Another new project is coming to the Nickel Plate District, this time at North Street and Lantern Road.  The $47 million development will house an office building 3-stories high, a parking garage housing 500 spaces and includes a mixed use building.  The mixed use component will include 240 residential units and 5,000 square feet of commercial space.

An engineering and architectural firm, RQAW, will have its corporate headquarters as part of the complex.

The Fishers City Council will vote Monday night on a $16.5 million incentive package.  Incentives include the land on which the complex will be built, fee waivers and the cost of the parking garage.  There will also be incentives from the State of Indiana, according to the city.

Below is the full text of the news release issued by the City of Fishers

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The City of Fishers announced a $47 million redevelopment project proposed for the Nickel Plate District today. The project will feature a three-story office building, a 500-space parking garage and a mixed-use building on the northwest corner of North Street and Lantern Road. The City Council will consider the project and economic development agreement at Monday’s council meeting.

“This redevelopment project really raises the bar for our entrepreneurial city,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “A creative development like this one, that meets the needs of small business owners and establishes much-needed office space in the Nickel Plate District, brings significant value to our downtown and furthers the ecosystem in which entrepreneurs can thrive.”

The three-part project will include a three-story, 30,000 square feet office building located on the northeast corner of North and Maple streets. RQAW Corporation, a consulting engineer and architect firm, plans to invest $4 million to relocate their headquarters and up to 60 jobs to the building once complete. RQAW will occupy 15,000 square feet of the new building on the second and third floors, while the remaining space will be available for lease. Commencement of the RQAW component is contingent upon both City Council approval and the offer of state incentives. 

“We are thrilled to plant our flag, so to speak, in the Nickel Plate District,” said Brad Battin, vice president at RQAW Corporation. “Our new headquarters will be the physical embodiment of our core values, designed by us for us, and located in a walkable, connected downtown. We look forward to this project not only helping us attract and retain top-tier talent, but also showcasing our strengths as a partner in the communities we serve.”

In addition, a regional, 500-space parking garage is planned to serve the corporate and residential parking needs of the area. Employees from Meyer Najem and RQAW, as well as residents from the mixed-use building, will use the parking garage daily. Visitors to the Nickel Plate District will have access to the parking garage on evenings and weekends.

The third component includes a mixed-use development with 240 residential units and 5,000 square feet of commercial space. Future tenants will have their choice of one or two bedroom apartments with unique live-work units on the first floor facing Lantern Road. The live-work units will have street-level commercial entrances for an office or studio and residential space for living.

“The live-work concept is unique to Fishers, but has worked well in other forward-thinking cities,” said Scott Baldwin, principal at Envoy, Inc. “Situated near Launch Fishers and in the heart of the vibrant downtown, the development is designed to meet the needs of young, entrepreneurial talent in Fishers.”

A partnership between central Indiana companies, Envoy, Inc. and Hageman Group, will develop, own and operate the parking garage and mixed-use building. RQAW will develop and own the office component. Construction is expected to start yet this year and be completed in May 2018. On Monday, June 20, Fishers City Council will consider an economic development agreement for the project that totals $16.5 million and covers the cost of the land, waiver of fees, and construction of the parking garage and surrounding hardscapes. 

“Our mission is to invest in great projects that positively transform communities,” said Shane Hageman of the Hageman Group. “The City of Fishers has established the Nickel Plate District as an impressive economic engine that is attracting new jobs, investment and residents.  We believe in the City’s vision for the District and are proud to be part of making that vision come to life.”

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About RQAW Corporation:

Since 1954, RQAW has been providing our clients with the best in engineering and architecture services. RQAW is committed to outstanding design, superior execution, and strict attention to clients’ needs at every turn. RQAW is dedicated to ensuring the highest level of customer service that our clients have come to count on throughout the life of their project and beyond.

About Envoy, Inc.:

Envoy has managed nearly $1 billion in construction projects, establishing the company as a recognized leader in the construction management industry. With long-standing relationships with schools, government agencies and private-public partnership, Envoy’s approaches each project with a high standard of accountability, transparency, and integrity.

About Hageman Group:

Hageman Group is a privately-held company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana that manages assets and investments with a focus in agriculture and real estate. The real estate division has a long-term focus while acquiring and developing properties with an above average return potential. The current portfolio includes commercial buildings and luxury college apartment complexes. We seek to create value for our stakeholders and partners by applying our knowledge and experience in building relationships and developing sustainable returns. 

Fishers City Council President John Weingardt says he and fellow Council Member Selina Stoller plan to recommend to the Finance Committee a plan increasing compensation for elected city officials and establishing a plan whereby those same officials can get reimbursed for expenses incurred in their work on city business.

If the Finance Committee members go along, the plan would be put to a vote by the full Fishers City Council.

On the issue of elected officials salaries, Weingardt told the Finance Committee “…we, as a group, are recommending an increase.”  The council president said he and fellow council member Selina Stoller have been looking at data on elected officials salaries and where Fishers fits in, but are not prepared to provide a specific plan to increase salaries yet.  That could come next month.

Weingardt did say his group would recommend an accountable plan where city council members can be reimbursed for expenses they currently pay our of their own pockets. This would not be a flat monthly allowance, but would provide a system where councilors could submit vouchers for specific reimbursement once expenses are paid.

In other news from the Wednesday night Finance Committee session…

–The full City Council will likely vote Monday night on setting up an Audit Committee.  This would allow the city to ask for state approval to use a private, independent accounting firm to conduct audits of the city’s finances, instead of having this done by the State Board of Accounts.

–A new transparency Web portal is expected to be available by the end of June.

–The partial city census is continuing.  Census workers are going door-to-door collecting information.  The census should be complete by October, or earlier.

This is the 28th year for the Fishers Freedom Festival.  I talked to Jennifer Kehl about this year’s event.

Fishers residents are being reminded of laws governing cycles with motors, particularly mopeds.

Below is a release issued by local police on those rules.

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Fishers Chief of Police George Kehl would like residents to be aware of the state law pertaining to motor driven cycles.

• No more mopeds, scooters, or motorized bicycles…they are all motor driven cycles.
• All must be registered and plated
• Operators and passengers under the age of 18 must wear a helmet
• Divides into two categories;
  • Class A MDCs
    • Greater than 50cc
    • Require Insurance
    • Require Operators License
  • Class B MDCs
    • 50cc or less
    • No license, no insurance
    • Requires ID

• Class B requirements
  • 15 years old
  • ID card with MDC Endorsement
  • No passengers
  • No interstates or sidewalks
  • Not faster than 35 mph

“I want to be sure that residents are aware of the laws relating to motor driven cycles and make sure that the riders operate in a responsible manner for their own safety and for the safety of others on the roadway” said Chief of Police George Kehl.
 
Anyone with questions regarding motor driven cycles is encouraged to call Sergeant Tom Weger at 317-595-3308.

Fishers Police are looking for a suspect in an attempted robbery in the Fishers WalMart parking lot on 96th Street.  Police say the suspect threatened a woman with a gun if she didn’t turn over her purse.  The woman refused, held the purse tight, and the suspect fled.  No one was injured.

Below is the Fishers Police Department news release, including a description of the suspect.

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The Fishers Police Department is currently investigating an attempted robbery that occurred this morning on parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter, located at 8300 E 96^th Street, (96^th Street and Kincaid Drive).

According to the victim, a suspect approached her as she was walking to her car. The suspect threated to shoot her if she did not give him her purse. When the victim refused, the suspect grabbed for her purse. The victim held tight to her purse and the suspect ran away. According to additional witnesses, the suspect was last seen speeding away in white passenger car, possibly a Pontiac Grand Prix. The victim was not injured during the robbery attempt.

Officers quickly responded to the area and set a perimeter. An extensive search of the area was conducted, however the suspect remains at large. Anyone with information regarding this robbery or the identity of this suspect is encouraged to call Detective David Finn at 317-595-3341.

Fishers Chief of Police George Kehl reminds residents to stay alert, be aware of your surroundings, and immediately call 911 if you see suspicious activity.

Suspect #1

White male

Mid to late twenties

Wearing a khaki cargo shorts, black shirt with a large white logo on the back

Stanley Security has broken ground on its new $15.9 million, 80,000 square foot headquarters building in Fishers.  The structure will be located n the corporate corridor along I-69 on Sunlight Drive.

The 106^th Street interchange on I-69, currently under construction, offers easy access to the new facility.

“Stanley Security is going to set the tone for Delaware Park for the next decade,” according to Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, in remarks at the ceremony.

Ambrose Property Group is the developer and owner of the new building and have partnered with Shiel Sexton on the project construction. With construction now underway, the building is expected to be complete by spring of 2017.

Here is a video of the ceremony that preceded the groundbreaking.

On Sunday night, June 12^th, Mayor Scott Fadness was not in Fishers.  He attended an Indianapolis vigil organized by Indy Pride in remembrance of those who died in the Orlando mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub, a place frequented by members of the LGBT community.  It was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

The mayor said he had two reasons for attending the Sunday night event in Indy.

The first reason was personal. “I have friends in the gay community that were scared and hurting,” Fadness said.  “I offered to stand with them and show my support.”

The second reason was about a bigger issue in his mind.  “It’s a group I just feel like has been isolated and ostracized,” according to the mayor.  “(Sunday) was once again a tragic reminder of that.”

When I asked Fadness whether the Orlando shooting will impact his decision on whether to ask the Fishers City Council to enact an ordinance protecting the civil rights of LGBT people, the mayor was clear.

“It’s the right thing to do before this happened, and it’s still the right thing to do,” Fadness said.  He will continue to work with members of the city council on the civil rights ordinance, calling those talks “ongoing discussions.”  The mayor says he wants a civil rights ordinance with enough votes on the city council to pass.

It was January of 2012.  The weather was very cold.  I had just retired after 28 years as a federal worker.  I was looking for a project and I found it  in my home town.

I moved here after marrying my lovely wife Jane in 1991.  This place has changed a lot in the last 25 years.  I saw more change coming.  Yet local media was no longer around Fishers as it once was.

I kept track of Fishers local news on a daily basis through the Noblesville Daily Ledger newspaper.  When that it ceased daily publication, I subscribed to the daily Noblesville Times.  But the Times couldn’t weather the economic downturn in the latter part of the previous decade and it too ceased daily publication.

I no longer had a daily news source.  We do have a weekly newspaper, CurrentInFishers, but it is just that, a weekly, which has a Thursday deadline and gets to homes most weeks the following Tuesday.  How would I get current information about what’s happening in Fishers?

I guessed that there were others in Fishers with a desire to know what’s happening now. Therefore, I decided to do it myself.  On that cold evening on January 17th, 2012, I attended my first Fishers Town Council session.  A few days later, I covered my first school board meeting.

When I started this news blog I didn’t even install a counter.  I didn’t want to know how many (or how few) people were reading the news blog aimed at local news in Fishers.  No need to get discouraged early.

It was several months later, when I was approached by a couple of the Fishers Town Council members, that I discovered at least some people were reading my material. Things continued to grow from there.

The more I cover local events, the more I have had the pleasure of getting to know more and more people around Fishers.  What was once a small town of about 11,000 when I first moved here has blossomed into a city of about 90,000 residents.  But what makes Fishers is not the size or growth of the community, it’s the people.  We have plenty of quality people here.

When I approached my 4-year anniversary of writing this blog, it was time to think about what may be ahead.  I met with a good friend who is very tech savvy.  Since I had worked in radio broadcasting years ago, should I start a Podcast?  My friend was direct – a Podcast is a requirement.  He urged me to do it and gave me some invaluable advice on how to get started.

It took a great deal of research and study, but on February 1, 2016, my first Podcasts were posted on the Internet.  Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness was kind enough to appear on the first LarryInFishers local interview Podcast.  I’ve posted over 50 Podcasts since the first of February, including 26 LarryInFishers interview sessions.

However, not all my Podcasting has been successful.  I am a retired Tax Law Specialist and started a daily tax Podcast.  Let’s just say it was not a big success, so I pulled the plug on that series after a few weeks.  I replaced it with a new Podcast called Arts&Fishers which features reviews of local arts events, as well as some reviews of TV programs & films.

After less than 4 and a half months of Podcasting, I surpassed 3,000 plays of my various Podcasts.  For a locally aimed series of Podcasts, that’s a lot of plays.

My thanks to all the Podcast listeners.  You can subscribe to my Podcasts on Soundcloud, iTunes and several other platforms that have picked up my Podcasts.  Or, you can just check this blog regularly.  I feature links in the news feed, plus you can access all my Podcasts by using the “Podcasts” link near the top of this page.

Most of all, I thank all of you for reading this news blog.  As you can see, the blog and Podcasting are volunteer activities for me.  Up to this point, I have not accepted advertising so this has not been a commercial endeavor.

Some people have asked why I don’t seek out ads to make money with this blog.  Frankly, most blogs aimed at a local community don’t get enough traffic to attract advertisers.  So even as the audience for my blog and podcasts grows, I plan to keep this a noncommercial, independent operation for now.  What the future may hold is always up in the air.

So, thanks for your support.  I’ll do my best to keep the content coming.

Last Wednesday night (June 8th) the Subway restaurant at 96th Street and Olio Road was the site of an armed robbery.  Fishers Police searched the area at the time, but could not find a suspect.

Armed robberies are not a routine event in Fishers, and that’s a good thing.  I have just had an update done to my Internet service, so I was down when police announced Friday of an arrest in this case.  Better late than never.

The suspect has been identified as Jonathon Cope, 31, from Greenfield.  Fishers detectives had been trying to locate Cope, but it appears Marion County authorities got to him first. Cope was found to be in the Marion County Jail Friday, held on a charge of fleeing the scene of a robbery.

Fishers Police plan to file felony charges against Cope in connection with the June 8th Subway robbery.

So, some good police work, mixed in with some good luck, led to the suspect in the Subway robbery case.

Local publisher Tom Britt sat down with Larry and talked about Fishers, Geist and his media business