Brainard to seek $2 million in residential property, income taxes for arts center
Money would go towards the center's operating costs
Current in Carmel

Mayor Jim Brainard has repeatedly stated that no residential property taxes will be used to fund The Center for the Performing Arts, but now he is expected to ask the City Council to dip into those funds.

At the March 1 council meeting and again to Current in Carmel last Thursday, Brainard said the operating costs of several big projects - including the arts center - will be "miniscule" and should be easily funded with tax increment financing (TIF) money and other sources aside from residential property taxes. But at the April 19 council meeting, Brainard is expected to ask council members to approve dipping into a reserve fund comprised of residential property and income tax dollars to assist with the operating costs of the arts center, scheduled to open in January. Initial operating costs for the arts center are expected be between $3 million and $4 million before escalating in later years.

The council has long been requesting financial information on the Carmel Redevelopment Commission's various projects. At the previous council meeting, a financial consultant made a presentation indicating that the CRC's projects could easily be funded without residential taxes through 2023, but the report did not include operating costs. Brainard stressed to council members that such costs would be minor in comparison, but the council said it would still like to see the data before its members could be completely satisfied. Thursday Brainard said that the operating costs will be provided to the council in another presentation at Monday's meeting and that he hoped all concerns would be resolved.

Joe O'Malia's Food Market at 136th and Meridian to close March 26
By Brandie Bohney
Current in Carmel


March 12, 2010


March 26, Joe O’Malia’s Food Market at 136th St. and Meridian will permanently close its doors, leaving just one grocer west of Meridian in the city and one less reminder of what was a longstanding, family operated grocery chain.

“I use this store because it’s just my size grocery store . . . I’ll be very, very sad,” said Anita Kiesel, a Carmel resident and regular shopper at the store. “I really love this store – particularly since they combined with Marsh and the prices are the same. I just turned 80, so I’m not interested in the big, big stores.” 

The closing of the store doesn’t come as a surprise to all its shoppers, though. Butler University Associate Professor of Marketing Dan McQuiston notes that while he uses the store occasionally to pick up odds and ends on his way home, it’s never been his family’s primary store in spite of their close proximity to it. 

“The times I have been there, there’s just not a lot of traffic going in,” he said. 

He doesn’t believe the location is a primary grocery store for very many people; instead, he believes, many people probably use the store as he does: as a convenience store for getting a few items while using larger stores for most grocery needs. Part of that may be due to the difficulty of getting in and out of the shopping center, but more likely, McQuiston speculates, it’s a factor of pricing.

“Marsh in general is finding it very hard to compete in a couple of ways,” McQuiston said. “It’s hard to compete in price with Kroger, and with the recent downturn, Wal-Mart has seen a huge increase in its grocery sales. People are very cost-conscious these days.

“It’s no secret that Sun Capital (Marsh’s parent company) has been trying to free Marsh up in the last couple of years to try and sell it.  So my guess is this is probably a cost-cutting move.”

McQuiston also notes that Indianapolis is a very competitive market for grocery stores, using Cubs Foods’ inability to make in the marketplace here in 2001 as an example of the difficult marketplace. Ironically, when O’Malia’s markets were sold to Marsh in 2001, then-president of O’Malia Markets Daniel O’Malia made a similar comment in a press conference explaining the sale that, “When a company like Cub Foods can't do business here, it's got to tell us something.”  The O’Malia stores were sold to Marsh in an effort to access the needed capital to grow and remain competitive.  Apparently, even Marsh couldn’t manage that.

A district manager at the store was unable to comment about the store’s closing but did say that the final day would be March 26. However, Marsh’s senior director of community relations Connie Gardner said that she couldn’t confirm that the store will close.  By press time, the company had said nothing else of the closing, including what will happen to the store’s employees. Property management company Centro Properties Group had not returned messages regarding the possible future of the anchor location at deadline.  McQuiston doubts that the store’s closing will adversely affect the other businesses in the same strip, though.
“Is it an anchor for that mall?  I’m not so sure,” he said. “It’s probably not in a sense where people are going to go to the grocery store and go to another store in that strip mall.” 

He added that while the impact of the O’Malia’s closing likely won’t be a positive one for the other businesses, it shouldn’t be dramatically negative, either.

As for Anita Kiesel, the closing of her favorite store is disappointing, but it’s not the end of the world.  

“Changes occur everywhere, so I just roll with the punches,” she said.

Indiana Design Center announces five new tenants
For Current in Carmel


Pedcor Companies announced that it has reached several tenant agreements for interior design industry businesses and a café to occupy the Indiana Design Center.  Trade Source, Albert Square Ltd./J. Baker Interiors, Outré and Julie O’Brien design group will occupy showrooms in the building and Angie Fischer Design Group, Deborah Marr Interiors, Design Studio Vriesman, New Incorporated, Jay Slifer Design Group, April Willy, and Ecotots will re-locate their businesses to the building’s professional office suites.  The Blu Moon Café will also open in the Indiana Design Center and be promoted as the preferred caterer for design center events.  


With a solid line-up of tenants open or set to open by the summer, the Indiana Design Center announces its plan for an official grand opening in summer 2010.  The grand opening week will consist of events for design trade professionals and the community. 

“We are very excited to have strong tenants join the Indiana Design Center,” said Melissa Averitt, Vice President and Director of Marketing and Sales for Pedcor.  “Each business is a leader in the interior design industry and will bring their loyal clients to the Indiana Design Center as well as Carmel Arts & Design District.  The showrooms and design firms will offer an array of decorative choices and design perspectives, helping the Indiana Design Center to further its mission of providing a premier collection of design resources to professional designers and their clients,” said Averitt. 
 

The group of Indiana Design Center tenants announced to date account for forty percent of the building’s showroom space.  Another thirty-five of the showroom space is under serious lease negotiation and Averitt anticipates announcing several more showroom tenants before the grand opening this summer.  A central feature of the building is a 4,200 square foot design resource library.  The resource library will include product catalogs and samples not available in the showrooms as well as product showcase opportunities for manufacturers.  For more information about opportunities in the design resource library, please contact the Pedcor Marketing Office at 317-218-0002.

The Trade Source (Showroom Tenant - Now Open)

The Trade Source signed a lease with the Indiana Design Center to occupy a 15,000 square foot showroom. The new showroom opened in February 2010. The Trade Source, owned and operated by Susan Crockett, specializes in selling decorative fabrics, drapery hardware and specialty wall coverings to design trade professionals; top-selling lines include, Lee Jofa, Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet, Duralee, Donghia and many others. The Trade Source offers over 100 lines of fabric and attracts over 400 of central Indiana’s design professionals. 
 

The showroom moved from its Hancock Street location in Carmel, Indiana and owner Susan Crockett stated, “We love our new location at Indiana Design Center, in the heart of the Carmel Arts & Design District.  Our brand new showroom offers an improved experience for our clients and allows them access to other design center showrooms and resources relevant to their design projects.” 
 

Albert Square Limited/J. Baker Interiors (Showroom Tenant - Now Open)

Owned by Jim Baker, Albert Square Ltd. is a furniture and accessories showroom that features furniture brands like Kindel, Stanford, Hancock & Moore as well as Chapman Lighting, and J. Baker Interiors is a full service interior design studio.  The showroom and interior design studio is located on the design center’s first level and now open. www.albertsquareltd.com / www.jbakerinteriors.com 
 

Outré  (Showroom Tenant - Opening in April 2010)

Outré is a family owned custom furniture store that strives to push the limits of creativity with the products they offer their clients.  Outré will be relocating from their downtown Meridian Street showroom to the Indiana Design Center. www.itstheniche.com 
 

Julie O’Brien Design Group (Showroom Tenant - Opening in April 2010)

Julie O’Brien Design Group is a full service interior design and interior architectural firm. With a national portfolio of clients, Owner and Principal, Julie O’Brien’s work has been published in numerous regional and national publications and broadcast in five episodes of "Homes Across America" on HGTV.  
 

Julie is equally excited about the firm’s new location and shared that, “By moving Julie O’Brien Design Group to Indiana Design Center, we’ll have access to design industry showrooms and resources within a single building.  We look forward to sharing this space with our clients and continuing to create exquisite and very personal homes.” http://www.julieobriendesign.com 
 
 
Blu Moon Café  (Opening Summer 2010)

The owners and operators of the popular Logan Street Marketplace in Noblesville, IN, Brian and Shelley Jordan, are set to open a café in the Indiana Design Center that offers fresh fare, such as panini’s, deli sandwiches, salads, soups, specialty coffee drinks and desserts.  The café will be open during regular design center business hours, have indoor and outdoor patio seating and be the preferred caterer for all Indiana Design Center events.  
 

Design Studio Vriesman (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving Spring 2010)

A residential interior design studio led by Principal, Tom Vriesman.  Tom is also the Director of Design Community Relations for the Indiana Design Center. 
 

NEW Incorporated (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving March 2010)

NEW Incorporated is the brand development studio of Matt Ganser. 
 

Angie Fischer Studio (Office Suite Tenant - Arriving Spring 2010)

Angie Jakad Fischer, owner of Angie Fischer Studio, leads her interior design business with an “eclectic chic” style. 
 

"IDC is an a amazing opportunity and mirrors everything I hope to accomplish with my business in Indianapolis...the concept is new to the city but such a huge step forward for the design industry. I'm proud to be here from the beginning," said Jakak Fischer. 
 

Deborah Marr Interiors (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving May 2010)

Deborah Marr Interiors is a full-service residential interior design studio led by principal, Debbie Marr.  Debbie is an Allied Member of ASID and she has been designing residential spaces in the Indianapolis area for 21 years.  Debbie’s work has been featured in "Better Homes and Gardens Country Kitchen Ideas" and "Indianapolis Monthly", and can be seen in this year’s St. Margaret’s Guild Decorators Showhouse.  
 

Ecotots (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving June 2010)

Ecotots designs and manufactures a high-quality, full-line of environmentally friendly, real wood modern furniture and furnishings for kids which assemble quickly and easily without any tools or hardware. www.ecotots.com 
 

April Willy (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving June 2010)

April Willy is an illustrator and fine artist. www.aprilwilly.com 
 

Jay Design Group (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving June 2010)

The design studio of Jay Slifer. 
 
 

About the Indiana Design Center

Set to officially open in summer of 2010, the 82,000 square foot Indiana Design Center will serve the community of design professionals and their clients by providing a premier collection of resources including fine traditional and contemporary residential and contract furnishings including fabrics, floor coverings, kitchen and bath products, lighting, architectural productions, wallcoverings and accessories. The Trade Source, Albert Square Ltd. and J. Baker Interiors are among the showrooms already open for business. The Indiana Design Center is located at 200 South Range Line Road in Old Town Carmel, IN, just 30 minutes/23 miles from Downtown Indianapolis.  The Design Center’s proximity to the Carmel Arts & Design District provides access to interior designers, art galleries, showrooms and antique dealers.

CFD: Change smoke detector batteries now
Fire Department promotes rule of thumb 'Change your clock, change your battery'
For Current in Carmel

As the time change approaches on Sunday, March 14^th, the Carmel Fire Department wants to remind residents to make another change that could save their lives – changing the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year.  Approximately every 3 hours a home fire death occurs somewhere in the nation and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms.  Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home safety devices were designed to provide.  The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms: worn or missing batteries.

Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries.  In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire.  Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing our smoke alarms every ten years. 

To save lives and prevent needless injuries in Carmel, the Carmel Fire Department has joined forces with Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs for the 22^nd year of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® campaign.  The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple, lifesaving habit: changing smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries when changing clocks back to daylight savings time each spring, this year on March 14^th.  Americans are encouraged again to check the batteries during the fall time change on November 7^th, 2010. 

“The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most families are sleeping,” says Chief Keith Smith.  “Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths.  Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely.”

In addition, Chief Smith recommends residents to test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors by pushing the test button, planning “two ways out” and practicing escape routes with the entire family. 

Tragically, fire can kill selectively.  Those most at risk include:

·        Children – About 600 individuals under the age of 20 die each year in home fires.  Children under age 5 are at twice the risk of dying in a home fire.  Eighty percent of fatal home fire victims who were children were killed in homes without working smoke alarms.

·        Seniors – Adults over age 75 are three times more likely to die in home fires than the rest of the population; those over 85 are 4.5 times more likely to die in a home fire.  Many seniors are unable to escape quickly.

·        Low-Income Households – Many low-income families are unable to afford batteries for their smoke alarms.  These same households often rely on poorly installed, maintained or misused portable or area heating equipment – a main cause of fatal home fires.

For more information about fire safety, call the Carmel Fire Department at 571-2600 or the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® hotline 314-727-5700, x108 or e-mail cyccyb@blickandstaff.com or call the International Association of Fire Chiefs at 703-273-0911 or e-mail corpraterelations@iafc.org.