By Adam Aasen
The Carmel Redevelopment Commission voted on Oct. 15 to sell up $1.7 million worth of unused land situated in Midtown area.
The Carmel City Council voted last week to transfer the lots near Bub’s Café and Happy Dog Day Care to the CRC. The land is situated west of the Monon Trail, south of 2nd Avenue SW and east of 3rd Avenue/4th Avenue SW. Land where the water tower sits is currently not part of this sale.
A meeting has been set for 8 a.m. on Oct. 30 to open it up for bids from the public.
It’s long been believed that Pedcor is interested in developing land west of the Monon Trail with the company acquiring land that could be used at some point. Still, it’s unknown if Pedcor will be interested in this land as part of their strategy, said CRC Director Corrie Meyer.
“I don’t know how this will pan out,” she said. “I’ve talked to Pedcor and honestly they are focused on City Center. That is their priority. I don’t know if this project fits in their timeline but we’ll see if they submit something.”
Any land near the Midtown area might become valuable now that Justin Moffett of Old Town Development announced his plans to begin on about $150 million in development as the first phase of the Midtown Plan. Meyer said the city owned this land for a long time and now it made sense to try to sell it.
“There’s such a strong interest in Midtown by developers that this just seemed like the right time,” she said.
Meyer said the CRC will consider the highest bid, but also the “best use” for the land.
“We can bring in factors that don’t necessarily have to do with money,” she said.
In other news, the CRC discussed plans to redevelop the former Party Time Rental location. Anderson Birkla, a real estate development company, is involved in the proposal and various city department heads are already being consulted about the project.
The vacant building would likely be torn down and a new “tavern on the green” could be one possibility for the space.
In addition, next month the CRC plans to present a bond package for the City Center phase two parking garage. An ordinance to create new TIF districts for the projects currently sits in committee.
