What's larger than a football field, wider than Monument Circle, and completely underutilized?

Architects and city officials alike see Public Square, a space twenty-five feet larger east to west than Indianapolis’ Monument Circle, and dream of change. “A parking lot is probably not the highest and best use,” Ken Remenschneider, president of a landscape architecture and planning company said of the circle on Monday night. “There’s a safer way to design the square.” Remenschneider and Associates appeared last night to pitch a $139,750 planning proposal to the Redevelopment Commission and City Council. The completed plan would include planning level designs, renderings, architectural floor plans, redevelopment assessment summaries and preliminary construction cost estimates. The group of architects, engineers and attorney recently collaborated with Crawfordsville and Franklin to create their plans for downtown revitalization. As Remenschneider pointed out, similarities exist between Shelbyville and Crawfordsville, in particular. Both hold the following: · County seat designation · Interstates run through north of town · Interchanges separate from downtown · Rivers with accompanying parks · Historic buildings (the architects noted that Shelbyville has two to three times the historic building stock as Crawfordsville) Crawfordsville’s Ben Hur Building, similar in size and structure to the Methodist Building, recently announced a $10 million hotel and condo renovation. Condos will be sold first, providing additional funding to complete the hotel project. The hotel will provide beds for local business and tourism needs. Shelbyville Redevelopment Director Rob Springer noted that he has been receiving more requests for temporary business housing, as well. “They want somewhere to stay and also somewhere walkable,” he said. The mayor believes now is the time to act, even though aspirations for downtown development may sound warily familiar to long-time residents. “We’ve talked about this for over twenty years,” Mayor Tom DeBaun said. But, Remenschenider said, “Dusty plans do no good.” DeBaun agreed. “We’ve got enough of those now.” The number of previously funded and forgotten plans elicited tough questions from Redevelopment Commissioner Mark McNeely. He inquired into the city’s $285,000 investment in the Methodist Building two years ago. The property continues to search for tenants. To Springer, that’s why it’s time to stop isolated projects. “Are we ready to have an implementation plan for downtown Shelbyville?” he asked. Each city scenario is different. After losing a major corporation to Zionsville in 2007, Franklin invested in Remenschneider’s services despite feeling the effects of recession. The city spent $3.2 million in infrastructure and eventually received $18 million from private investment in return. Thanks to following the strategic plan, Franklin now hosts six annual downtown events. In 2014, thirteen new businesses opened their doors in downtown Franklin. “We believe (redesigning Public Square) can put Shelbyville on the national map,” Remenschneider said. The city already released the Blue River Bike Trail map, which the architects see as the backbone for connecting the city. “(Investments in) bike paths come back to you five times more than highway projects in terms of economic development,” Remenschneider said. The city also recently applied for the State’s Stellar Communities grant. Following an unsuccessful bid, DeBaun, joined by Blue River Community Foundation executive director Amy Haacker, asked Stellar why the grant application failed. “We lacked vision and cohesiveness,” DeBaun summarized. Despite previous stops and starts, the mayor believes it crucial to move forward. “The difference is this (proposal) is putting those ideas into action,” he said. The architects agree. “It’s amazing what happens when someone paints their house,” Remenschneider added. “Everyone else goes out and paints their house.” Contrasting downtown’s current challenges with the potential realized in communities like Franklin and Crawfordsville gives hope for a more engaging city center. After a tough line of questioning, McNeely offered the first motion to approve. The proposal passed the Redevelopment Commission 3-0. Over the course of the next year, numerous ideas for the circle will be floated. Based on the architect’s comments, it’s unlikely the football-field sized space will continue to be solely used for parking.