan Commission members approve a favorable recommendation for the proposed Starbucks near 116th Street & Olio Road, but does mention in the report that the drive-up window needs to be looked at…staff calls for further study to “review the ability for cars to stack safely on-site, during the construction plan review process….”  The commission would then put the matter back into the hands of the Fishers City Council.

The Fishers Plan Commission is a totally advisory body, but City Council members have historically relied a great deal on that advice.

Based on the amount of readers on the story I posted February 15th, there is a lot of interest about this plan.  Many are in favor, others question whether that location will work in tandem with the other stores in that area.

If you have any thoughts on the matter, the Plan Commission Meets Tuesday, March 8th, 6:30pm, at Fishers City Hall.

If you want to find my podcasts, you can now get them all on the iTunes app.

Just go to the app, type “Podcasts by Larry Lannan” in the search box, and you will find them all listed there.

My podcasts are getting out to a good start.  In the first month, I’ve had over 580 accesses.  My thanks to all of my listeners.  I will do my best to present programs you will find interesting.

Fishers Projekt: Opera put together a creative version of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” last year, by cutting it down to about 90 minutes and performing part opera in English.

Now, the production company is taking on another challenge, with two performances of Puccini’s “La Boheme.”  Performances are set for March 19th, 7pm and March 20th at 4:00pm.  Both productions will be at the Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, near 126th Street and Cumberland Road.

You can buy tickets at this link.

The biggest news from the City of Fishers on construction projects deals with upcoming work, not the projects of the coming week.

96th Street and Cumberland Road will be closed for 100 days, beginning March 21st.  This will allow for the construction of a roundabout at that location.  Those of you using that intersection regularly, particularly during rush hour traffic, should begin planning alternate routes.

Also, Duke Energy will be doing maintenance work throughout the city dealing with vegetation growing around its equipment.  The Drive Fishers Web page will be updated regularly about these projects.

Look out for restrictions in the coming week around 116th Street and Commercial Drive, around Lantern Road, near downtown.

Below is the listing provided by the city for the week of March 7th.

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DUKE ENERGY VEGETATION MAINTENANCE

Duke Energy will be preforming vegetation management as part of its power line maintenance program in the coming weeks. Additional details about this project and specific maintenance locations are available on the Drive Fishers website under current projects.

FALL CREEK TRAIL

Fall Creek Trail reconstruction work continues; the pedestrian bridges and section of sidewalk along the trail have been removed. Pedestrians should not use the trail within the sections that have been removed. In addition, there will be periodic lane closures along the project throughout the week of March 7.

LANTERN ROAD

Lantern Road between 116^th Street and Commercial Drive will be restricted the week of March 7. Please use caution and pay close attention to signage displayed in the area.

96^TH STREET AND CUMBERLAND ROAD

Beginning on or after March 21, the Hamilton County Highway Department will close 96^th Street and Cumberland Road for 100 calendar days in order to construct a roundabout at this intersection.  If anyone has concerns on this project they can call 773-7770. Click here to view a detour map.

IRS – Hacked Again!

After entering the Hamilton County Government Building in Noblesville, I had been told to expect little from the Hamilton County Council on March 2nd.  Funding for the State Road 37 project was on the agenda, but most Fishers officials I had talked with expected the council to deadlock on a 3-3 vote, table the issue and vote in April or vote the funding measure down.

The session started with a public hearing.

On one side was the political and economic establishment of Fishers and Hamilton County arguing for the county’s $12 million share of the project to be approved.  Among the speakers were Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear, members of the Fishers City Council, the Hamilton County Commissioners and the One Zone Chamber of Commerce (the merged chamber including Fishers & Carmel).

On the other side were business owners and managers from the State Road 37 Alliance, asking council members to delay consideration of the funding measure.  They argued that the construction period would result in jobs lost and businesses badly hurt or closed by the project.

Once the public hearing ended, the council called for a 5 minute break (which was actually longer than 5 minutes).  Then the big surprise came.

Councilman Fred Glynn offered a resolution, calling for a $250,000 marketing plan to help out the business interests impacted by the State Road 37 construction period, which would be matched by the City of Fishers.

Mayor Fadness quickly rose to support the idea and gave his backing to Fishers’ matching money.  In talking to a couple of Fishers City Council members after the vote, it appears there is support on the council to approve the matching funds.

The Hamilton County Council proceeded to approve the resolution.  That was my first signal that council members were warming to the idea of approving the State Road 37 funding.

What happened during that council meeting break that changed the dynamic?  After all, people in the know were telling me just before the session that there was little chance the county’s share of the cost would be approved in March.

One can only speculate that a deal was reached during that meeting break.  Once Fred Glynn proposed the marketing plan funding, it was over.

A few minutes later, the county council unanimously approved the county’s share of the State Road 37 money.  That was the final piece of the funding puzzle.

The engineering work will soon begin, and we have been told that will take about 2 years.  That means construction is not likely to start until 2018, at the earliest.

One wonders whether politics was a factor in this decision.  Two at-large county council members are facing competition in their re-election campaigns.  County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt is seeking re-election and is being opposed by Bill Smythe, a local Fishers businessman and one of the founders of the State Road 37 Alliance.

Heirbrandt has been a strong supporter of the State Road 37 upgrades as proposed in the agreement involving the state, the City of Fishers and Hamilton County.  You can access his campaign Facebook page at this link.

Smythe issued a news release March 3rd that reads, in part:

When I started the SR 37 Business Alliance it was to unite the business community as a strong collective voice to ensure our interests and concerns would be addressed. The vote (Wednesday) night came as no surprise nor did anything to change my commitment to that cause. It is just one of many issues my campaign will focus on.

However, the entire process and the speed with which it has been advanced is just another reminder of the strong influence of those who profit from such projects and their relationships with some elected officials. I am running to change that equation and give voice to those who historically have not had one. I will work to ensure openness and transparency and put voters over vendors.

You can access Smythe’s campaign Web site at this link.

Getting human contact at the IRS is becoming more difficult every year