Spending for art in roundabouts raises questions in Carmel
CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — Many of Carmel’s more than 100 roundabouts are adorned with some type of artwork.
Carmel government is getting ready to put four new pieces of art on four roundabouts on 96th Street, and the funding for the art is coming into question.
Carmel resident Bill Shaffer is one of those calling the use if tax-increment-financing money to pay for new sculptures on roundabout into question. “It (Tax-increment financing) was originally intended for blight removal and for redeveloping, really broken-down, sad sack cities, Gary, places like that.”
Shaffer has kept an eye on the Carmel government’s spending, and the new sculptures commissioned by the city caught his attention. The city is using a special tax called a tax-increment financing, or TIF, to pay for the art. Shaffer says TIF money is intended for redevelopment, not art.
“And it has been used successfully in some areas to attract new business and pay for it from the tax revenue those business generate. On paper, it looks great, but what is there to redevelop in Carmel?” Shaffer said.
Mayor Jim Brainard told I-Team 8 that the city has invested well over $60 million in the 96th Street corridor to improve the traffic flow and to keep the car dealers in Carmel. Using TIF money to avoid redevelopment decades down the road, he says, is an appropriate use of the money, even for sculptures.
“You know, we don’t have mountains and oceans here in Indiana. We have to attract people because we build beautiful cities, so we want to avoid having to redevelop this area. Indianapolis has a big issue with the (former) HH Gregg store (on the Indianapolis side of 96th Street). It has been empty for years. We don’t want that in this area,” Brainard said.
The four sculptures will be placed on 96th Street roundabouts from Keystone Avenue to Hazel Dell Parkway. The artist has been commissioned, and the fee is $2.5 million. The sculptures are intended to honor the state’s automotive manufacturing history.
Schaffer says it will take years to repay the TIF money. “But, it wouldn’t be paid for 30 years. I will be long gone, but the debt will linger on,” he said.
The art is expected to be in place in 2022 or 2023