An apartment complex was approved by Fishers. It is moving forward with a plan for a large residential community on 116th Street. The city council put it on hold last month because of issues that the suburb was building too many rentals.

Apartment Complex, Townhouses, Patio Homes

Last week, the Redevelopment Commission approved a $36 million economic plan for the Maple Del subdivision. This property is a mix of garden-style apartments, three-story townhouses, and two-story patio homes near 116th Street and Maple Drive. The council unanimously moved it forward at an October 19 meeting. The delay for approval was September in a 7-2 vote.

The councilors said their concerns included the impact of home values, traffic, noise, and how the project fits in with the city’s long-term goals were dealt with by city officials. They reflected concerns as well of those of nearby residents. The developer was in community meetings since then as well.

“I am confident that the developer will find agreeable solutions with them,” Councilor Jocelyn Vare said.

A Vote “Yes” Adds Value to the Community

Vare said she voted “yes” this time. She felt “it will add value to our community.” She also said it “met the long-term goals to support downtown commerce.”

However, she said the city needed to better communicate the plan to homeowners to avoid future strife or confusion.

“I believe residents don’t know,” Vare said, “what that vision is.”

Outlined in 2016, The long-term objectives is “people, people, people,” said Tom Dickey. Dickey is the manager of real estate for the Hageman Group which is building Maple Del with construction company J.C. Hart. The increased density in downtown Indianapolis attracts businesses. This increases spending in the local economy. It pads the real estate tax base, city officials said.

The goal is to eventually add 2,000 apartments to downtown. It’s the Nickel Plate District. Baumgartner is the Fishers Director of Economic Development.

They have generated $875 million in new investment and 7,000 jobs, Dickey and city officials said. There are about 1,000 units to go up so far.