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An Indianapolis real estate developer is trying to pave the way for a mix of restaurants, retail space and hotels located near the Southport Road and Interstate 69 interchange on the south side of Indianapolis.
Midland Atlantic Properties last week received preliminary approval from the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission to rezone nearly 19 acres on the southeast corner of Southport Road and Wellingshire Boulevard to accommodate up to six restaurant and retail buildings and two hotels.
The project is expected to include existing and new-to-market restaurant concepts occupying lots ranging from 1 to 2 acres, largely with frontage along Southport Road.
Each of the developments on the 18.7-acre property, including the pair of proposed hotels, would be constructed and operated independent of Midland Atlantic, either through land lease agreements or outright purchase of the parcels.
Individual users will be required to meet certain city requirements related to parking lot sizes and building setbacks, for example.
Aaron Boyle, managing director of Midland Atlantic, on Monday confirmed the company is in early discussions with potential users, although he declined to disclose additional identifying details. However, he said, the hope is to attract companies that would benefit from interstate traffic.
“We’re targeting users that benefit from the interstate traffic and the lack of services on the west side of I-69” at that juncture, he said. “It’s all over the board, so I can’t really mention anybody specifically.”
Midland Atlantic, which has offices in Indianapolis and Cincinnati, is pursuing the project though a holding company known as Wellingshire Partners LLC.
The rezoning of the property to a planned development designation with a revised set of permitted uses was awarded preliminary approval by the Metropolitan Development Commission on July 17, but the project still must be approved by City-County Council.
Boyle said if the project receives approval, Wellingshire Partners’ work on infrastructure and roadways within the project could begin as soon as September, as some restaurant users have indicated an interest in opening on the development site by mid-2025.
The leasing and sales agents on the project are Midland Atlantic brokers Patrick Boyle and Shawn Heffern.
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That will spur much more Development on the southwest side of the City. Much Needed!!
That activity could spur growth at Smith Valley Rd. in few years.
Not so much. The west side of I-69 at Smith Valley is largely flood plain and/or groundwater-sensitive area. It needs to remain mostly undeveloped. The east side of I-69 has existing single-family residential almost right up to the interstate.
Chris, that is true. Forgot about the FP area.
The only place to do development at Smith Valley would be to tear out the Speedway … or if the church at the former West Grove school sold. A church that was basically given that land, IIRC …
The lot being developed at Southport has long been earmarked for development … you can practically tell where they developed Southern Dunes up to where they thought the interstate would come in. The apartment complex at the southeast corner, though, somehow got away with building up to the edge of the road after I-69 was developed … which jacked up the price of land acquisition to where the state chose to had to implement a pretty sub-par intersection that will somehow manage to make east-west travel in the area even worse. Four stoplights, no roundabouts.
I will be curious to see what happens on the northeast corner of Southport. I personally anticipate a lot of I-69 commuters will choose to exit on Southport and take Bluff into downtown.
Sorry, should have said
“building up to the edge of the road after I-69 was announced”
Joe, most of the land between Harding and 69 north of Southport is owned by Citizens Water and there are public water supply wells on the property. I wouldn’t expect heavy commercial development there. No auto or truck service, certainly.
I’d expect more/better development at the SE corner of County Line and 69/Bluff. It’s pretty underwhelming right now.
Should have written “most of the land between 69 and Harding along the north side of Southport”
I believe there’s a 30 acre lot on the north side of Southport that either was or is on the market. It looks like from the FEMA maps that it would have the same restrictions as what was developed on the other side of Southport around 20 years ago or so, most of which was demolished to build the interchange.
It’s definitely a challenge to develop along I-69 due to the existing residential and the flood plain. I think the finishing off of Southern Dunes as described in this article is going to fill a big need.
I thought more was planned at SR144 and I-69?