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A group of local tourism and cultural leaders is scheduled to travel to Singapore next week to learn about the way the Asian country has handled development along its waterways—and whether central Indiana could follow a similar approach with the White River.
The 25-person excursion, led by Visit Indy, will include representatives from the Indiana Destination Development Corp., the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and leaders of several unidentified arts- and culture-driven organizations.
The trip, set for Nov. 14-17, will primarily focus on the $1 billion Gardens by the Bay nature park development, which encompasses 250 acres near Singapore’s southern coast. The tourist attraction fronts 3.2 miles of coastline along the Singapore Strait.
Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy, said the trip is the first of its kind for the tourism agency, which has traveled to locales like Boise, Idaho, and San Antonio and Austin, Texas, in recent years to learn about those cities’ river developments.
“We want to learn from their best practices, and the timing of this trip is ideal because it comes at a time when the GM stamping plant site is being redeveloped, the river is being cleaned up and you have the city investing in unique projects like Riverside Park,” he said. “All of these pieces are falling into place, so from a tourism perspective we feel like this is the best time to carry this momentum forward and take this delegation to be inspired and get informed.”
Singapore began working on its Gardens by the Bay development in 2006 as part of its government’s focus on improving cultural infrastructure both for residents and visitors. Gardens by the Bay has become the country’s top tourist attraction, drawing more than 87 million visitors to date, including nearly 8.8 million in 2022.
Gardens by the Bay is described as “a showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry,” featuring 18 towering “vertical garden” structures known as Supertrees, two expansive plant conservation complexes. Its attractions included a massive greenhouse called the Flower Dome, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, constantly changing floral displays, a cloud forest, skyways and Garden Pod suites.
The trip to Singapore is expected to cost $85,000, not including flight and lodging costs for each traveler. The IEDC is paying $35,000 through a Regional Economic Acceleration & Development Initiative, or READI, grant to supplement the cost, while the Indianapolis Foundation is contributing $30,000.
Visit Indy is covering the remaining $20,000 through a line item in the non-public portion of its budget that had been allotted for use for the Indy Chamber’s Leadership Exchange program earlier this year, but was never used.
In 2019, community leaders unveiled the White River Vision Plan, which detailed ways the waterway could be preserved and developed through Marion and Hamilton counties, but the plans didn’t include estimated costs. The 222-page plan included recommendations for commercial development, historic districts, cultural destinations and program opportunities.
Some projects are already completed, including the $20 million new family center at Broad Ripple Park and the $9 million Taggart amphitheater at Riverside Park.
But plenty more development is in the pipeline, including the under-construction $150 million Elanco Animal Health Inc. headquarters and expansion of the White River at the GM stamping plant site and the $1 billion Eleven Park project directly across the White River (not to mention the new Henry Street bridge and Cultural Trail expansion connecting the projects).
The Indianapolis Zoo is also working toward the completion of various projects on its campus, including a new chimpanzee exhibit set to debut next May. And 16 Tech is expanding, with construction underway on an apartment development and early plans for two new office and laboratory buildings.
“There’s not been a better time in Indianapolis history than now to be studying how to take advantage of and leverage this moment and the precious real estate surrounding the river,” said Gahl. “Especially in downtown.”
Gahl said by going to Singapore, rather than continuing to visit peer cities elsewhere in the United States, city and state leaders can gain a “different perspective” from an international destination. The trip will include tours and visits to numerous spots along the waterfront, including the Gardens project.
“In three years of researching global cities to be inspired by and learn from, our research kept coming back to Singapore as a best practice destination, which has quickly and authentically created tasteful, meaningful designs that have driven tourism and enhanced the quality of life for its residents,” he said.
“While it is a long haul, we strongly believe that is the best example in the world of producing a tourism [return on investment] from a water source. Just because we are tucked away in the Midwest and are humble by nature doesn’t preclude us as a city, or as a destination, from being inspired and putting bolder projects into place.”
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Leave 14th, arrive 15th… 2 days on ground, return 17th on the 6am…. $85,000 for 25 people *not including flight and hotels*… $3400/person without flights/hotels… $1700 per day per person on ground. Sounds like a lovely time!
“The trip to Singapore is expected to cost $85,000, NOT including flight and lodging costs for EACH traveler.”?????
Rather than Singapore, maybe the folks should go up to South Bend and see what they’re doing with the St. Joe River.
Or Des Moines. They have a lovely river area.
Daniel M.
+ 1
South Bend /Mishawaka and Ft. Wayne have developed very nice things with
their river fronts.
That said, let’s take the best ideas wherever we can get them from.
Our downtown White River needs to be completely revamped to to be
more festive and appealing. Make it an exciting place to visit
Especially in the downtown area.
If done properly, it could be a selling point in attracting more students and
housing in the I.U.P.U.I. area and the near Westside.
While we are at it, the city should coordinate & corroborate with I.U. and
Purdue to make the campus more appealing and festive. Add more attractions,
things to do, shops, and restaurants to grow the campus.
Let’s grow the student population to 40,000 or more.
Developing the White River would be a major component in making the
area appealing to student residents.
Boondoggle.
Singapore?! (eyes roll)
I’ll be watching for the ending results! But to be honest they are serious about this City and I can actually feel it for the first time in History!! There is no going back!!!
Try exploring the many YouTube documentaries and tours about Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. Much cheaper option than traveling to see something you could never talk anyone in the regressive state on Indiana into paying for.
Lol, it took 3 yrs of research to determine Singapore is the place to go??
SINGAPORE, Are you kidding me! Definitely similar climates….. yeah right. San Antonio and their riverwalk couldn’t have been looked at? Sounds like 25 people needed a nice vacation……………..on our $$$$$
They been to San Antonio several times. The article explaned why they didn’t want to revisit any peer cities here in the states. They wanted a different and international perspective and not to look like every other city in the country. They’re claiming they want something unique and different.
Why not go to San Antonio instead. Great River Walk, lot cheaper trip!
Did you not read the story? They did go to San Antonio. And to Boise and Austin.
Kay J.
The original intent in developing our canal downtown was based on
what San Antonio did. We tried to canal our efforts on their model.
That said, we need to figure out how to make our downtown canal more
festive and appealing to bring in more people.
We need festive lightening, cafes, shops, and bars on the canal.
That should also be the formula for developing the White River in the
downtown area.
Singapore has a metro area population of approximately 8 million and they spent $1 billion on the project plus they have a tropical coastline. A little hard to see the comparison. But maybe they can come up with a few applicable ideas but does it take 25 people to see it in person when you can see it on-line.
Potentially wasteful junket. Second tier city Indianapolis sends so-called study group to world class Singapore whose waterfront development on a strait is significantly different than the shallow sluggish weed-infested White River.
One hopes Indianapolis will at least benefit from this outrageous adventure. Singapore governance is much different than Indianapolis, a city held in contempt by some vitriolic Statehouse denizens seeking to effect personal control (without any urban planning, design or management expertise).
What a joke. Of course, it is Visit Indy, amongst the biggest jokes of them all.
Remember, this is the city government that center of junket of African American seniors up to Millennium Park in Chicago to sell them on Indy Parks ‘vison’ for a new Riverside Park. San Antonio? It’s river is as narrow as Fall Creek, so not an apt model.
I say we drain the Wapahani and make it into a skateboard park. That will definitely attract more students to IUI and its new model of vocational education.