Mini New Urbanism
Mini New Urbanism
September 26, 2007—Paraphrased Article from Indianapolis Star
By: Chris Sikich
For years Noblesville and Fishers have distanced themselves from the image of being bedroom communities to Indianapolis by touting their city and town as places where residents could live, work and play.
Republic Development, developer of a 750-acre area straddling both Noblesville and Fishers at I-69’s Exit 10, is going one step further, saying residents soon will be able to do all of that without leaving their neighborhood.
Rick Arnos, president of Republic Development said, it’s called new urbanism, a throwback to old downtowns where people can walk to work, grab a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. Parking is generally in the back of the buildings and the stores are located close to the street.
Republic Development is building Saxony, a $500 million, mixed-use project that was approved in 2002 and is planned to feature 1 million square feet of retail, 3 ½ million square feet of office/industrial and 1,300 homes. In Saxony, several office buildings and corporate headquarters are open, and several more are currently under construction. Ken S. Deuser, senior vice president of Saxony Management Company is working on deals for the Bonn Building, a 36,000 square foot center within walking distance from many homes.
Arnos said, “New urbanism is really a way of talking about development and drawing from the best practices of development in the past. There’s a lot to be said for the small-town atmosphere of a courthouse surrounded by a downtown area, like in Noblesville.”
The Villages of West Clay and Saxony are the best examples of new urbanism in the Indy area, said Arnos. West Clay is a 686-acre project in Carmel.
Ken Heer, who works at the Wesleyan Church World Headquarters located in Saxony, also lives in the nearby Hannover on the Green, a neighborhood also located in Saxony. Heer and his wife were among the first residents of Saxony.
Heer said, “We’re attracted to the total community aspect that we could be right here and have ready access to anything we wanted.” Heers co-worker, Joann Eastburn, also lives at Hannover on the Green. She enjoys the walk ability, safe streets, good neighbors and open spaces.
