Indiana Realtor blog by James P Wells. Discussing Real Estate topics concerning Central Indiana and the US. Focusing on Boone and Marion County.

I attended the Boone County MIBOR meeting yesterday at the Boys and Girls Club of Zionsville, “Club West” location. David Ide, their Chief Operating Office, was very welcoming and informed us they are always looking for volunteers.

After our usual formalities, we received a presentation by Craig Anderson of Duke Realty Corporation, who is also a Boone County resident. The Anson project covers 1709 acres of land adjacent to I65 on the east between the 334 and 267 exchanges. This project is just 20 minutes from downtown and the airport. It is expected to employ approximately 25,000 people with an average income range of $55,000, with the non-residential construction cost estimates for this P.U.D. being placed at $810 million.

The project is planned for three different phases:

• Phase I (Marketplace at Anson) encompasses the Eagle Township section of the project and includes retail, residential, parks, medical and office space. This Phase will include names such as: Lowes, Meijers, Witham/St. Vincent (scheduled to break ground in the spring), Lincoln Bank, Indiana Members Credit Union, CVS (already open for business) and more.
• Phase II (AllPoints at Anson) is in Worth Township and will include distribution, manufacturing, and industrial buildings. The ASI Limited building is currently under construction and we received information regarding “Project Viking” that is currently under negotiation. Project Viking involves the 51st largest company in the US who is a pharmaceutical company which handles mail order prescriptions and should provide approximately 1300 jobs. The project is still in competition with other areas including Louisville and will likely decided by State/Local incentives such as TIFs.
• Phase III covers the small section of Perry Township in the project and primarily focus on office space.

While the Anson development is off the ground and running there are still several unanswered questions because the project is based partly upon speculation. Duke is highly vested in this project and should ensure a very successful venture, but has several obstacles yet to overcome. For example, they were involved in talks with KB Home regarding portions of the residential housing project. KB Home has since pulled out of the Indianapolis market leaving Duke to find other alternatives. Ryland Homes is already selling town homes starting at around $158,000 for 1700 sqft. within the Anson Development.

Some of the discussion during and after the presentation: Phase I will include 680 homes in the Zionsville school district, but these homes will have a Whitestown address. The potential for a Theater and/or an outdoor Amphitheater within Anson. The expansion of I65 from 865 to the Lebanon exits over the next several years. Craig also explained how several of the office/retail locations will be combined with apartment complexes, having the business on the 1st floor and upper levels providing housing.

Boone County is on the verge expansion with Anson leading the way. I am extremely excited to see these much needed changes and upcoming benefits to Boone County residents and would be happy to help anyone looking to buy in Anson or other Boone County Indiana Real Estate.

I attended the 2nd round of the public meetings held by the Boone County APC last night. The focus of the meeting was to get public input to develop the Vision, Goals, and Objectives for a comprehensive plan while also providing information gathered during the 1st round of meetings.

The 1st meetings were designed to gain public opinion on Boone County’s S.W.O.T’s (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). The information obtained during the 1st round of meetings was compiled and provided to us via hand-outs. The information was interesting to say the least and here is a quick breakdown:

Strengths- “Fertile Agricultural Farmland” received the most votes with 26, followed closely by “Small Town Rural Character”, with 25 votes. The next five included; Transportation (access/usability of county roads), Location, Schools, Agri-business, and current Ag-preservation zoning.

Weaknesses- “Lack of diverse tax base” ranked #1 with 30 votes, with a “Split County-vision, communications, municipalities, townships” obtaining the #2 spot with 24 votes. No impact fees, planning and zoning choices, maintaining agricultural character, and condition of the roads, were also identified as important concerns.

Threats- “Developers have too much control” earned the top spot here (33 votes) with “Taxes” right on it’s heals(26 votes). Other leading threats identified: Growth/development impacts, loss of Agri-business, zoning, and the Ronald Reagan Parkway location.

Opportunities- “Preserve Agriculture” earned more votes than any other item on any of the lists with 48 votes. Other important opportunities were controlled growth/zoning, recreational opportunities (parks, trails, etc.), long term unified vision, and using the I65 corridor as a business opportunity.

Using the information from the 1st meetings, we were to brainstorm ideas for a 20years vision for Boone County. Most of the evening was spend in groups developing ideas for Boone County’s vision which were then shared with the entire group. To end the meeting, the APC split the meeting into 5 different groups to discuss the top 5 themes uncovered during the meeting.

Personally, I believe 2 of the biggest concerns to attract quality growth within the county involve the school systems and our infrastructure. Simply put, we won’t get good quality people/employers to relocate to Boone County unless they believe we have superior school systems, and without adequate waste water facilities and other utilities in place, we will be unable to support proper growth.

I was very impressed with the format and atmosphere of the meetings. There is a genuine concern for obtaining public opinion along with an open minded approach to problem solving. I feel that the Anson development is the beginning of many changes for Boone County in the next 10-20 years and it is refreshing to see the APC take a proactive hands-on approach regarding the Comprehensive Plan and Economic Development Plan. This is a pivotal point in Boone County’s history and the effects on Boone County Real Estate and the overall economic well-being of the county can be improved with careful planning. Watch my blog for further updates or contact me if you would like to attend a meeting.

Fantastic. - I was trying to think of how to describe this morsel of Real Estate, and this one word was the 1st thing to pop into my head. I attended a wonderful event showcasing this prestigious community this weekend.

This community is a goldmine for so many reasons, starting with it’s location. Tucked away on the south side of 121st St. just west of Michigan Road, this community is 30 minutes to anywhere in Indianapolis. With a school system that boast 96% of it’s students go onto higher education and shopping less than 5 minutes away, this community couldn’t feel more secluded. On top of all that, you also have an amazing golf course within walking distance to the west.

Once you realize what a perfect location this is, you begin to see the beauty of the property itself. The event was sponsored by Bentley of Zionsville who had several impressive vehicles displayed and available for sale. We were given a tour of the 80 acre estate in very posh Bentley golf carts. The land is heavily wooded bordered by both Little Eagle Creek and Eagle Creek itself which combine in the southwest corner of the property.

Only 34 acres are for building use with the other 46 reserved for community use (Homeowners Association dues of $5500 a year). With lot sizes ranging from 1 to just over 3 acres, the 21 home sites are well positioned. Only 2 homes are currently completed without any others under construction, although several other home sites are spoken for leaving 13 available to choose from. Prices for the sites range from $495,000 to $995,000, with lot #1 at 3.18 acres being the million dollar spot. It’s densely wooded which would require some clearing, but many options abound for this well positioned piece of nature. I noticed during the tour that the water drainage for the development utilized the natural flow of the water run-off throughout the landscape to leave the area apearing untouched.

This is a gated community with 2 ponds and over 1.5 miles of trails to view the natural wildlife. Building requirements are subject to the Architectural Review Committee, but do state minimum requirements of 4000 livable square feet above grade on ranches, and multi-story homes require at least 3000 square feet on the ground floor.

The event was hosted by Indianapolis Dine Magazine and was superb. Impeccable food and drink, along with Hot Air Balloon Rides, great company, and almost perfect weather, created a fabulous day. I did finish the day by test driving a Porsche 911 Turbo, thanks to the sponsors Bentley of Zionsville.

While the community may be exclusive based upon price range alone, anyone who is fortunate enough to enjoy this community as home, can truly be considered “rich”.