Indianapolis neighborhood makes final push to prevent commercial development
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A neighborhood in the northwest part of Indianapolis is making one final push to stop a 200-acre commercial development essentially in their back yards.
News 8 shared residents’ story in March and again last week. The development, the Crossing at Traders Point, would include high-end restaurants, retail shops, health care facilities, hotels, and office space. The development would be situated between I-465 and Conarroe Road, bordered by 86th Street to the north and 79th Street to the south. The initial plans called for extending Marsh Road from 79th Street through the development up to 86th Street.
With the important rezoning vote looming seven days away, I-Team 8 went to the Traders Point neighborhood.
I-Team 8 found dozens of signs lining roads opposing the commercial development in the neighborhood.
The sounds of nature filling the air plus the quiet and tranquility are what people in that area want to preserve.
“We moved here because of the peace and quite,” said Samantha Clubb, who is concerned that peace and quiet could be at risk if the developer, Cornerstone Cos., is allowed to rezone 200 acres of woods into a commercial zone.
Cornerstone shared statements with I-Team 8,
“We envision high-end restaurant & retail coupled with quality housing, state of the art healthcare, hotel, life sciences, office space and substantial greenspace and trails for the community.”
“We are working with the neighborhood groups to hear their concerns and help navigate those issues as future stakeholders in the Traders Point area.”
Clubb said, “I just don’t know how putting in retail space, apartments, condominiums, offices, and a potential hotel is going to bring any sort of positive change to this neighborhood.”
Outside of those concerns, some people in the area are also concerned about the environmental impact.
Jerry House, who has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, said, “My main concern is the drainage because once there is additional area of pavement then we’ll have more runoff into the two creeks that feed into this area which in turn is the water supply to Eagle Creek Reservoir.
Asked if the was “a happy medium where both sides can be happy,” Clubb said, “I think potentially if they were willing to work with the residents who’ve lived here for a long time.”
House said, “I think that we’re not totally anti-development. It’s just that we need to have some assurance that it’s more in harmony with the existing single-family homes in the neighborhood and not large commercial development.”
A rezoning vote is set for July 27.