Ballard shares hopes for General Motors site 2.25.11

INDIANAPOLIS STAR

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said Thursday that the city is on its way to revitalizing neighborhoods with a surge in street repairs and other efforts by his administration.

But just across the White River from Downtown, none of that will matter after a massive General Motors stamping plant is shuttered in June. In his State of the City address, Ballard singled out that potential for 101 acres of blight and announced an effort to combat it that will bring one of his predecessors back to Indianapolis.

William Hudnut, the city's mayor from 1976 to 1992, listened from the front row at the Indianapolis Artsgarden as Ballard said the former mayor would serve as chairman of the newly created GM Stamping Plant Reuse Commission.

Drawing on expertise from the Urban Land Institute, the panel will meet this summer to recommend potential redevelopment for the site.

"First and foremost, my administration is actively working to find another owner," Ballard told about 200 people, mostly supporters. "If new owners cannot be found in a reasonable amount of time, then let's think boldly and act decisively. The possibilities are endless.

"Perhaps this site could one day become a great live, work and play community that complements Downtown, White River State Park and the Indianapolis Zoo."

There was a glimmer of hope for keeping the plant open last year, when Chicago-area entrepreneur Justin Norman offered to buy it. But union workers balked at his demand for 50 percent wage cuts, and Norman withdrew the offer.

The offer stalled city plans for a study group to look for backup plans.

When Ballard asked him to lead the commission, Hudnut suggested bringing in the Urban Land Institute. Hudnut, who is based in the Washington, D.C., area, was a senior fellow at the institute.

He has led about 15 similar redevelopment study panels across the country, most recently in San Bernardino, Calif., and Oklahoma City.

"This will not be a silver bullet," Hudnut said of a redeveloped stamping plant site. "It will be, hopefully, a restored piece of the Downtown puzzle."

Ballard's 30-minute speech and a crush of responses from mayoral challengers afterward made it clear that this is an election year. No fewer than four Democrats are seeking the nomination to run against the Republican mayor in November; a Libertarian also is running.

Ballard focused on consistently balanced budgets amid the recession and what he portrayed as strides in crime reduction, police reform and growing the city's economy.

In response to recent violence Downtown that apparently is rooted in unsupervised youths, Ballard announced that his city prosecutor would begin filing civil complaints against parents of minors who break the law. A judge could order a parent to pay for law enforcement costs.

"IMPD and (Circle Centre mall) are not your baby sitters," Ballard said.

He touted road and sidewalk repairs -- and the potential for many more, using proceeds from the pending sale of the city's water and sewer utilities to Citizens Energy Group.

"We have barely scratched the surface of what is possible," Ballard said.

But while Ballard cited 8,700 new job commitments last year, Brian Williams -- who spoke for the Marion County Democratic Party -- pointed out those aren't guaranteed. Citing Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, he said they don't fully replace 9,000 lost jobs.

"We see a crying need for stronger leadership," Williams said, citing crime as another area where he can provide figures to rebut Ballard's.

Melina Kennedy, the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate, posted a four-minute video response on her campaign's Facebook page.

"His speech tonight failed to face the facts our city must deal with," said Kennedy, sitting fireside in her home. "Unfortunately, he seems to be asking residents to be satisfied with the status quo, to be satisfied with the way things are and to be satisfied with less than they should be."

A statement from Democratic candidate Ron Gibson highlighted what he said was a disconnect between Ballard's vision for the future and those residents most in need.

The other candidates are Democrats Sam Carson Sr. and Bob Kern and Libertarian Richard Kent.

Ballard delayed his annual speech a month after the shooting of IMPD officer David Moore, who later died.

The address began on a poignant note. After saluting the "remarkable strength and love of our community" shown by Moore's parents, IMPD Sgt. Jo Moore and retired Lt. Spencer Moore, the mayor asked them to stand.

The crowd rose to its feet in applause.

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