With all the businesses and new residents in the downtown Nickel Plate District, a new financial institution is set to be a part of the area.  Citizens Bank plans a branch in the Switch Building later this year.

The office will occupy 3,200 square feet and employ five people.

The city news release announcing the bank branch is below:

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Citizens State Bank announced plans to open a full-service bank branch in The Switch development located in the Nickel Plate District today. The expansion marks the first bank in the Nickel Plate District and is expected to open later this year.

“Fishers has been a part of Citizens State Bank’s growth strategy for some time,” said Dan Maddox, Citizens State Bank president. “We opened a loan office in 2013 with long-time Fishers resident John DeLucia at the helm and later hired another Fishers resident, Elliott Somers. As we looked at locations for a full-service bank, Fishers’ vibrancy made it a logical choice.”

Citizens State Bank has signed a five-year lease at The Switch, located on the corner of 116^th Street and Municipal Drive. The branch will occupy 3,200 square feet and plans to hire an additional five employees. In addition, Citizen State Bank’s mortgage loan officer, trust officer and treasury management officer will be available to meet with clients at this location.

“This is a great addition to the Nickel Plate District,” said Mayor Scott Fadness. “Citizens State Bank has already proven to be a great community partner through sponsorship of our Parks Department and Fishers Freedom Festival, and I welcome the expansion into our downtown.”

“A smart, vibrant and entrepreneurial city needs a bank in the heart of its business district. What is happening in Fishers is very exciting, and we are very excited to be a part of it,” said Maddox.

The new branch is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Artist Jessica Springman came up with the idea of creating “INvisible Art” along the sidewalks of the Downtown Fishers Central Green area, between City Hall and Liberty Plaza.  She utilized Hydrophopics, meaning you must add water to see the artwork.

Hydrophobic art has never been tried in Indiana, until now.  During the evening of Tuesday, July 12th, Ms. Springman demonstrated her artistic work, with the help of several water bottles.

Srpingman says the artwork could last as long as a year and a half, depending on wear and tear, along with the weather.

If you want to see her sidewalk art, bring some water, or stop by while it’s raining.

SteadyServe will occupy 8,600 square feet of second floor space in the Spur Building currently under construction in downtown Fishers, and the city is offering $84,000 in incentives over the four-year lease.  The structure’s first floor will feature craft brewery Four Day Ray.

Fishers Economic Development Director Brandon Dickinson briefed the Redevelopment Commission Tuesday evening on the project agreement to bring SteadyServe to Fishers.  Dickinson said the incentives amount to $2 per square feet of space to be occupied.  The incentives mitigate the costs of the firm to locate in Fishers.  He described competition to land this company, saying the incentives were offered to attract the firm to locate in Fishers.

SteadyStream was described as a high-tech company providing support to the fast-growing industry of brewing beer.  According to Dickinson, the incentives provide “a fantastic opportunity to bring a really great company that meets all of the demands of the types of companies we are trying to attract to Fishers – culture, intelligence, sense of community.”

The company projects having up to 150 employees by 2021.

If SteadyStream leaves this space during the four-year lease period and does not relocate in Fishers, the company will be responsible for paying the remainder of the lease payments on the lease.

The Redevelopment Commission approved a resolution okaying the project agreement.

In other Redevelopment Commission business:

–The commission acted to switch their bonds from being backed by County Option Income Tax (COIT) revenue to the city’s general fund.  With the city’s recent AAA bond rating, this will save money on interest payments, according to City Controller Oscar Gutierrez.

–The commission received a statement and fund balances for all Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts in the city.  You can see the full report at the link below.

Reporti07-12-2016 09;26;11PM

The Indiana State Fair Train has been a staple for a very long time, with Fishers being the place to board.  It has been estimated that 10,000 people took the train to the fair last year and more were expected in 2016.

A firestorm of controversy centering on the nonprofit group running the trains has resulted in a ban on those trains using the track.  If the Indiana Transportation Museum is unable to meet a specific set of conditions, there will be no 2016 State Fair Train.

WRTV Channel 6 has been following this story.  For a background on what has happened, check out their latest piece at this link.

Meanwhile, since downtown Fishers is the place to park your car and get on and off the train, Mayor Scott Fadness has weighed-in with a statement issued in the late afternoon of Tuesday, July 12th.  Here is the complete statement:

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The Fair Train has been a valued part of the Fishers community for many years. However, the safety and security of the riders is the top priority. Under no circumstance will the City of Fishers support the operation of the Fair Train unless the safety and regulatory concerns raised by the Federal Rail Administration are addressed in a responsible manner.

I support the Indiana Transportation Museum’s efforts to correct the situation and hope that a resolution to these challenges is swift for the sake of the residents, riders and employees.  

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The bottom line is this – the issues at the Indiana Transportation Museum are threatening the fair train for 2016.  Let’s hope those in charge of that group can get their act together, and soon.

Otherwise, there will be no Indiana State Fair Train in 2016

When you combine beer and technology, there are people who will turn their heads and pay attention.  The City of Fishers has announced SteadyServe Technologies, a high-tech firm specializing in beer brewing business systems,  plans to lease space on one of the upper floors of the building set to house Four Day Ray Brewing in downtown Fishers.  That structure has now been named the Spur Building.

SteadyServe would pay $17,226 per year under the proposed 4-year lease.

The city news release has more details, and is reproduced below:

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The beer people with a thing for technology have announced plans to move and grow in Fishers’ downtown business district. SteadyServ Technologies intends on leasing the upper floor space in the new Spur Building, home of Four Day Ray Brewing and Restaurant, located at the corner of Lantern Road and North Street in the Nickel Plate District.

“Our entrepreneurial ecosystem is designed so that companies like SteadyServ can grow in our community without the barriers that can hinder high-impact, high-growth tech firms during the scale-up phase,” said Mayor Scott Fadness. “We are excited to welcome SteadyServ and their technology to the Nickel Plate District, and look forward to this partnership.”

SteadyServ Technologies offers a real-time draft beer inventory intelligence system that generates key insights to help businesses sell every last drop of beer. Currently, the company serves retail customers in over 20 states and four countries, and has more than doubled its customer base in the last six months. Customers include large sporting and entertainment venues such as AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas to retailers such as Applebee’s, Mellow Mushroom and Tilted Kilt across the United States. Today, the company currently employs over 45 people with growth projections to include more than 100 employees by 2018.

“This is an exciting time for SteadyServ. Our technology is revolutionizing the way the hospitality industry manages their beer inventory,” said Steve Hershberger, SteadyServ’s Chief Executive Officer. Hershberger added, “In the U.S., draft beer is a $23 billion-dollar industry that is based on guesswork. We provide data to aid in the decision making process and to eliminate the guesswork that is so pervasive.  To put the opportunity for us in perspective, draft beer in the United States is three times larger than Major League Baseball.”  Hershberger added, “As our company moves forward, it became clear that our vision and culture aligned perfectly with the City of Fishers, as well as the other technology firms that are gravitating to this area.  The vision Mayor Fadness has articulated for this district made it an easy decision for SteadyServ.  This is a great place for us to grow. ”

SteadyServ Technologies will sign a four-year lease for 8,613 square feet of office space on the top floor of the Spur Building. Four Day Ray Brewery and Restaurant, occupying the first floor and mezzanine levels of the building will have a close working relationship with SteadyServ and allow SteadyServ an active ‘lab’ to quickly deploy new innovative improvements that engage patrons and improve operational efficiencies that translate into more beer sold and happier customers.

The building, announced last year, is expected to be complete in late August. The lease agreement will be considered for approval at the Fishers Redevelopment Commission (RDC) on Tuesday, July 12. If approved, the Fishers’ RDC would provide $17,226 per year for the duration of the four-year lease to assist with the costs.   

When many people think of a camp fire, they also think of S’mores, and why not?  Who doesn’t enjoy S’mores?

The Fishers Parks and Recreation Department is planning a celebration of S’mores on August 7th at Ritchey Woods.  Below is the news release from the city with all the details:

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Each year as summer comes to a close, families of all ages look forward to one more opportunity to spend time together, and Fishers Parks & Recreation is happy to bring back a community tradition this August. Join us at Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve on Sunday, August 7 for National S’mores Day! This isn’t just a program we like to host, it truly is a national celebration for the fireside treat.

National S’mores Day is a free, drop in program, which means your family can stop by any time between 4 and 7 p.m. to roast the perfect marshmallow, select a favorite chocolate bar and sandwich them between fresh graham crackers. Fishers Parks & Recreation staff will provide everything you need to create the perfect s’more, we just ask that you pre-register ahead of time so we can ensure enough ingredients for everyone to enjoy.

Parents, supervision is required during this program, especially by the campfire. Families sharing their photos during the event are encouraged to use hashtag #NationalSmoresDay or tag @RticheyWoods on Twitter. Registration is appreciated by August 5th, and can be completed online, today!

Police departments and neighborhoods throughout the world are expected to once again celebrate the National Night Out, aimed at getting people and police together to make local places more safe.

Fishers will once again be a part of the National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2nd.  Below is a news release from the Fishers Police Department on how local officers and citizens plan to be involved:

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On Tuesday, August 2, 2016 neighborhoods throughout Fishers are being asked to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the “33rd Annual National Night Out” crime and drug prevention event. National Night Out, which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored by the Fishers Police Department, will involve over 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, over 37.5 million people are expected to participate in “America’s National Night Out Against Crime”. NNO 2016 corporate sponsors are Target, Nextdoor.com and Associa.

National Night Out is designed to: (1) Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts; (3) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and (4) Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

On August 2nd, residents in neighborhoods throughout the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police.  Fishers Police Chief George Kehl invites residents to spend the evening with the police department in the Nickel Plate District.

This free community event will run from 6:30pm until 8pm. The police department will also hold their Annual Open House giving residents the opportunity to tour the police department, sit in police vehicles, sample dive team gear and interact with officers demonstrating different tools of the trade.  The Police Department’s K-9 Team will put on two demonstrations at 7pm and 8pm. The children’s activities will include a balloon artist and an airbrush artist. There will also be food trucks, on site, with items available for purchase.

Some residential areas of Fishers will soon see new speed limits, based on an action Monday by the Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety.  Most of the changes will come in the Gray Eagle area.  The impacted streets will now see 25 mile-per-hour limits.  You can see the entire list of streets with new speed limits at this link.

The board awarded a $388,000 contract to E&B Paving for resurfacing of  131st Street between Brooks School Road and Olio Road.  Work is expected to begin on the project around July 11th and will continue through September 12th.

The board voted to consider a land dedication from Eller Trails to City of Fishers for Heritage Park.  Now a detailed contract will be drawn-up for the land transfer.  The Eller Trails subdivision has offered the land to the city.  You can view a map of the area with the proposed land dedication at this link.

More overnight lane closures are coming this week along the construction zone on I-69 in Fishers.  Below is the news release from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).

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Walsh Construction Company plans to close lanes of northbound Interstate 69 this week between 82nd Street (Exit 201) and 116th Street (Exit 205) for construction of the new 106th Street interchange.

Crews are building two new bridges over I-69, one for each direction of traffic on 106th Street, and will be pouring concrete piers in the interstate median.  Multiple left lane closures should be expected.  The following schedule is subject to change and will be updated as work progresses:

• Monday, July 11 – northbound I-69 will have three left lanes closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Tuesday, July 12 – northbound I-69 will have three left lanes closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Wednesday, July 13 – northbound I-69 will have three left lanes closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The speed limit near the construction zone at mile marker 204 is reduced to 55 mph and may be reduced further to 45 mph when workers are present.  Motorists are advised to pay attention to work zone warning signs, follow posted speed limits and keep a safe following distance from other motorists.  

I have been preoccupied with my daughter’s wedding for several days, but it has been impossible to miss the turmoil facing our nation at this point in time.   Let’s try a little perspective here.

First, I was born in 1951, meaning most of my formative years were during the 1960s.  At that time, we had race riots, we had violence such as the burning and bombing of university ROTC buildings and libraries, and the divisions in the country were great.  Sound familiar?

I am not downplaying what has happened lately.  I’m just saying that in the not-so-distant past, we saw turbulent and violent times.

I find it interesting that a South African comic, Trevor Noah, talked about our divide in a way Americans don’t.  He said on his Comedy Central program The Daily Show that we Americans get hung up on preconceived ideas.  If you are pro-black, people assume you are anti-cop.  If you are pro-police, you are assumed to be anti-black.

Here’s Noah’s quote that struck me.  “You can be pro-cop and pro-black, which is what we should all be.”

That’s what I believe.  There is no justification at all for gunning down and killing police officers.  None at all.

It is equally as difficult to watch fatal shootings of black men without justification.

This is not a time to run to our ideological corners.  This is a time for most Americans to join together and advocate for what’s right.

I have covered the police beat as a reporter.  Most cops are hard working people doing their best to perform a very tough job.  I have a world of respect for the men and women doing this job day in and day out, and doing it the right way.  Imagine that your work shift every day was being called to the worst situations happening in your community.  That is the job of a police officer.

But like any profession, not every cop does the job the correct way.  The numbers dictate there will be a certain number of officers that do not get the job done they way they should.  We shouldn’t condemn all officers because there are a certain number of bad cops.

I also believe the reputation police officers have in many African-American neighborhoods is there for a reason.  Those residents do not trust the police to protect them.  Instead, cops are seen more like an occupying, oppressive presence in their communities.  That is not good for the law-abiding residents of those areas, or for the police officers assigned to those neighborhoods.

I have seen some amazing signs of good in all this bad news.  For example, in Fishers, local residents sent pizza to the local police headquarters, just to show the officers people care.

I will make a small suggestion to anyone reading this commentary.  It’s time for the good people of Fishers, Indiana and America to step forward.  Let it be known that you want a healing process to begin.

We do not want police targeted.  We do not want black males to be unfairly targeted.

If you believe as I do, use the hashtag #StepForward and let everyone know you are ready to be part of the solution and not be one to make the problem worse.

It’s up to each of us, as Americans, to let everyone know it is time to step forward.  It’s time for good people to push hard to do the right thing.  If enough of us do that, perhaps a movement will begin.  I can only hope.