Editorial: Gift ideas for the public good

We’re following the lead of IBJ sports columnist Derek Schultz with this week’s editorial by offering a wish list of sorts for the region and the state. We have plenty of wishes worth highlighting, but here are four we’ve had our eyes on.

LEAP Research and Innovation District: Another win

Eli Lilly and Co.’s nearly $13 billion in planned investment at the state’s LEAP Research and Innovation District in Boone County is a victory for the state by any measure. Meta Platforms Inc. is also planning a data center at the tech campus, according to Lebanon leaders. But state officials say they are still in negotiations with other companies to land at the site. With a new administration coming into the Governor’s Office, another big win for LEAP would make it more likely Gov.-elect Mike Braun and team make the site a priority.

Downtown: Key projects get underway

Several key downtown projects have remained largely in the planning stage in 2024, but downtown needs them to get underway. We hope to see construction begin at Circle Centre Mall as well as on the City Market block, the former City Hall property and on a Georgia Street plaza. Meanwhile, work will continue on the Indiana University Health campus and Elanco Animal Health HQ, which is to open in 2025.

Indiana: A continuation of the CHIPS Act funding

Indiana has been a big winner in the race to land funding from the federal CHIPS Act, which allocated $53 billion in federal incentives for U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing, and research and development. South Korean chip manufacturer SK Hynix Inc. is set to receive up to $450 million to build its $3.87 billion semiconductor packaging facility at the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette. And two federal tech alliances overlapping in the state—the Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons Hub and Heartland BioWorks Hub—have seen major funding. But President-elect Donald Trump and the GOP majority in the House have questioned that spending. A gift for Indiana would be a decision not to backtrack on CHIPS.

Constituents: Accountability

2024 hasn’t been a great year for good judgment among some elected officials. Sen. Greg Taylor is under fire for sexual harassment accusations documented by The Indianapolis Star. (Taylor this week vehemently denied misconduct.) His colleagues voted to make him the chamber’s Democratic leader again, despite the allegations. Mayor Joe Hogsett’s former chief of staff, Thomas Cook, was also accused by several women of misconduct—and they say the mayor didn’t do enough to stop it. (Cook says he did not use his professional position to further any personal relationships.) Meanwhile, as of this writing, the U.S. House Ethics Committee was trying to decide whether to release a report about former member Matt Gaetz, who is accused of engaging in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use (charges he denies). Speaker Mike Johnson had worked to keep that report a secret. A gift to the American people would be that public officials hold one another accountable for bad acts.•

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To comment on this editorial—or tell us what you’d like to see for Christmas this year—write to ibjedit@ibj.com.