Letterman's Top Ten
This week the Council held its last meeting of the year. We closed up the city’s books and finalized a few important projects.
But before we bid farewell to 2023, I wanted to share ten David Letterman-esqe moments from this year (touching on bricks, trails, tax rates and more!) with you. So without further ado…The Top 10 of 2023!
1. We began Phase One of Pleasant Street, which is currently on schedule and on budget.
The Pleasant Street Extension is a massive project — both in physical and financial scope. That’s why, throughout this past year as council president, I met quarterly with the Administration and our counterparts at Hamilton County to ensure the project was on course.
I’m proud to say that not only is Pleasant Street on schedule, but it’s also on budget. Phase One is well underway, with the roundabouts on 8th Street substantially complete and the bridge over the White River making progress too. Next year, you can expect to see more take place, specifically with a roundabout at 10th and Pleasant and the roundabout coming to River Road.
2. We protected our brick streets.
As we passed the 2024 budget, I ensured that we included new funding for the protection of the bricks on Logan and Clinton Streets. Visitors and residents rave about them, the Front Porch Music Festival brings them life, and it’s on us to take care of them.
The budget we passed in October allocated $200,000 that will equip the City to go block-by-block rehabilitating bricks (with bricks matching in character), fixing the underlying roadbed when necessary, and ensuring the curbs are in place for decades to come.
3. We secured key components of Innovation Mile, with the Indiana Pacers as a major partner.
After negotiations with the Pacers, we announced the addition of their NBA G-league team in Noblesville. The council deliberated this investment alongside the Mayor while ensuring that:
It would not increase our $1.10 tax rate
Infrastructure projects like Pleasant Street stays on track
It leaves enough room to fund our new public safety building
And creates enough margin to tackle items in our long range plan
This strong addition to Noblesville is a catalyst for growth in Innovation Mile and will be a great long-term asset for our community. Stay tuned for more on this anchor for the east side in 2024.
4. We welcomed new businesses downtown on the square.
This summer, I helped Karly cut the ribbon on Camino & Co., her first brick and mortar flower shop downtown Noblesville. She’s smack dab in the middle of all the action, right between downtown, the Bridge of Flowers, and Federal Hill.
Linden Tree, Adam Grubb Media, Beauty & Grace Ascetics, and Expressions in Design also opened around the square. Spots like this, especially in downtown Noblesville, are the backbone of our economy and bring so much vibrancy to the square.
5. We made record investments in Police and Fire.
Over the past year, we’ve made record investment in the men and women who serve and protect us each and every day.
We added to the team: This includes eight new sworn police officers, two civilian positions, 15 new firefighters thanks to the SAFER grant program, and a new ambulance to support demand and quicker response times.
We put a down payment on a new Public Safety Building: These funds went toward site preparation and design for a new police station to replace the current outdated facility.
We expanded the Noble Act program: Included a social worker to work alongside police and fire personnel who are assisting individuals with mental health, substance abuse, and other needs.
We’re looking ahead too: With the expected growth on the east side of Noblesville, we funded an initiative to identify the best spot for a new fire station east of SR-37.
6. We brought good, high-paying jobs to Noblesville.
The Council approved agreements equipping three businesses (two new to Noblesville and one current business) to expand their footprint and bring new high-paying jobs to Noblesville.
Bastian Solutions: In this move, the Carmel-based Bastian Solutions consolidated its locations in Carmel and Westfield to create an international headquarters in Noblesville with a $130 million corporate campus and manufacturing facilities. This included 400 retained/relocated jobs and 250 new jobs over the next 5 years. More on the move here.
Ryan Fire Equipment: One of Noblesville's own announced it was doubling down on its presence here with plans to expand to expand its physical footprint by 45,000 square feet and its team by ten new employees with average salaries of $75k.
Best Equipment: Best Equipment, one of the oldest environmental equipment companies in the country, is relocating its headquarters to the northwest corner of 141st Street and Herriman Blvd (and bringing 40 new jobs with it!).
Overall, we’ve seen more than $728 million in private investment, 511 new jobs committed, 425 retained jobs all with an average wage of $82,260.
7. The community saved a downtown building from demolition.
A little over a year ago, I helped write an ordinance to protect Old Town and make the development process more transparent. This ordinance was put to the test this fall when a building owner sought to demolish a building on Conner Street to expand a parking lot. The Plan Commission rejected the measure and, I believe, protected Old Town in the process.
If you’d like to learn more about the protection ordinance, how the measure works, and how we got it passed, click here.
8. We advocated for those with disabilities.
In March, the City Council unanimously approved a resolution establishing an Advisory Council on Disabilities in Noblesville.
In our community, more than 8% of our residents have one or more disabilities. Our family happens to be a part of that percentage, making this resolution all the more meaningful. My niece, Zoe, was born with Down Syndrome and deserves to have access to our community as much as any other citizen.
I look forward to the ways that advocates, experts in the field, family members, and the people like Zoe are able to have a voice in our community through this Council.
9. We secured more retail and commercial expansion on the west side of Noblesville at Hazel Dell & SR-32.
The Council unanimously approved a preliminary planned development for Midland Pointe (located on the Southeast corner of Hazel Dell & SR-32). This important corner will have:
A mix of housing engaging with the Midland Trace Trail
Businesses along the SR-32 corridor including Wawa, a Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain
Additional new retail across SR-32, like the Meijer currently under construction
10. We opened a record number of trails.
In 2023, we opened the Nickel Plate Trail, the Levee Trail and the Stony Creek Trail — a record for Noblesville. Each of these are important as they serve as connection points within our city and to the communities around us.
Nickel Plate Trail: The city constructed its portion of the Nickel Plate Trail from 146th Street to Pleasant Street. This project rehabilitated two existing railroad bridges and conversion to pedestrian facilities. When fully complete, the Nickel Plate, Midland Trace, and Monon Trails will create a 41+ mile loop of dedicated pedestrian connectivity. This trail was nearly fully paid for by a grant from DNR. The next step will be building a bridge over 146th Street, which is in discussion.
Levee Trail Extension: In 2016, the City of Noblesville built an asphalt trail on the top of the levee that is along the east side of Morse Reservoir. This year’s phase continued the trail from Carrigan Road to Cicero’s trail at 216th Street and completed a connection between Noblesville and Northern Hamilton County.
Stony Creek Trail: This added a 10-foot wide trail under State Road 37 connecting existing trails, making it the only access point for cyclists and pedestrians under SR-37. Half of this project was paid for with a grant.
And a few bonus points, just for the record:
Roundabouts Open: The roundabouts on SR-32/38 and SR-38/River Road opened for vehicular traffic. There are more to come too, with roundabouts at SR-38 & Whitcomb Ridge and SR-38 & Logan in the works.
Visitors Come to Town: A record number of visitors come to Noblesville due to the hard work of the Indiana Peony Festival and Front Porch Music Festival. Look for more next year as new businesses like HGTV’s Two Chicks & a Hammer are added to the mix.
Double Vision: We nearly doubled the parking at the Federal Hill Commons with the opening of the newly-built parking garage.
A New Grocery: To much fanfare, the latest Costco in Central Indiana opened its doors in Noblesville.
And if you made it this far, I wanted to be sure to highlight three of my outgoing colleagues on the Council. At this week’s meeting, we recognized Brian Ayer, Greg O’Connor, and Dan Spartz for their service and the Mayor gave each of them a Distinctive Hoosier award on behalf of Governor Holcomb. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with each of them.
And of course, before you go, a few trending stories:
Here are a few stories you may have missed on Noblesville over the past month:
IndyStar: Being an elected official means being accountable. Washington, take notes
PR Newswire: Nordstrom Rack to Open New Location in Noblesville, Indiana
The Current: Noblesville Schools superintendent delivers State of the Schools address
Indiana Capital Chronicle: Noblesville mayor pushes state to invest in local mental health programs
The Current: Businesses awarded at Advancing Noblesville Awards
That's a healthy list! Significant progress on all fronts while still placing a premium on safety, convenience, quality of life and cost-of-living for all residents ... WELL DONE. Great things ahead for Noblesville!