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Originally Posted by kcmo
So moving on from the fact that outside of Downtown, KC pretty much trumps Indy. Now lets just concentrate on Downtown vs Downtown. I keep saying they are comparable, you keep saying Downtown Indy is decades ahead of KC and in some different league.
This is what has happened in Downtown KCMO in the past decade (only downtown, not the plaza or westport or midtown, but downtown):
Over Six Billion has been invested with 1.3 billion in planning stages.
Downtown tax base is up 31% since 2002
Downtown Population is up 39% (in 2011) and 5000-6000 new residential units have been added in ten years.
Downtown KCMO has a full service urban grocer as well as one of the country's largest outdoor farmers markets that cities much larger than KC would love to have.
In 2012, KCMO has between 19,000-24,000 downtown residents (downtown council says about 23k in 2011) and while that number is debatable due to the physical size of what is considered downtown, what can't be argued is the growth rate and how many new units have been added (virtually all of which are in the middle of downtown and not in the outskirts of what is defined as downtown which has remained rather constant for decades.
In the past ten years, Downtown KCMO has added a world class performing arts center, a huge entertainment district and a state of the art arena.
Please tell me how Downtown KCMO is not comparable to Downtown Indy. Other than lacking in hotel rooms (actually several are in planning stages, including a 1000 room convention hotel), KC has plenty of hotel rooms when you include crown center and the plaza, it just doesn't them all around the convention center and the city seems to be doing just fine as the MLB all star game approaches.
I don't see how downtown Indy is "decades" ahead of downtown KC. Let alone the entire city. Indy grows a little faster as a region. That's about it.
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If you bother reading up on the history of Indy's downtown revitalization focus you'll learn that it's been working revitalizing projects since the 70's while other cities have literally abandoned their downtowns with nothing in sight. Indy has been doing this a lot longer than a decade my friend when KC thought it was cool to build a ball park out in the burbs.
Let's use Circle Centre Mall downtown as an example. Just one of many projects downtown.
Circle Center Mall Indianapolis
A time line of the development of the mall (1979-1995)
More than 15 years after it was first proposed, and six years after construction began, Circle Center Mall Indianapolis opened to the public on Sept. 8, 1995. Indianapolis mayors William Hudnut and Stephen Goldsmith shepherded the $300 million-plus project through battles with landowners, lawsuits and other delays. After construction began in 1989, and for the next few years, Downtown Indianapolis was a maze of massive holes and building facades held up by steel girders. When Circle Center Mall Indianapolis finally opened, it became the centerpiece of the revitalization of Downtown.
Timeline:
4/25/79 - Indianapolis officials and developer Melvin Simon & Associates announce the consulting firm of Hammer, Siler and George Associates have completed a study describing a proposed $100 million enclosed downtown shopping mall of two to three levels between Meridian Street and Capitol Avenue to connect L.S. Ayres & Co. and William H. Block Co. Negotiations are under way with additional stores, among them Lazarus, Neiman-Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord and Taylor.
1/15/80 - Mayor William Hudnut, in his annual State of the City speech, urges the private sector to ``join hands'' with government to begin work on a Downtown shopping mall.
4/8/80 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awards Indianapolis a $12.8 million Urban Development Action Grant for the West Washington Street revitalization project, considered to be the first step toward development of a downtown shopping mall.
2/2/83 - Metropolitan Development Commission adopts a resolution designating a 10-block western section of the downtown business zone as a redevelopment district, which is required to allow use of tax increment bonds for financing towards a $100 million mall.
3/16/83 - Metropolitan Development Commission approves $2.8 million purchase of the Occidental Building at 41 W. Washington St., which houses L. Strauss & Co., as part of an agreement under which city received a $12.8 million grant for the West Washington Street Project - including the mall. Agreement calls for Strauss to move into the Granada Royale Hotel to be built at the northwest corner of Washington and Illinois streets. Cost of the mall now estimated at $125 million.
5/18/83 - Metropolitan Development Commission accepts Melvin Simon & Associates as developer of the mall.
1/4/84 - Simon & Associates selects Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Inc. as coordinating architect for design of the mall and gives the project the working name of "Circle Center Mall Indianapolis.''
6/7/84 - Goodman Jewelers plans $9 million renovation of four buildings between 20 and 30 West Washington Street, to be called Goodman Quad and to consist of office and retail space and a restaurant, all in connection with the mall.
8/1/84 - Metropolitan Development Commission approves the city's use of up to $14 .4 million in federal loan funds to help finance public improvement and possible land purchases required for the mall.
1/3/85 - City officials and Simon & Associates announce Los Angeles based Jerde Partnership was selected as design architect for the mall.
2/12/85 - A Statehouse pedestrian tunnel beneath Capitol Avenue opens, linking the Statehouse basement to the One North Capitol office building. It will eventually connect to the former Wm. H. Block Co. garage, Indiana Theatre, Embassy Suites and Claypool Court, as well as to the mall.
3/1/85 - The Goodman family proposes, as part of the mall project, a 700- to 900-seat music hall to be located on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle and called Court Street Music Hall.
9/26/85 - Grand opening and dedication of Claypool Court.
10/22/85 - Simon & Associates unveils model of mall.
4/28/86 - City of Indianapolis and the Goodman family agree to a settlement of their dispute, dating from 1978, over West Washington Street development. Goodman will develop its four buildings, but the city can use the first three floors as part of the mall.
11/19/86 - Metropolitan Development Commission approves a plan for a $5.8 million loan to the city to buy downtown property for the mall. The loan amount is based on the amount of federal Community Development Block Grant funds the city received in 1985 and 1986 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
12/17/86 - Metropolitan Development Commission approves hiring Robert A. Peck of the Washington D.C. Preservation League, who is to complete a review of the mall's impact on historic buildings.
12/17/86 - Metropolitan Development Commission gives preliminary approval to enlarge the mall area by adding 1 1/2 blocks - increasing the cost of the mall from $150-200 million to $400 million.
1/26/87 - Bill introduced in Indiana legislature to allow Indianapolis to use some state sales tax money to finance construction of the mall, using sales tax increment financing.
2/24/87 - Indianapolis Council votes to table a proposal to freeze local income tax rate at 0.4%, thus allowing the tax to increase to 0.5% July 1. It is believed the tax increase will benefit the mall project, showing that the city will pay its share to help get state funding from the legislature.
3/11/87 - Lawsuit filed against Indianapolis on behalf of the family of Mary Louise Schopp, owner of the Rost Building, 25 N. Illinois St. The suit claims the city has effectively taken property for the mall project without purchasing it, making it impossible to use, renovate, sell or lease.
3/30/87 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awards a $4.25 million grant to the city to renovate William H. Block Co. building, one of the anchors of the mall.
4/27/87 - Federated Department Stores Inc, which owns Lazarus, agrees to buy Wm. H. Block Co.
5/7/87 - Gov. Robert Orr signs two bills concerning the mall - one that authorizes a 12-year, $30 million state loan to help finance mall, and one that conditionally permits a Marion County sales tax at a rate of either one-half of one percent or one percent, beginning in 1988, to help pay for mall.
6/3/87 - Metropolitan Development Commission endorses a special sales tax district for the mall, then a city council committee votes to send it to full council with a do-pass recommendation.
6/8/87 - City-County Council approves boundaries for a special downtown district in which the city could divert some sales tax revenues to offset money borrowed for the mall.
6/17/87 - Metropolitan Development Commission sets a fair market value of $572,100 for the building owned by Goodman Family at 30 West Court St.
6/18/87 - Metropolitan Development Commission approves a swap of downtown property that the city owns near the canal, in exchange for the Mansur Development Corp.-owned Schnull building at 102 South Meridian, and a building at 23 West Maryland.
10/87 - The estimated cost of the mall rises to $500 million.
1/11/88 - Simon & Associates announces that Saks Fifth Avenue will be an anchor in the mall, with plans to erect a 90,000 square foot store on the northeast corner of Illinois and Washington streets, in the space occupied by the old Roosevelt Building.
1/88 - The estimated cost of the mall is now $560 million.
1/88 - Wm. H. Block Co. store changes its name to Lazarus.
3/88 - Estimated cost is now $650 million.
4/11/88 - City-County Council approves borrowing up to $100 million for the mall by selling a short-term note to be used for land acquisition and parking. Later this year the city will sell long-term property tax increment bonds to pay off the note. The bonds would be paid off with the expected increase in the property tax revenue generated by new development within a taxing district extending beyond downtown.
4/18/88 - Denison Parking Inc. files a lawsuit against the city to block development of the mall, claiming the city unconstitutionally is taking its property at 29 W. Maryland St., and plans to do the same with its other two properties, at 138 S. Illinois St. and 129 W. Maryland St.
4/20/88 - The Indianapolis Bond Bank approves the first step of mall financing - the borrowing of $50 million to begin acquiring properties.
4/21/88 - City and state officials, representatives of the city's preservation community, and Simon & Associates sign an agreement dictating how 43 buildings in the mall area will be handled. 17 buildings would be retained, eight facades-only would be saved and 18 buildings would be completely demolished - seven of them historic buildings. This agreement is vital to obtain federal funding, and will be sent for approval to National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
4/25/88 - Under the second part of a plan to finance the mall project, the City-County Council approves a plan allowing the city to borrow up to $130 million from the state, with the loans to be paid off in a combination of sales tax revenue and mall revenue, .
4/25/88 - The Indianapolis Taxpayers Association files three appeals to block the city from issuing up to $230 million in bonds.
4/25/88 - Mayor William Hudnut creates two committees to ensure minority participation and employment in the mall.
5/4/88 - The Metropolitan Development Commission authorizes the city to pay the law firm of Baker & Daniels up to $100,000 for legal work involved with mall.
5/18/88 - City officials filed a document with the Indiana Employment Development Commission giving a total price tag for both phases of the mall of $970,792,160, with the city paying $230 million and private developers paying $740 million.
5/18/88 - Metropolitan Development Commission agrees to pay DeMars Program Management Inc. up to $875,000 to be construction manager for the mall. Geupel DeMars Inc. already has been hired by Simon & Associates as construction manager.
6/15/88 - The Hudnut administration says it will drop plans to use a funding mechanism known as sales tax increment financing to repay mall bonds for the city's share of mall financing.
6/29/88 - The State Board of Finance approves the city's application for a $30 million loan from the state's ``Rainy Day'' fund.
6/29/88 - Mayor William Hudnut names three mall committees: the Community Advisory Committee, the Employment Committee and the Entrepreneurial Committee.
7/6/88 - Metropolitan Development Commission approves a $36,000 contract with Earl C. Nowlen to provide consulting services for mall minority involvement .
8/11/88 - Indianapolis attorney Frederic C. Sipe files a class action lawsuit against the city in an attempt to stop it from acquiring land by eminent domain for the mall.
8/17/88 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves paying Denison Parking Inc . $2,375,000 to cover losses for vacating two downtown sites for the mall. This is in addition to the purchase price of $2.3 million for property at 29-44 W. Maryland, and $2.1 million for property at 126-148 S. Illinois. The commission also approves a $451,000 settlement to Maud A. Harkness for property at 118 S. Meridian St.
8/25/88 - Frederic C. Sipe's lawsuit is dismissed pending further talks.
9/7/88 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves purchase of 110-116 S. Meridian St. from LaScala Restaurant, for $1,430,000, and 25-31 W. Washington St. from Chung S. Choi and Kook Ja Choi, for $1,730,925.
9/9/88 - The Indianapolis Bond Bank approves the sale of $200 million in bonds for the mall - the largest sale of its kind in the United States.
10/19/88 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves a settlement with Frederic C. Sipe to purchase a building at 38 W. Washington for $533,500.
11/2/88 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves the purchase of a parking lot at 153 South Illinois St. from Severin Associates and Mansur Development Corp., for $850,000.
11/16/88 - The Metropoliton Development Commission awards a contract to Sear Corp. for $192,480, to remove asbestos at the Three Sisters and L. Strauss store buildings. They also authorize the city to begin eminent domain procedings against Arthur Realty Corp., for property at 33 West Washington - for which city has offered $496,000 and for which Arthur is asking $1.3 million; and against Sanford Rothschild at 122 South Meridian - for which city has offered $591,000 plus $400,000 relocation costs. Rothschild wants $800,000, plus relocation costs.
12/7/88 - The Metropolitan Development Commission agrees to purchase Rothschild building for $750,000 and authorizes the city to begin eminent domain procedings to acquire the Lerner Shop at 37 West Washington.
1/4/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission agrees to pay $1.3 million to acquire the Equitable Life Assurance Building, which houses the Lerner Shop, at 37-39 West Washington Street.
1/18/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves $1 million for a building at 33 West Washington Street, former home of the Shoe Works; approves $130,000 to demolish Levey Brothers & Co. building at 23 West Maryland Street; awards contract to R.H. Marlin Inc. to demolish one of the Berean buildings at 23 West Maryland and approves paying owners of Arthur Realty Corp. $1 million for the building at 33 West Washington Street.
2/15/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards Ed Tiller & Sons a $218,000 contract for demolition of the Occidental Building at 41 West Washington, former home of L. Strauss, and four smaller buildings just to the east which housed Lerner Shops, Shoe Works, Jean Nicole and Shoe Secrets.
2/16/89 - Levey Brothers & Co. building and an adjoining annex are demolished by R.H. Marlin & Sons a month early due to accidental collapse of a portion of the Schnull Block Building which weakened the Levey Building
3/2/89 - Mayor William Hudnut pulls a lever activating a wrecking ball aimed at a building at 25 West Washington in a ceremony marking the official start of the mall.
3/15/89 - Metropolitan Development Commission gives the city authority to buy six downtown properties at a cost of $5.7 million: 25 North Illinois, for $289,250; 1 North Illinois, for $720,000; 34-36 West Washington, for $485,000; 21-23 West Washington, for $1.4 million; 25 West Maryland, for $1.5 million; and 102 South Meridian, for $1.2 million, from owners Si-Roose Inc, a subsidiary of Simon & Associates.
4/4/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission gives permission to buy a warehouse at 30 West Court St. for $1,737,325, owned by Goodman family; authorizing the city to begin condemnation proceedings if the offer is rejected. This is the last property needed to start on mall.
4/7/89 - Nordstrom announces it will be the fourth retail anchor, with a store of 200,000 sq. ft. on three levels. This is too large for the Strauss space, so plans will have to be reconfigured.
4/19/89 - Goodman Jewelers and city agree to a price of $1.7 million for a warehouse owned by the Goodmans, which is the last property needed for the mall.
4/19/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission sets a price for leasing land for the mall at a minimun of $1,972,400 annually for 394,479 sq. ft. of downtown real estate.
5/1/89 - The Equitable Life Assurance Building is demolished.
5/17/89 - Simon & Associates submits the only proposal to develop and lease nine downtown acres for the mall.
6/7/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission accepts Simon's proposal as the city 's development partner. The mall will include four anchor stores, small shops, 8-12 movie theaters, a food court, office buildings and hotel, to be done in two phases, and setting a date of Aug. 7, 1989 for obtaining an interim agreement.
6/7/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards a $872,000 contract to DeMars Program Management Inc. for the second phase of its work on the mall
7/19/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves contracts for demolition of four buildings: $337,000 to Dorsey Paving Co. to demolish the Journal Building, 46-48 Monument Circle (but leaving the facade standing); and $362,000 to O'Rourke Construction Co. for three buildings: Three Sisters, 17 North Illinois; the building formerly housing Kentucky Fried Chicken, 21 North Illinois; and Rost Jewelry Co. Building, 25 North Illinois - leaving the facade.
10/6/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards a $283,700 contract to Controlled Demolition and AAA Wrecking to demolish the Occidental Building.
10/20/89 - The building on West Washington, formerly housing Kresge's Store, is demolished.
10/27/89 - The Journal Building is being demolished, although facade is being saved.
11/1/89 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards a $283,700 contract to O'Rourke Construction for demolition and clearance of Wayne Oil Building and L.S. Ayres Warehouse building on Maryland; and to M.K. Moore & Sons, a $49,888 contract for asbestos removal from Maryland Street Garage and the Gift Mart Building.
11/5/89 - Demolition by implosion of eight-story Occidental Building on southeast corner of Washington and Illinois.
2/7/90 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves a resolution allowing the city to hire Center Venture, a joint venture of CSO Architects and Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, to provide architectural services on the public portion of the mall. The commission also approves a demolition contract of $594,430 to Controlled Demolition Inc. and AAA Wrecking Co. for the Roosevelt, Ambrosia and Griffith buildings on the north side of Washington St., between Illinois and Meridian, over the objection of the Goodman Family.
2/26/90 - The City-County Council passes a resolution requiring the Metropolitan Development Commission to provide it with quarterly reports on mall progress.
3/21/90 - The Metropolitan Development Commision awards O'Rourke Construction $587,000 to demolish the Rink Building on Illinois.
3/28/90 - Expenses as of this date: city has spent $51,650,858, with $46,258,437 going to acquire and relocate 52 properties. Professional service contracts have totaled $2,169,616, of which $1,682,659 has gone to DeMars Program Management. The city has issued $230 million in bonds.
4/4/90 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards an $847,062 contract to Beaty Construction Inc. for excavation work of the block bordered by Meridian, Illinois, Washington and Maryland streets for underground parking. They extended the deadline for an interim agreement between city and Circle Center Development Co., the Simons' limited partnership formed to build the mall, to April 30. Original deadline was Aug. 7, 1989.
4/13/90 - The City of Indianapolis and Simon & Associates sign an interim agreement to guarantee the developer will reimburse the city for some costs if the project isn't built. Simon must show proof by Dec. 1, 1990, that at least four anchor retail stores will locate in the mall and a final project agreement must be signed by that date.
5/2/90 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves a $100,000 contract to the Commission for Downtown to help inform the public of street and sidewalk closings during construction.
5/18/90 - Simon & Associates say the mall is running about 1 1/2 years behind schedule. It was originally due to be finished by fall 1992.
5/18/90 - A cartoon figure, Boomer Crane, in the shape of a construction hard hat, is introduced as the construction logo for the mall.
7/2/90 - A report to the City-County Council says that the city has spent $52,049,906 through May 31 on the mall, and that the first phase will not be completed until 1993.
7/5/90 - Due to poorer-than-expected finances, Saks Fifth Avenue's new owners, Investcorp International, announce they will not build any new stores for three years, including the one planned for Circle Center Mall Indianapolis.
7/5/90 - Simon & Associates sign an $847,000 excavation contract for the mall, guaranteeing the city will be reimbursed for the excavation expenses if the mall is not built.
8/1/90 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards DeMars Program Management Inc. a contract as the city's construction manager for the mall and will pay them 10 percent of the city's estimated $79 million in construction costs.
8/7/90 - Owners of American United Life Insurance Co. file suit to stop the city from collecting 20 percent of the property taxes owed on the AUL Building, which is part of the city's mall financing plan.
8/9/90 - Restauranteur Rick Rising-Moore files suit asking that a court find unconstitutional the special downtown redevelopment district set up to generate tax revenue for the mall. The suit also challenges a provision in mall financing that prevents certain downtown property owners from receiving a 20 percent tax credit from state.
8/12/90 - The Roosevelt Building is demolished by implosion.
8/13/90 - Construction is not slated to start this year, jeopardizing chances that the mall will be open by Christmas 1993.
9/25/90 - While demolishing the Rothschild Building, 122 South Meridian, cracks are discovered in the historic facade, forcing it to be demolished as well.
10/24/90 - The Limited announces it will be the mall's fourth anchor, occupying 70,000 sq. ft., grouped in a collection called International Shops, which will include Victoria's Secret, Express, Lane Bryant, Lerner, The Limited, and Abercrombie & Fitch.
11/1/90 - The Indiana Supreme Court rules that the Indiana Tax Court has no jurisdiction to consider American United Life Insurance's request for an injunction prohibiting the collection of property taxes while the lawsuit is pending.
11/13/90 - AUL files new a suit opposing the city's use of tax increment financing for the mall, saying AUL has been overcharged by about $712,000 in property taxes since 1987.
11/29/90 - The parking garage on Maryland between Illinois and Meridian streets is torn down.
12/1/90 - Simon & Associates will not meet a Dec. 1 deadline to sign a permanent agreement, because they haven't sewn up financing yet.
12/24/90 - Indianapolis officials begin to seek bids on construction work for the mall.
1/3/91 - A quarterly report says contracts to minority-owned firms account for 15.97 percent, while firms owned by women account for one percent.
1/16/91 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves a $434,500 contract to Baker Concrete Construction to build retaining walls, the first concrete will be poured, along the excavated portion of the block bounded by Washington, Meridian, Maryland and Illinois Streets - even though they don't have a pledge from Simon & Associates for reimbursement if the project falters.
2/6/91 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards a $1.3 million contract to Richard Goettle Inc. for excavation of the block bounded by Maryland, Meridian, Georgia and Illinois.
2/20/91 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves another $100,000 contract to the Commission for Downtown to coordinate an informational campaign on the mall.
3/13/91 - The Plat Review Committee has given the city approval to close off an alley behind the Rider Building, 133-135 S. Illinois, housing the St. Elmo Steakhouse and the China Gate restaurant, to make way for construction of mall parking garages.
3/20/91 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards $529,000 to Hagerman Construction Corp. to build perimeter walls and footings for the underground mall garages, bringing to $2.2 million the amount of work authorized without a project agreement.
4/3/91 - Twelve local companies sign a preliminary agreement signaling their interest in investing $50 million in the mall project: American States Insurance Co.; Associated Insurance Cos. Inc.; Banc One, Indiana Corp.; Conseco Inc.; The Mars Corp.; Denison Inc.; Haka Inc.; NB Financial Corp.; Indiana Bell Telephone Co. Inc.; the Lilly Retirement Plan; Marsh Supermarkets; and Merchants National Corp.
4/4/91 - May Department Store, owner of L.S. Ayres, says that Ayres will not be an anchor in the mall.
4/29/91 - Simon & Associates presents the latest design for the mall to the City-County Council, from new architects Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Whitelaw of NYC. The plan includes 110 stores, from a new Lazarus department store adjacent to Monument Circle to a Sheraton hotel on Georgia Street, a 4-story Nordstrom department store, multi-screen cinema, food court, a group of Limited Stores and a 900-foot, 3-level pedestrian walkway, running from Monument Circle to Maryland Street. The Goodman buildings, 20-30 West Washington, would need to be removed for the walkway.
6/25/91 - City officials present a new timetable for the mall, pushing opening back to at least mid-1994. The value of the project slipped from a $1 billion estimate to current projection of $500 to $750 million. Simon & Associates will cut its financial commitment to mall, with Circle Center Development Co. taking its place.
9/17/91 - A new design plan and models for the mall are unveiled at a meeting of the City-County Council's Metropolitan Development Committee. The plan includes a new glass-walled, circular, 3-story Wintergarden. It will span Washington Street, just east of Illinois, and take the place of the skywalk. It will be used for cultural events, with city, private developers and investors sharing in the expected $12 million cost.
9/18/91 - The Metropolitan Development Commission authorizes signing the project agreement for the mall, in which the city agrees to spend $150 million for land, site clearance, parking garages, skywalks, public areas, and foundations for the first two phases of the project by Oct. 31, 1992. They also agree to try to obtain the four Goodman buildings if Lazarus determines it needs more space in the mall. The development company agrees to finish the mall no more than 24 months after the city completes its portion of phase one.
9/25/91 - A signing ceremony of two documents takes place on Monument Circle. The project agreement is a contract between the city and Circle Center Development Co., setting out who is responsible for what. It sets a deadline of March 1 for the private half of the financing to be completed, in which the private investors agree to borrow up to $100 million for the first phase. A partnership agreement is also signed creating Circle Center Development Co., which is formed by the 12 local companies and the Circle Simon Development Co., a new subsidiary of Simon & Associates, which will serve as project developer. Simon & Associates will be managing general partner.
10/17/91 - Official beginning of mall construction on the northeast corner of Illinois and Washington streets, where crews are beginning to pour concrete footings for underground parking garages, though work has actually been going on for several days.
10/31/91 - May Department Store Co. proposes a plan by which they would swap the Ayres building for a building in St. Louis owned by Simon & Associates.
11/20/91 - The Metropolitan Development Commission votes to declare the mall district an economic revitalization area, a legal designation making it eligible for a 3-year tax abatement.
12/23/91 - The Metropolitan Development Commission issues a $861,900 contract to Weddle Brothers Construction Co. to build the concrete footings for a second square block of mall bordered by Meridian, Georgia, Illinois and Maryland streets.
1/20/92 - A surveyor for MSE Corp. is trapped for two hours in a cave-in while in a hole on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle, where the dirt walls had not been shored up as required. He was uninjured.
2/19/92 - Mayor Stephen Goldsmith puts the city's participation in the mall on hold, thus delaying a $10 million garage construction contract, until financing and leasing issues are resolved.
3/3/92 - Nordstrom Inc. signs a lease for a 3-level, 200,000-sq. ft. store facing Meridian Street from Maryland to Georgia.
4/7/92 - State officials fine companies involved in the Jan. 20 cave-in $43,000 for violation of safety laws.
5/19-92 - The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals approves allowing an entrance ramp to the underground garage off the first block of West Washington Street.
6/16/92 - Parisian Inc. announces it will build two stores in Indianapolis, one of them a 144,000 sq. ft. store in Circle Center Mall Indianapolis to open in the fall of 1994, perhaps in a portion of the Ayres building.
6/16/92 - Lazarus confirms it will close the downtown store at the end of January 1993, leaving open the possibility it may still be part of Circle Center Mall Indianapolis.
7/1/92 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves a city offer of $2.4 million for the Ayres building, otherwise, the city will sue May Co. to condemn the building. The site was appraised at $5 million.
7/4/92 - The city has spent more than $3.5 million on the mall since Feb. 20, 1992.
8/4/92 - May Co. refuses the offer for Ayres.
8/5/92 - The Metropolitan Development Commission authorizes the city to begin a condemnation procedure against the Ayres building.
8/11/92 - The city files a lawsuit in Marion Circuit Court beginning eminent domain proceedings against the Ayres building.
8/27/92 - Mayor Goldsmith says the mall opening will not be until 1995.
10/1/92 - The Metropolitan Development Commission gives the city permission to refinance bonds, including about $230 million for the mall, to take advantage of lower interest rates.
10/12-92 - The mall's first phase will open in 1995. It will be entirely south of Washington Street, consisting of 675,000 sq. ft. of retail space on 3 1/2 blocks bounded by Market, Meridian, Georgia and Illinois, leaving the part abutting Monument Circle for future expansion.
10/16/92 - The city makes a deal with May Department Stores Co. to buy the Ayres building for $5.9 million.
11/4/92 - Financing is finalized with a group of European banks agreeing to grant a $72.5 million loan for the mall - with the city to commit $30 million more, offset by refinancing earlier bonds.
11/4/92 - The Wintergarden will be built over the intersection of Illinois and Washington streets.
11/12/92 - The city is successful in selling refinanced bonds.
11/16/92 - Work begins on the underground garage at southwest corner of Maryland and Illinois streets, after nearly a year of being idle.
12/16/92 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves an $1,505,415 architectural contract for the design of the Wintergarden to Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Whitelaw.
1/7/93 - Goodman Jewelers files a lawsuit, saying Simon & Associates welshed on an agreement to pay $5,000 for a relocation study and $1,765 in attorney fees.
1/93 - Lazarus closes its downtown store
3/9/93 - L. Strauss files bankruptcy, saying delays in the mall development contributed to its financial difficulties.
4/7/93 - The Metropolitan Development Commission awards a $256,300 contract to Weddle Brothers Construction to fill up the hole at the northeast corner of Washington and Illinois streets.
4/21/93 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves $4.48 million to go to Weddle Brothers Construction to begin work on a second underground garage in the block bounded by Meridian, Washington, Maryland and Illinois. The commission also approves Circle Center Development Company as the mall's developer and manager. Although they had the contract previously they had to re-bid as a formality because of significant changes in the scope of the project.
5/5/93 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves a contract of $5.5 million to PKM Steel Service; the actual construction will be subcontracted to Mid-America Steel Erectors and Rodbusters.
6/2/93 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves a $3.09 million contract to Montgomery Elevator Co. for installations of elevators and escalators in the mall.
7/6/93 - The proposed mall receives formal approval from the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission.
7/14/93 - Preliminary designs call for a landscaped plaza on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle, where there is now a hole, by October.
8/4/93 - The final design of the Wintergarden is unveiled.
9/2/93 - Above-ground steel work construction begins.
12/1/93 - Maryland Street, between Illinois and Meridian streets, closes today for construction of an overhead walkway.
1/28/94 - Mayor Goldsmith announces an amended project agreement with the development group Circle Center Development Corp, giving safeguards.
3/2/94 - As of March 1, the city has spent $110 million of its $187 million in construction costs. Work on structural steel for Nordstrom began this week.
3/21/94 - The Indianapolis Arts Council announces that Lilly Endowment will donate $12 million to build the Wintergarden.
3/22/94 - Rehabilitation is under way for Parisian in the old Ayres building.
4/1/94 - Maryland Street reopens.
4/26/94 - Demolition begins on Illinois Self Park Garage. It will be replaced by a 1,500-space garage for the mall.
5/19/94 - A Topping off ceremony takes place with the last steel beam of the structure, which people in the community had been invited to sign, lifted four stories above the southeast corner of Washington and Illinois streets.
5/23/94 - A worker is injured in a fall.
5/31/94 - The mall is called $304 million project.
6/8/94 - About 80 percent of the 94 proposed stores and restaurants have lease committments.
6/20/94 - Engineers and architects present preliminary plans for a streetscape surrounding the mall.
7/30/94 - The Arts Council of Indianapolis launches a contest to name the Wintergarden.
8/24/94 - Negotiations are once again under way between Goodman and the city.
8/30/94 - The cast-iron facade from the former Vajen building along South Meridian is one of eight historic storefronts being preserved and incorporated into the exterior design of the mall.
9/13/94 - Central Newspapers Inc. approves investment of an undisclosed sum in the mall, joining 17 other investors.
9/14/94 - The grand opening of Circle Plaza, on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle, is celebrated with a Pumpkin Fest and music by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. It is a temporary park area, part of the original design of mall.
9/24/94 - Simon Property Group chooses Asher Agency to handle marketing and advertising for the mall.
10/5/94 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves a $225,000 contract with Ratio Architects for design work on a $3 million pedestrian walkway between the mall and other buildings, including Union Station.
10/5/94 - Groundbreaking for the Artsgarden takes place, with the new name announced by actress Jane Alexander, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. The name, one of 500 entries, was submitted by Mary Longstreth, and chosen by a committee representing the Arts Council of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis arts community and the general public. The Artsgarden will resemble a glass-enclosed Ferris wheel and will be 12,500 sq. ft, 118 ft. diameter.
12/5/94 The intersection of Illinois and Washington streets closes for construction of the Artsgarden.
12/8/94 - A ceremony is held for the raising of the first beam of the Artsgarden, with the help of Indiana Pacer Rik Smits.
12/19/94 - Churchill Downs confirms it will build an off-track betting parlor on the second floor of the Block's building to be called Sports Spectrum. Simon Property Group will assume ownership of the building from the city as part of mall project. The OTB will open Aug 1.
12/21/94 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves adding three of the Goodman buildings to the acquisition list if they can reach an agreement.
1/3/95 - As of Dec. 1, the city had paid out $152.4 million, with another $24 million worth of work underway on city's part of $87 million. A consortium of private companies are responsible for $70 million and three foreign banks are responsible for $45.5 million in loans. Since mall construction began in earnest at the beginning of 1993, the Metropolitan Development Commission has approved 63 change orders - all but three increases.
1/12/95 - United Artists announces it will open a nine-screen movie theater with 2,700 seats in the mall.
1/13/95 - Churchill Downs will shift their off-track betting site from the mall to Claypool Court's third floor.
1/16/95 - The intersection of Illinois and Washington streets reopens.
2/6/95 - The city announces a six-month long "Full Circle Celebration,'' Sept. 4 through February 1996. It will include festivals, activities and events to celebrate the mall's opening, with half the $1 million cost of the festival already raised from private sources.
3/14/95 - A deal is struck between the city and Goodman Jewelers ending a 15-year battle. The city will buy Two West Washington, then swap it for the Goodman buildings at 24, 26 and 30 West Washington Street, and will pay Goodman $1.2 million to cover moving and maintenance. Goodman will keep the building at 20 West Washington Street.
3/17/95 - Showscan Entertainment will open a 36-seat movie theater in the mall, in which the seats will move in synchronization with the film so that the viewer feels a part of the action.
4/7/95 - Herron School of Art junior N. Beth Line, 34, is chosen the winner of the mall rooftop mural competition. Her entry, ``Captivating Quilts,'' will be the world's largest mural at 276,000 sq. ft.
4/10/95 - The model for ``Captivating Quilts'' is unveiled.
4/17/95 - A time capsule is buried by Indianapolis Downtown Inc., five feet under the sidewalk on the west side of Meridian Street at the mall construction site.
4/19/95 - The Metropolitan Development Commission approves more change orders totaling nearly $2 million. The city is close to having everything contracted out.
4/28/95 - Joel Grynheim is named director in charge of arts programming and daily operations for the Artsgarden.
5/10/95 - USA Group buys the lease for Union Station and its parking garage at an open auction at a cost of $3.2 million. They will turn Union Station over to the city but keep the garage for employees with the hope of moving their headquarters downtown. From May through December the Indianapolis Police Department will have an increased number of officers downtown, with the addition of bike and foot patrols to the already present horse patrols, in an effort to increase safety and decrease crime in connection with mall construction.
6/7/95 - Simon Property Group releases a list of 59 stores to occupy retail space. 92 percent of the mall is leased, with about 42 percent of the stores new to the Indianapolis market.
6/8/95 - USA Group will buy the vacant Ayres building from the city for $50 and spend at least $14 million on renovations to make it its headquarters.
6/12/95 - Plans are announced for opening festivities on Sept. 8 opening, with pre-opening charity events on Sept. 6 and 7.
6/13/95 - A temporary restaurant called Plaza Cafe opens in the plaza on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle. It will be run by Ritz Charles.
6/14/95 - Nordstrom and Parisian announce managers for mall stores.
7/10/95 to 7/12/95 - A three-day Circle of Opportunity Hiring Fair is held in the Indiana Roof Ballroom, sponsored by Simon Property Group, with 4,500 applicants applying for 2,000 openings.
9/8/95 Circle Center Mall Indianapolis officially opens to the public with four floors, 100 retail stores, 20 places to eat, 9 movie theater screens and 12,000 parking spaces within one block.
That was just one project but yes, a lot of projects have developed over many 'decades' in downtown Indy. That's why cities around the country looked to us to help revitalize their downtown.
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