The “Town Center” development, is it dead?

The “Town Center” project is interesting, I can’t even find out if it is alive or dead. I have emailed the developer twice, no reply.    My opponent supports this project, but as you will see, I am not so happy about some aspects of it. 

The proposal was originally one of a completely private development, of the old downtown Fishers on both sides of 116th St. east of the railroad tracks. The initial phase on the south side includes Fishers Elementary.

So far as I know, no one that I have spoken with has actually gotten an offer from the developer, Fairmount Properties. Some contact has been made, but no offers.

That includes HSE Schools. They estimate $25 million to replace the school and two years for planning and construction. They cannot close the existing school until a new one is built. Earliest possible closing date would be June 2010. Unless the developer is going to pay them $25 million, that is going to come out of ALL HSE taxpayers’ pockets.

But wait. While this was originally talked about as a completely private project, perhaps with a tax abatement, there is now talk of PUBLIC funding by bond sales and a TIF district to fund it. Taxpayer financing of a private development??? I think not! Worse, there have been rumors of possible use of eminent domain against reluctant property-owners.

Some people in the area would be glad to sell for a decent price. Good for them. But use of eminent domain and taxpayer financing is beyond anything reasonable. If the developer can buy and develop this using its own financing, good for them, but this should not be done with public dollars, much less a TIF district, or with the power of eminent domain to transfer private property to another private owner for private profit.

Gregory A. Purvis
Democratic candidate, Fishers Town Council
www.Purvis4Fishers.com