The neighborhood vibrancy grant program started small a few years ago.  Mayor Scott Fadness saw the difference this program was making in adding just enough funding to maintain and upgrade local Fishers neighborhoods.

Wednesday morning, the City of Fishers announced the latest round of grants, totaling $337,000.  Mayor Fadness and the City Council have made a big financial commitment to this grant program, going from a $100,000 annual expenditure to $750,000 in 2024.  This $337,000 set of grants follows nearly $400,000 in grant funding to 28 neighborhoods disbursed earlier this spring. Applications are now closed for the remainder of 2024.

“I am blown away by the response to our revamped Neighborhood Vibrancy Grant Program,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “With a record high number of applicants in 2024, it’s evident that our residents and HOAs are dedicated to improving vibrancy and building community within their neighborhoods. Our additional $650,000 of investment in this program this year has supported 46 Fishers neighborhoods, increasing livability and quality of life in our community.”

Here is a list of $337,000 in grants announced Wednesday:

• Cottingham Estates ($8,061.34) for park and playground improvements.
• Delaware Pointe ($15,000) to replace the existing wooden playground structure, refresh landscaping, and repair neighborhood fence.
• Fawnsbrook Woods ($22,830.31) to renovate neighborhood entrance signs and install new landscaping.
• Northfield Estates ($4,575) to install landscaping at the entrance.
• Oak Hall ($24,250) to install a new fountain aeration system for the neighborhood pond and repair entrance columns.
• Sand Creek Farms ($21,670) to renovate neighborhood entrance signs and for sidewalk repairs.
• Sandstone ($25,000) to remove and replace 33 trees.
• Seven Oaks ($4,240) to relocate the path and install a bench near pond.
• Spyglass Falls ($25,000) to restore the waterfall at the entrance along E. 116^th Street.
• Steeplechase ($23,117) to renovate five neighborhood entrance signs and install electrical and landscaping improvements.
• Sterling Green ($25,000) to purchase and install 93 street trees.
• Sweet Briar ($20,164.54) to install an inclusive playground.
• Thorpe Creek ($25,000) to install lighting along the entrance parkway and make improvements to the trail system.
• Townhomes at Avalon ($25,000) to install landscaping to screen utility boxes throughout neighborhood.
• Townhomes at Fishers Pointe ($10,000) to make improvements to the existing tree buffers.
• Waterford Gardens ($19,178.40) to install a new fountain aeration system for the neighborhood pond.
• Whispering Woods ($25,000) to remove and replace 31 pear trees, remove overgrown areas, and install low maintenance plantings.
• Windermere ($14,000) to renovate neighborhood entrance signs and lighting and install native plants.

I recently posted a story about how the first 4 events will be announced next week for the Fishers Event Center.  At that same meeting of the Town Hall Building Corporation, the contract with the parking garage operator was approved.

The parking rates for the garage servicing the Event Center were buried in an attachment and I will admit, I missed it.  But Skyler Braun at the Fisher Digest newsletter did find it and posted on his twice-weekly newsletter.  I have since found the parking rates and you can see the rates below from that agenda attachment.  The contractor handling the parking garage at the Event Center is described in the contract as LAZ Parking Midwest, LLC, a Connecticut Limited Liability Company.

The Fishers Arts Council (FAC) is hosting its annual partner exhibit this July at the newly inaugurated Art Gallery at City Hall. The exhibit, showcasing the work of the Hamilton County Artists’ Association (HCAA), opened on July 8 and will run through August 2. A highlight of this event is the Second Friday reception on July 12 from 6-8pm, offering an opportunity for the public to meet the talented artists behind the exhibit.

Located inside the brand-new Fishers Art & Municipal Center at One Municipal Drive, the gallery has already become a focal point for art enthusiasts in the community. The City of Fishers celebrated the grand opening of this impressive facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 17, 2024. This establishment marks a significant collaboration between the City of Fishers and the Indianapolis Art Center, bringing the Fishers Art Center to life.

On July 12, attendees can enjoy the concurrent opening of “Balderdash,” a special exhibition featuring the artwork of the iconic Kurt Vonnegut, held in the Fishers Art Center. Visitors are encouraged to explore both gallery spaces to fully appreciate the diverse array of art on display.

The HCAA’s “All Our Best” exhibit features an impressive collection of 60 paintings, most of which are available for purchase. The gallery is open to the public free of charge from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The Second Friday reception promises an evening filled with live music by Naomi Gray, an array of snacks and drinks, and a cash bar offering selections from Sun King Brewery and Daniel’s Vineyard.

At 6:45pm, FAC board member Pat Grabill will lead the Focus on the Artist program inside the Theater, introducing five juried artist members of the HCAA, providing insight into their creative processes and inspirations.

“Fishers Arts Council is so elated to be back home inside Fishers City Hall,” said Les Reinhardt, Executive Director of the Fishers Arts Council. “After a decade of curating exhibits in the Town Hall turned City Hall, it was bittersweet to move out in 2022 in preparation for construction. The City has made this homecoming a wonderful experience; the gallery and theater spaces will truly make guests to our monthly receptions feel welcome. We are still curating work at the FAC Hub Gallery, located at the Hamilton County Community Foundation, and are looking forward to providing more opportunities for our residents to showcase their artistic talents in our community.”

The Hamilton County Artists’ Association (HCAA) remains the only juried fine arts organization in Hamilton County, Indiana. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HCAA is run by dedicated volunteers and includes over 50 local artists and supporting members from across Indiana.

For more information on the exhibit and upcoming events, visit the Fishers Arts Council’s website or follow their social media channels. Don’t miss this chance to experience the best of local art and community spirit in Fishers.

The Maple Del residential development began as an apartment project, but that was abandoned, and the site is now set to be 56-units, single family and town homes.  The area, just west of downtown Fishers long 116th Street, will see some preliminary construction work this year, with the project starting in earnest after the winter season in 2025.

Developer Corby Thompson told the Fishers Redevelopment Commission the single-family dwellings will likely sell in the $700,00 to $750,000 range.  The town homes will likely sell for $500,00 to $550,000.  Thompson told commission members there has been no negative feedback from current residents in the area.

The Redevelopment Commission unanimously approved the Maple Del agreement

The Commission also reviewed the annual Tax Increment Financing (TIF) report for calendar year 2023.  You can see the full report at this ink.   

As construction continues on the Fishers Events Center, Mitch List, General Manager of the Events Center and an employee of ASM Global, told the Town Hall Building Corporation Monday that the first 4 shows to be scheduled in the Center will be announced next week.  He also said more bookings will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Fishers Events Center will be home to the Indy Fuel hockey team, Fishers Freight Indoor Football League (IFL) squad and the women’s volleyball team Ignite.  The Building Corporation approved an agreement for the Freight football team, with an arrangement similar to the Fuel hockey squad.  Freight home games will likely be on Saturday evenings with a few on Fridays.  The Freight will have no preseason, 8 regular season home dates with up to 3 playoff games possible. The IFL season begins in mid-March and ends in July.

The Indy Fuel Hockey team will be on the road for the first 15 games in the upcoming season as the Events Center is readied.  The Fuel open the season at Savannah October 18.  The first home game in the Events Center is set for December 6 against Iowa.

List told the Building Corporation the Center’s basketball floor comes from Detroit where it was used for NCAA basketball games.  High school and collegiate hoops may be played at the Events Center.

The Town Hall Building Corporation was established in 1989, a nonprofit corporation under Indiana law. when Fishers was a town.  The corporation has, among other functions. the financing and leasing of buildings and other capital improvements in the City of Fishers.

You may recall a story I have posted on this blog about a small Kansas newspaper and a police raid that resulted in no criminal charges.

A $235,000 payment has settled one federal lawsuit related to that raid that resulted in the removal of the Marion, Kansas chief of police from the suit.  But that leaves other civil actions unsettled.

This all stems from an August 11, 2023 police raid on the office of the Marion County Record, the publisher’s home and the home of a city councilor.

Associated Press reporter in Kansas, John Hanna, has the details and background for all this.  You can access his story (no paywall) at this link.

Be aware of traffic configuration changes at the roundabout construction along Allisonville Road and 96th Street (details below).

Not included in this update below are plans by INDOT to begin a three week closure July 12th on I-465 northbound lanes between I-65 and I-70 on the southeast side of Indianapolis.  Crews will also close the northbound and southbound Shadeland Ave. ramps to I-70 eastbound.

For a road status map encompassing the City of Fishers, use this link.

Below is the Fishers-area road construction update for the work week beginning Monday, July 8, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers area road construction update for the week of July 8 →

When the Fishers City Council had first reading on a proposed new Meijer grocery on Southeastern Avenue near Cyntheanne Road May 20th, the Council was told the public hearing would be held at a Plan Commission meeting July 10.  That public hearing has been delayed to the August Plan commission meeting, according to city staff.

Meijer is proposing a building with just a grocery and pharmacy, much smaller than nearby Meijer stores on 96th Street just south of Fishers and on State Road 37 in Noblesville.  It would be located adjacent to the Schoolhouse 7 Cafe.

During the community comment at the May 20th Council session, several neighbors spoke out against building a Meijer at that location, citing additional traffic and other concerns.

Many residents in that area of northeast Fishers have been pushing for a nearby grocery, but obviously there are those opposed to this proposed Meijer store.

Local Fishers residents worried about the escalating cost of trash collection should know the City of Fishers is moving along with reviewing the three responses received following  the Request for Proposals (RFP) on a city-wide contract.  Republic, WM (formerly known as Waste Management) and Priority all submitted proposals

City of Fishers spokesperson Ashley Elrod says staff is reviewing all three bids, which all “are in line with our expectations.”  The city is currently in a negotiation period with all 3 firms bidding on the contract.

The public hearing on the bids was originally expected to be held in July, but that may slip into August, with no firm date set.  Elrod says the timeline, other than the public hearing, is “still on track.”

The earliest any new city-wide trash contract would be in place would be January of 2025.

I write this on July 1, generally accepted as the half-way point in a calendar year.  I took a look at what has happened in Fishers during the first 6 months of 2024 and came up with a few major stories.  I list them below, in no particular order.

–Patrick Mapes was selected by the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board as the new Superintendent of Schools.  He replaces Yvonne Stokes, who resigned last fall.  Dr. Stokes was recently names superintendent of Gary Indiana Schools.

–Mayor Scott Fadness reacted to a court ruling impacting the tax distribution formula in Indiana which Fadness argues short-changes Fishers.  He cites the fact that Carmel receives $60 million more annually in this distribution system compared to Fishers.

–3 new city councilors assumed their seats on the Fishers City Council.

–Fishers City Hall & Art Center opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

–The roundabout construction begins at 96th Street and Allisonville Road.  The roundabout is expected to be essentially completed in October.

–Fishers began the process to take bids on providing city-wide trash collection service.  This is in response to local residents complaints about rising trash collection fees.

–Construction began on a new city community center at 121st Street and Hoosier Road.

–Melissa Loiselle has been named Hamilton East Library Director.

What will the second half of 2024 bring us?  I am not into speculation, but there are a couple of items we can anticipate.

There will be an election in November with 3 HSE School Board seats on the ballot.  Some county offices will also be up for election.

The first half of 2024 has generated plenty of news.  I expect the coming 6 months to do the same.