ROUNDUP: Crew Carwash eyes 116th Street, but Fishers balks

Fishers is home to Crew Carwash’s headquarters but doesn’t yet have its own Crew Carwash. Crew’s owners hope to change that.

Faegre Baker Daniels LLP has filed plans on behalf of Crew to open the first Fishers facility at a busy intersection, the northwest corner of 116^th Street and Cumberland Road. Crew would spend $5 million building the car wash, which would be built on two undeveloped land south of the existing L.A. Fitness.

The land falls within the Delaware Commons Planned Unit Development, which currently excludes car washes. Crew has requested the city allow them by amending the ordinance governing the PUD.

Crew founders opened Indiana’s first automated car wash, Mike's Minit Man, in 1948 in Fort Wayne. Since then, the company has opened 31 locations across Indiana. It’s been headquartered in Fishers, at 10251 Hague Road, for 15 years. The nearest Crew Carwash facilities to Fishers are on 96^th Street in Indianapolis and in Noblesville near Exit 210 on Interstate 69.

“For years, Crew has looked for a location between I-69 and Olio Road along 116th Street to serve these residents in a location that is both convenient for the residents’ normal driving patterns and compatible with the adjacent development,” Faegre Baker Daniels wrote in documents submitted to Fishers.

The city has received more than 200 letters of support from residents and businesses regarding the car wash.

Still, the city’s planning staff has recommended the Fishers Plan Commission send an unfavorable recommendation to the city council, writing in documents that Delaware Commons was intended to be a commercial center that provides careful attention to traffic circulation and pedestrian connectivity, with an explicit restriction on auto-oriented uses.

The issue was slated to receive a public hearing at the March 6 plan commission meeting but has been postponed to next month.

In other retail and development news North of 96^th Street:

— T.J. Maxx and Burlington have announced grand openings for their Whitestown locations. Burlington opens March 15, and T.J. Maxx will hold a grand opening celebration April 7. Hobby Lobby opened there last week. The stores are part of the Shoppes at Whitestown shopping center, which will also be home to Ashley Furniture HomeStore and Kirklands. Construction of Ashley and Kirklands is underway. 

— The Barre Code fitness studio will open in Carmel later this year. The location is set to open this summer or fall in the Village of WestClay, 2169 Glebe St., Suite 200. The Barre Code joins an existing Hamilton County location in Fishers. 

— Central Indiana’s first Taco John’s is opening soon at 2004 N. Lebanon St. in Lebanon.The restaurant is expected to open this month next to Bill Estes Chevrolet. The Cheyenne, Wyoming-based fast-food chain has locations in 23 states. It has only two Indiana locations, both in Evansville. IBJ first reported on plans for the Lebanon restaurant n in 2017.