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Indiana joins splashdown of water parks: Indoor resorts on the rise as hotels try to lure guests during offseason

The names Caribbean Cove and Paradise Bay inspire thoughts of tropical destinations where sunbathers slather lotion like Hoosiers butter their corn on the cob. In reality, these types of “resorts” are spouting up throughout the Midwest, including Indiana, and require no protection from harmful ultraviolet rays whatsoever. They’re indoor water parks, a trend hoteliers are embracing to cater to families seeking a weekend getaway-and to boost occupancy during the off-season. The Indianapolis area features just one such water park so…

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Marketing firm hopes to give 3-D new shape: Scofield Editorial one of first Midwest firms to add bells and whistles to models initially used by architects

Scofield Editorial, known locally as an innovator in video and post-production work, is burnishing that reputation by becoming one of the first firms in the Midwest to combine three-dimensional video modeling with traditional editing touches such as animation, sound effects, and other audio and video. Three-dimensional modeling was introduced by engineering firms about a decade ago, and has also been used by some video game manufacturers. But only recently have advertising agencies combined 3-D with traditional video editing touches. “There…

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Developer moving on after failed Crown Hill project

In the eyes of many at a rezoning hearing late last month, the developers from locally based Mann Properties were bad guys.
They wanted to build homes and a retail center
on 71 mostly wooded acres north of Crown Hill Cemetery. So when the Metropolitan Development Commission denied Mann’s request,
the crowd erupted in applause.

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Dramatic facade change planned for office tower

The city’s oldest skyscraper will get a sleek new look starting this summer, when workers are scheduled to begin installing
a glass-covered curtain wall to replace a storm-scarred facade. Renovation of One Indiana Square should begin in June and
continue for two years.

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Struggling office buildings face further losses: Existing tenants shopping for deals in troubled market

A big question is looming for property managers at National City Center and First Indiana Plaza: Will tenants stay or will they go? Each of the downtown office buildings already is struggling, with occupancy rates in the 60-percent range at the end of 2006. But a grim situation could worsen if some of their largest tenants with expiring leases find a better deal elsewhere. Law firm Bose McKinney & Evans is considering a move from 80,000 square feet at First…

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Duke, Lauth, Mansur join MSA site fray

A who’s-who of local firms is planning bids to redevelop the Market Square Arena site with mixed-use projects that would depart
sharply from previous efforts focused on residential. New plans are expected to include retail , offices, apartment units
and condos backed by high-profile local developers that didn’t bid before.

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Ratio building go-to reputation: Convention Center expansion latest notch in firm’s belt

As the Final Four approaches, it seems fitting to relive in basketball terms how Ratio Architects Inc. came off the bench in dramatic fashion to save a high-profile downtown project after the star had fouled out. The Indianapolis-based architectural firm played that role in 2004 after sketches from the original out-of-town architect designing the downtown headquarters of Simon Property Group Inc. failed to impress corporate executives. Ratio had one week to deliver, and did. But while the firm’s portfolio is…

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Virtual bank making ‘solid’ move into lending: First Internet Bancorp. expands into mortgages with Landmark acquisition

Online banks usually avoid brick-and-mortar overhead. Eliminating expense is the core of their business advantage. So why did First Internet Bancorp spend $12 million to acquire traditional mortgage lender and savings bank Landmark Financial Corp. and its two Indianapolis branches? Because the acquisition of Landmark provides First Internet an opportunity to finally broach the mortgage market. Landmark, which traces its roots back to 1925, is best known as a new-construction underwriter in the local home and commercial builder market. Its…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Trustees shouldn’t forget regular insurance audits

Trustees, picture this: You are at the table with the beneficiary children of one of your most successful clients. You are reviewing the estate of their deceased parent. You have the unpleasant task of explaining that the insurance policy that was purchased 15 years ago had lapsed several years prior to Dad’s passing. Result: nothing to lighten the tax bill. Most trustees do not adequately manage the life insurance policy assets held inside the trust. According to a 2003 survey…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Here’s another tax break you may have overlooked

Financial advisors counsel clients on income, estate and gift taxes among other things. But they often neglect residential property taxes. That could well be a mistake. Property taxes are a significant cost of owning real estate – typically 1 percent to 1.5 percent of market value. So, they must be considered in making financial decisions. They can also be a significant cash-flow consideration for someone in retirement who has a lot of illiquid wealth-not just for your primary residence, but…

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Crown Hill development showdown looming

Debate over a developer’s plan to buy 71 acres of woods and wetlands on Crown Hill Cemetery’s northern edge for a retail-and-residential
project will come to a head this week when the Metropolitan Development Commission votes on the proposal.

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INVESTING: Subprime lenders slammed as housing bubble bursts

Subprime is a funny term. The word prime connotes best of class, front row, all that stuff. Stick the word sub in front of it and it seems as if you are getting something a few rows back, but still better than average. Pertaining to the residential mortgage market, however, the word means something entirely different. Asset bubbles are created from something genuine (the Internet is indeed changing everything) and they are extended through the use of leverage. Now that…

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IU turns donated beach property into lesson

Indiana University Kelley School of Business students will market and sell five lots along a strip of white sandy beach on
secluded Dog Island, Fla., as a class project that likely will span
several semesters. Whatever the students get for the land will be all profit.

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BULLS & BEARS: Awareness of risk is back, and that’s not a bad thing

“I’m baaack!” yelled Mr. Risk at the top of his lungs on Feb. 27. “Welcome back, Mr. Risk. You have been gone a while,” responded a nervous Mr. Market. “Even though deep down we knew you were hanging around the neighborhood, we had forgotten all about you.” And thus ended the calm that had presided over the stock market, which had risen in regimented fashion the past seven months. With the 416-point drop in the Dow Jones industrial average that…

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St. Elmo spinoff, Harry & Izzy’s, could go national

Harry & Izzy’s, a spinoff to St. Elmo Steak House slated to open in mid-April at Circle Centre mall, is the city’s most anticipated
new restaurant in years–a casual cousin to St. Elmo,
with lunch service and a wider menu, including salads, pastas and pizzas, along with standbys like the famous shrimp cocktail.

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A whole new ballgame: More women stepping up to the plate in commercial real estate

Yogi Berra once said, “You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn’t enough, in the second half you give what’s left.” Women are accepting his challenge with a chuckle, running onto the commercial real estate field and playing to win. They also are balancing home and family. Why not? The U.S. commercial real estate market is worth about $3.5 trillion, according to Real Capital Analytics, a New York research firm. Bridget Farren, founder…

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Mansur lands $50M midfield airport hotel

The Indianapolis Airport Authority has tapped Mansur Real Estate Services Inc. to develop a $50 million-plus Westin hotel
at the new midfield terminal. But the hotel’s final design may be one submitted by a former competitor, White Lodging Corp.
of South Bend.

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BULLS & BEARS: Amid all the complaining, U.S. continues to prosper

A few weeks ago, I heard Ben Stein speak about politics and the economy. The noted lawyer, writer, actor and economist spouted off various positive statistics about the U.S. economy and then lamented that the public seemed morose about the financial sunshine. Even though our standard of living is at an all-time high, it seems as if Americans like to grovel and complain. Stein said, in his best Ferris Bueller drone, the American public was the most “unhappy happy society”…

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Sun Capital draining Marsh excess

Sun Capital Partners, Florida-based parent of Marsh Supermarkets, is unloading what it sees as excess real estate. Marsh put
19 properties on the market in late February for a total asking price of $10.6 million.

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Broker wants Lucas Oil to move HQ near airport

Marvin Miller is representing a landowner trying to sell 125 acres just north of Indianapolis International Airport. But Miller
wants him to give away some of the property to persuade California-based Lucas Oil to move its headquarters there, jump-starting
the stagnant area in the process.

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