JAN. 17-23, 2025
From the outside looking in, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s pursuit of a major League Soccer club seems to have come to a standstill, although several parcels in and near the area earmarked for the arena have changed hands. Mickey Shuey brings us up to date on recent developments and the long list of hurdles that remain. Also in this week’s issue, Greg Weaver explores the why Indiana law firms prioritize lobbying as a necessary service for clints. And Daniel Lee has our annual compendium of Indiana-based philanthropic giving, topped by a $150 million gift to a university and listing more than 50 other donations around the state of $1 million or more.
Front PageBack to Top
Hogsett team remains upbeat as MLS discussions grow quiet
There’s been little public movement on the pursuit of a Major League Soccer club since the city last August asked the state to create a new taxing district to pay for a soccer-specific stadium.
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For large law firms, Statehouse lobbying is a must-do
Many of Indiana’s largest law firms find it imperative to offer government lobbying for their clients in order to provide a full line of services, especially true in Indianapolis, home to all of state government and the Legislature.
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Film to focus on activist and medical debt issue
Richard Propes travels in his wheelchair on an annual annual fundraising trek he calls the Tenderness Tour. In 2024, he traveled 150 miles of Indiana trails, raising more than $100,000 for Massachusetts-based nonprofit Undue Medical Debt.
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Conner Prairie making plans for new Lenape exhibit
The living-history museum in Fishers is making plans for a larger exhibit that is expected to open in 2029 and better tell the story of the people also known as the Delaware.
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Q&A with Neale Johantgen on Imax’s big screen, big year, big fun
Johantgen, who has been with the theater nearly four years, said he has high hopes that momentum will continue to build in 2025—particularly as the theater keeps enhancing the visitor experience and finds new ways to fill seats.
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Mark Montieth: Reflecting on the positive, negative decisions Indy’s general managers have made
There are some lessons to be taken from the best calls local decision-makers have made. And from the worst, too.
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Grand Park District could include 10,000-seat stadium, entertainment, offices and housing
A master plan released Monday shows Grand Park District would cover an area of about 152 acres north and south of 186th Street.
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Purdue buys canal-front property downtown as part of Indy expansion
Purdue’s purchase of the site—once earmarked for a large hotel and office development—is one of several moves the university has made downtown stemming from the dissolution of IUPUI last summer.
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King Jugg Brewing set to redevelop former Noblesville dry cleaning property
The local brewing company plans to spend at least $4 million to renovate the existing structure, committing to an adaptive reuse of the property as part of an agreement with the city.
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Council committee OKs $2.3M in TIF bonds for two apartment projects
A pair of apartment projects on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street near the under-construction Indiana University Health hospital campus received initial approval for tax-increment financing bonds Monday evening.
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Taylor University leans into Christian identity to attract big gifts
Taylor racked up the highest number of individual million-dollar-plus gifts—14—among the 57 donations in IBJ’s 2024 list of largest individual gifts to Indiana organizations.
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Editorial: Rooting out burdensome rules could boost Indiana economy
Rather than simply wiping regulations off the books without analysis, Gov. Mike Braun is urging agencies to review ways to simplify the rules, eliminate those that don’t apply to public safety and make the regulatory process more efficient and affordable.
Read MoreLesley Weidenbener: One tough goodbye and two hellos
We celebrated IBJ reporter John Russell’s retirement a couple of weeks ago at Coaches Tavern. A big crowd of current and former journalists turned out for the party to toast a journalist who spent the last nine years of his career at IBJ.
Read MoreEllspermann & Lyles: Preparing Indiana’s next generation of public servants
As seasoned public servants like us enter the later years of their careers, we must ask: Who will carry this torch forward? And how do we ignite the spark that inspires a new era of Hoosiers to serve?
Read MoreBart Peterson: Thoughts on Jimmy Carter, 9/11 and Indianapolis
I cannot help wondering if the God in whom Jimmy Carter believed so strongly did not keep him alive and active so long precisely to regularly poke our consciences.
Read MorePeter Dunn: How to best prepare for natural disasters
Whereas I’m not anticipating a life of dodging wildfires here in the Midwest, it’s not too far-fetched to imagine other disasters impacting my ability to live the life I’ve dreamed of living.
Read MoreSamantha Julka: Organizational leadership is like layers in a cake
Life within an organization is pretty different from violet to red.
Read MoreCecil Bohanon and John Horowitz: In government, disasters uncover poor decisions
Any organization, public or private, for-profit or charitable, that provides goods or services should, all other things being the same, do so in a way that uses fewer resources rather than more.
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Steer-In restaurant eyes reopening after health department shutdown
A customer’s sighting of a mouse in Steer-In’s dining room led to a call to the health department, restaurant co-owner Casey Kehrer said.
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Medical software provider hc1 completes $6.25M funding round
The company said the funds would help it take advantage of its technology and expertise after its recent acquisition of Accumen, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based health care consultant.
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Mike Braun sworn in as Indiana governor
In his first remarks as governor, the Jasper native pledged he would bring high energy and “entrepreneurial drive” to the job, upending the status quo.
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Rep. Gregory Porter: Indiana’s property tax relief for seniors is inadequate
An empty recitation of the need for relief is an empty gesture.
Read MoreRep. Craig Haggard: Tax relief bill offers stability for seniors, veterans
For me, this isn’t just about tax policy, it’s about keeping promises.
Read MoreAmbre Marr: Property tax relief isn’t just wanted—it’s essential
Whatever tax relief looks like, state leaders must ensure it’s targeted to those who need it most.
Read MoreJim Shella: Covering Trump is a test for media outlets
Prepare to see more lawsuits and more media organizations that cower at the feet of Donald Trump.
Read MoreJennifer Wagner Chartier: Trust but localize: On-the-ground reporting is king
Trust in local news organizations fell far less, from 82% to 74%.
Read MoreDr. Richard Feldman: To practice independently, APRNs need more training
There is danger in not recognizing what one does not know.
Read MoreBrad Rateike: In new transitions, let’s limit the ‘hot takes’
We do not necessarily have a ‘fake news’ problem here in Indiana, but there is always room for improvement.
Read MoreKaren Celestino-Horseman: United States of Canada, Greenland and Panama?
We really do not know what is going to happen
Read MoreDana Black: Democrats must energize base to win statewide
Unfortunately, too many in our party’s leadership still don’t understand that representation matters.
Read MoreAbdul-Hakim Shabazz: Budget, schools, health care fill session to-do list
For all intents and purposes, marijuana is legal in Indiana, given we are surrounded by states where it is legal.
Read MoreGeorge Hornedo and Josh Riddick: A safer city: reimagining policing and justice
If we want to break cycles of harm and mass incarceration, we must prioritize poverty, education, and opportunity as the foundation of public safety.
Read MoreDeborah Daniels: Olympic committee must stop tarnishing games
There are also countless stories about the IOC turning a blind eye to cheating by, in particular, totalitarian countries.
Read MorePierre Atlas: Acts of domestic terrorism ring in the new year
It appears that all three acts were motivated by an ideological or political cause or a desire to express grievances of some sort.
Read MoreGeorge Gemelas: Nuclear: It’s go time, Indiana. Seize the opportunity.
It’s a golden opportunity, one that could charge Indiana’s economic growth and reputation.
Read MoreClaire Fiddian-Green: New diploma requirements open doors for our students
These new requirements represent an exciting sea change in the way our state prepares young people for life after high school.
Read MoreRep. Ed DeLaney: Can we do two things at once to boost homeownership?
If the state forces a reduction in the property taxes imposed solely by local governments, the state needs to make up for that revenue.
Read MoreCurt Smith: We owe President Jimmy Carter a debt of gratitude
After Ronald Reagan sent him into retirement in 1980, Carter redefined how ex-president’s continue to serve the nation.
Read MoreBrian Schutt: DOGE faces large headwinds in slashing overspending
Early statements from the pair show little awareness of these constraints.
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