Anderson Gets It Wrong, So. . .

[Palehorse]

FISHERS, Ind. -
The mayor of Fishers is proposing a privately-owned sports and entertainment complex, developed by GK Sports and Entertainment. The idea is to create an arena, a Fieldhouse and 600-space parking garage near 136th and Olio Road that could hold concerts, plus hockey and basketball games.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness is proposing a $76 million private sports complex near the Lake District at Saxony Village.

"That could host up to 32 basketball courts, turf sports and then attached to that is a 42-hundred seat arena," said Fadness.

Fishers spokeswoman Autumn Gasior says a United States Hockey League team could be a possible tenant if the 4,200 seat arena does get built. Gasior says you could play an HSE-Fishers basketball game in the proposed 245,000 square foot Fieldhouse saying this venue would be perfect for volleyball, indoor lacrosse and soccer. It is a potential site for cheerleading and wrestling competitions.

"We've also arranged with the developer to charge an admissions fee on ticketed events. So, when we have out of town tournaments, which we plan on having several. There will be revenue coming in from that," said Fadness.

The complex would be 100% privately-owned and operated. Fishers proposed a 10-year tax abatement for the arena and parking garage. Fishers also proposes a 20-year lease for a portion of the fieldhouse which includes use of 12 basketball courts Monday-Thursday from 3-9pm, community access to walking/jogging track six hours a day Monday-Friday. City leaders say the annual lease payment of $805,000 will be paid by project property taxes, park impact fees and ticket fees.

"We have a need for indoor recreational space in our community. We have 11,000 kids in our youth athletics programs alone. We have no parks or community facility." . . .

http://www.wthr.com/story/28786091/fishers-announces-sports-complex-near-136th-and-olio-road

. . .As usual another central Indiana community is getting it right and putting a similar project in their own community. Only this time, the taxpayers are not on the hook, and they will benefit from the project as well.

The people of this community cannot agree on anything except the sour grapes they continue to reap over the abandonment of the city by General Motors. 

And some of our elected leadership has historically taken advantage of that fact by attempting to ram a similar project down the throats of this city's citizens and leave them on the hook for it to the tune of millions. . . And the resulting legal jockeying for position exposed the fact that the "private" investment portion of that project was shoddy at best. . . Thankfully that died, but instead of finding other private parties interested in the project the citizens of this city let the resulting squabbling do nothing but scare the juice out of anyone with the kind of money necessary to get something like that project done here. So instead they go to Fishers. . . 

I predict a similar situation with the Mounds Reservoir project. Years and 10's of thousands of dollars will be expended (And have been) and then the proliferation of legal jockeying for position will ensue; delaying the project for years to come. . . Until Delaware or one of the other surrounding communities decides they like the idea and pulls the rug out from under us. . .

And still, people around here caterwaul over the fact there is nothing to do, no place to go, no decent shopping, no decent place to work. . .

Who the hell would want to invest in this place with a populace that is nothing but the definition of pessimistic?

The damned owner of the Mounds "Mall", all but a dead zone these days, expressed a desire to move to the property adjacent to I69, and signed onto a deal to do so, along with 2 or 3 Major retail operations; but the city had to incorporate the frontage property alongside the highway to do so. Political rancor and posturing by the city council killed that initiative dead. (Once again proving that the politicians only care about themselves and not the people that live in this community or its future.)

Sad. . .