INDIANA REGIONAL CITIES | NORTHWEST INDIANA

December 5, 2016

Hoch Associates has been a long time advocate of the Indiana Regional Cities initiative which was originally announced by the IEDC in November 2014 as a way to fight population stagnation and potential decline. Statistics have shown us that in the last 50 years, only two Indiana counties have grown faster than the nation as a whole. While our business climate is ranked among the best in the entire nation, most counties are still projected to lose people and potentially jobs at a rate that should concern most everyone in the state. This is why we believe that the Regional Cities initiative set forth by the state is essential in making Indiana really a “State That Works.” During the program reveal, state leaders shared a few benchmark regions that communities in Indiana should look to imitate including Austin Texas, Provo Utah, Manhattan Kansas, Denver Colorado and Boise Idaho. These communities have seen exponential growth by investing heavily in improving the quality of life that attracts and retains residents and jobs, creating healthy and vibrant communities. We truly believe the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative is a #powerfulidea that will help put Indiana on a path of success in the coming decades.

With the upcoming presentations to the state on Tuesday, October 6th and Wednesday, October 7th, we wanted to share a snapshot of each regions submissions to secure the $42 Million in funding. Each region had several steps to complete prior to presenting their projects to the state including the creation of physical regions that would work together as a collective to distribute the monies if received. While most regions rushed to complete each of the steps, others, unfortunately, couldn’t get full support from necessary counties and leaders. For example, in the 11th hour one fiercely competitive region “Southeast Indiana” couldn’t get all the necessary approvals from Floyd, Washington and Harrison Counties which then forced them to bow out of the race. Others, including Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, worked diligently on getting a consensus of leadership from several counties and joint agencies to compete for the quality of place improvement funds allocated by the state.

INDIANA REGIONAL CITIES: NORTHWEST

Today, we are focusing on the presentation that will be submitted for review by the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.

Counties: LAKE, PORTER, LaPorte and SAINT JOSEPH (although, SJC is part of a different group vying for the funding)

The report opens with a classic 1950’s tourism ad showing a picture of trees in a beautiful forest that says “Spring by South Shore Lines” that was marketed to the heavily populated Chicago traveler marketplace. Promoting the scenic Indiana Dunes, many counties spent millions of dollars in years past trying to welcome visitors from the dense urban core in nearby Illinois. The Northwest Indiana RDA has actually been in operation since 2005 when approved by the state legislature to oversee the economic prosperity of the region. Since the founding of the RDA, several projects including the $50 million runway extension and railroad relocation project in Gary has been a huge accomplishment for the region. Other initiatives include the Chicago Dash commuter buses, allocation of funds for 14 new double-decker rail cars for the South Shore and over $630 million in shoreline improvements that stretch from the East Chicago Shoreline to Portage and Whiting lakefronts.

While there have been several improvements from the Regional Development Authority, the report points out several concerns that the region is facing.The WorkOne Northern Indiana’s State of Workforce report discusses the K-12 Educational performance. The poorest performing districts in the region are concentrated in the urban core of northern Lake County. Rural areas in the southern portion of the region and the Michigan City-La Porte areas are also below the state average. The region also has a disparity with walkable communities and the aging population which it points out has continued to grow since 1980. Regional attractions continue to keep the tourism economy above water, including the only area where Indiana touches a great lake, the Indiana Dunes stretching 25 miles and the growing off-road trail network. With additional improvements being made to the South Shore Line, the state sees approximately $14.0 Million in sales and income tax revenue but could expand that capacity to nearly $55 Million once the development from the line has finished a full decade of operation. Through the entire report, there is a heavy emphasis on the expansion and rehabilitation of the famed South Shore Line and what it will do for the region and the state.

PRIORITY PROJECTS FOR THE NWIRDA “The Region”

1. The South Shore Line – Double Tracking $114 Million (The entire $42 Million from Regional Cities would be used toward this project)
Currently a double track, sharing right away with the Metra Electric District in Chicago, once reaching Tennessee street in Gary the line becomes a single track. Only a small 6 mile portion of the line in eastern Lake County and western Porter County are double tracked at this current time. Creating a continuous double track from Michigan City to the current connection in Gary will increase scheduling flexibility, improve reliability, expand maintenance windows and eliminate the single point of failure that currently exists. By creating a safer and stronger South Shore Line, the region can benefit economically which will have spin off benefits in regards to education, workforce development and alike.

VISIONARY AND PLANNED PROJECTS FOR THE NWIRDA “The Region”

2. Positive Train Control $80 Million
Federally mandated train control systems are intended to prevent train-to-train collisions, eliminate work zone incursions, and automatically enforce all speed restrictions. With the use of high-tech, integrated electronic signal systems, and controls interfaced with GPS, the project is necessary for the region and continued operation of the South Shore Line.

3. New Car Orders $250 Million
Several of the cars on the South Shore Line have been in service for over 40 years, including 41 cars purchased in 1982 making the amenities outdated with the conveniences expected today.

4. Metra Capacity $30 Million
The South Shore Line operates on Metra Electric District right-of-way from 115th street to Millennium Station in downtown Chicago. The current site is a four-track railroad from 115th street to 11th place and shrinks to a three-track railroad on approach to Millennium Station. After the station, it is a single track leading into four platforms. The single track causes a single point of failure and in the event of a derailment or an unexpected track, switch, or catenary failure, all the trains would be indefinitely ensnared. The $30 Million capital project would provide an additional track into Millennium Station.

5. West Lake Extension $571 Million
The West Lake extension would expand the commuter rail service south into Lake County. The service would greatly reduce the length of travel time and distance that southern Lake County commuters would have to travel to access the South Shore train service. The current extension is in the initial planning stages, having completed concept feasibility assessments.

6. Market Expansion $7 Million
The improvements on the existing line are to increase efficiency and reduce travel by 39 minutes. The Portage/Ogden Dunes station is being equipped with three warming shelters and two ADA mini-high level boarding platforms. The project would construct dual, 8-car long, high-level boarding platforms with gauntlet tracks to safely separate freight trains.

7. Michigan City Realignment $109 Million
The elimination of two miles of embedded street running track will include the construction of a new exposed ballasted double track railroad within the 10th/11th street corridor coupled with a modern, fully equipped consolidated station and 88-car high-level

8. South Bend Realignment $20 Million
South Shore trains must currently navigate a reverse C in order to access the airport terminal from the east. The route is long and trains are slowed by nearly 25-grade crossings. The realignment project would provide a more direct route to the west side of the airport by eliminating three miles of track and reducing time up to 10 minutes. It would also cut the number of grade crossings to 7 providing a more efficient and safe mode of transportation.

9. Gary Station Improvements $38 Million OR $52 Million
Upgrades to the South Shore Line must include a review of the Gary stations. Three in Gary have low level boarding platforms and these are past the end of their current useful life. Alternatives would close the Clark Road station, upgrade the Miller and Gary Metro stations with high level boarding platforms and include travel time improvements.

INDIANA REGIONAL CITIES | CENTRAL INDIANA

December 5, 2016

Hoch Associates has been a long time advocate of the Indiana Regional Cities initiative which was originally announced by the IEDC in November 2014 as a way to fight population stagnation and potential decline. Statistics have shown us that in the last 50 years, only two Indiana counties have grown faster than the nation as a whole. While our business climate is ranked among the best in the entire nation, most counties are still projected to lose people and potentially jobs at a rate that should concern most everyone in the state. This is why we believe that the Regional Cities initiative set forth by the state is essential in making Indiana really a “State That Works.” During the program reveal, state leaders shared a few benchmark regions that communities in Indiana should look to imitate including Austin Texas, Provo Utah, Manhattan Kansas, Denver Colorado and Boise Idaho. These communities have seen exponential growth by investing heavily in improving the quality of life that attracts and retains residents and jobs, creating healthy and vibrant communities. We truly believe the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative is a #powerfulidea that will help put Indiana on a path of success in the coming decades.

INDIANA REGIONAL CITIES: CENTRAL

Today, we are focusing on the presentation that will be submitted for review by the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority.

Counties: MARION, BOONE, HAMILTON, HANCOCK, HENDRICKS, JOHNSON, MADISON, MORGAN and SHELBY

The report opens by saying that to stoke the growth of the state's most dynamic region, “already one-third of the population and jobs,” it also accounts for nearly 70% of the population growth in the state over the last decade. As the largest metro in the state, the region is expected to grow the working-age population by 17%. A recent Brookings Institution analysis also shows that nearly two-thirds of the entire science, tech and engineering professions – the workforce that will drive growth in the much-aspired life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and other high-tech industries – live in just the 50 largest regions. The region believes that by investing in the Indianapolis and Central Indiana region, it represents the state’s best opportunity to keep Indiana’s best and brightest and recruit new talent to its ranks.

Some alarming statistics for the Indy region include that recent population growth from 2010 to 2014 puts Indianapolis and Central Indiana in the middle of the pack among the top 100 regions. While it’s 33rd among the top 100 in the current population, growth is stagnant at 42nd. While it compares favorably to other large Midwestern cities like Milwaukee and Columbus, it lags ‘aspirational’ peer regions like Charlotte, Nashville, and Denver. With the decades-long erosion of traditional manufacturing, just since 2005 Central Indiana has lost 16,000 manufacturing jobs. While it may be the largest region in the state, the sincere concern is that there is no stability for the region to grow based on working-age migration from other areas into Indiana and it’s now critical to raising the profile of the region to change the tide. While the report specifically notes that Indianapolis lacks many of the amenities desired by new populations such as mountains, beaches, or a unique cultural heritage the community can thoughtfully enhance its quality of life, encouraging “walkability” and “connected neighborhoods.”

PRIORITY PROJECTS FOR THE CIRDA

1. Regional Transit – Red Line (Electric BRT) Bus Corridor $15 MILLION
The envisioned “Red Line” is a 35-mile Bus Rapid Transit line that will eventually connect Westfield and Carmel through downtown Indianapolis via Broad Ripple and along College Avenue, extending south into Greenwood. Proposed as the nation’s first BRT line using fully-electric vehicles, the Red Line is in the midst of advanced design and engineering and has already attracted federal planning funds. The Phase I Red Line Route reaches 1 of every 4 jobs in the county and specifically along the Phase I line, one of every four houses live in poverty. The Red Line is believed to have an immediate social and economic impact on the mobility and workforce connectivity in the city.

2. 16 TECH – Innovation District near Downtown Indianapolis $10 MILLION
Highly educated talent is increasingly attracted to dense, diverse, walkable communities and employers share the preferences as they select sites when searching for a potential workforce. The 16 Tech Site will be located on the northwest edge of downtown Indy and will support advanced industries like the life science and information tech sectors. Start-ups, applied research organizations, and innovation-focused businesses can co-locate, collaborate, and commercialize new ideas. The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute has also selected 16 Tech as the home for its physical development and has attracted $25 Million from the State of Indiana and $25 Million from private industry thus far. The location is bounded by major public investments including the IUPUI campus, recently completed Eskenazi Hospital and the White River and Fall Creek. The site will feature 715,000 sf of research and innovation space (150,000 to be used for retail, 40,000 sf of Maker Space, 80,000 sf of Lab Space and 35,000 sf of Incubation Space).

3. Central Indiana Trails and Bikeways $5 MILLION
With the recent success of both the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and the Monon Trail, a significant investment to expand the current trail network will benefit the entire region in their goal to be a healthy, attractive place to live. The funds will accelerate progress on nearly 85 miles of additional trails, pathways and bike lanes prioritized by 2025. Projects expected to see some funding if the CIRDA is selected as a recipient include: Fall Creek Greenway Trail (4.7 Miles), Eagle Creek Greenway Trail (1.4 Miles), B&O Trail (1.6 Miles), Midland Trace Trail (0.2 Miles) and will cost nearly $11 Million to complete. Side paths will also see some benefit if the region is selected in the addition of 13 miles reaching communities like Fishers, Lawrence and Zionsville. The largest sidepath project would be the Madison Avenue Side Path stretching over 8 miles from Franklin to Greenwood in Johnson County costing nearly $10 million on its own.

(Photo courtesy of Indy Star)

AN ART PARTY IN INDY

December 5, 2016

The Greek word arkhitektōn means builder of art. Not many place architect and artist on the same level, but if you look at the very base of the meaning of the word, you could say we are all artists. Maybe it’s the building you pass each day on your way to work or the street grid that makes up your neighborhood, art truly comes in all forms and this last Friday we got to showcase both our buildings and our personal collections. The Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association invited our firm to be a part of their Indianapolis First Friday Art Walk. You could call it an art party in Indy and little did we know how much fun it would be to see the many faces in our community stop by, but it sure was a delight. Even better was the number of people who came to support the Fletcher Place neighborhood and made our office a part of their trip.

STEP IT UP | A NATIONAL MANDATE

December 5, 2016

“Donec id justo non metus auctor commodo ut quis enim. Mauris fringilla dolor vel condimentum imperdiet.”

— Jonathan L.

Citizens of Salt Lake City Utah have carried on a love-hate relationship with their often quirky and opinionated mayor, but Ralph Becker knows one thing continues to put his city on the map and that is the mass improvements his administration has made in walk-ability. He says in just a few years, the city changed nearly 150 codes and ordinances to simply get out of their own way in creating a better urban experience. Men’s Health magazine recently ranked the capital city the “fittest city” in the country based on research of several communities. Becker, a former city planner turned mayor doesn’t drive to the office each morning, instead he insists that no matter the conditions he is to ride his bike. From supporting policies that encourage physical activity to helping raise funds to construct over 200 miles of bike lanes, 50 miles of bike trails and nearly 50 miles of walking trails, connecting the people to the city is just a step in improving the quality of life for residents. It could be all of these features that helped land him in the position of president of the National League of Cities in 2015.

From the experience and exponential growth one city in the inter mountain west to today’s announcement from the Surgeon General, you can see how our country is taking quality of life and health seriously in regards to urban design. Step It Up is the call from our Surgeon General to promote physical activity and walk-able communities. Citing several alarming health statistics, such as the fact that nearly 50% of all Americans are living with a chronic disease makes anyone want to spend more time creating a stronger focus on walk-ability and physical activity. One statistic shows us that adults should at least get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week and calling cities to provide this option is a necessary must for our country to take shape. The plan outlines five strategic goals that will help it measure success in the coming years for communities across the country.

Goal One: Make Walking A National Priority.
*Encourage people to promote walking and make their communities walk-able.
*Create a national walking movement to make walking and walk-ability a priority.

Goal Two: The government is asking all planners, designers and communities to create places that make it safe and easy to walk for people of all ages and abilities.
*Design and maintain streets and sidewalks so that walking is safe and easy
*Design communities that support safe and easy places for people to walk

Goal Three: Promote Walking and offer programs and policies to support walking where people live.
*Promote programs and policies that make it easy for students to walk before, during and after school.
*Promote work-site programs and policies that support walking and walk-ability.
*Promote community programming and policies that make it safe and easy for residents to walk rather than commute.

Goal Four: Provide information to encourage walking and improve walk-ability in our communities, no matter the size.
*Educate all communities about the benefits of safe walking and places to walk.
*Develop effective and consistent messages and engage the media to promote walking and walk-ability.
*Educate relevant professionals on how to promote walking and walk-ability through their professions.

Goal Five: Fill surveillance, research, and evaluation gaps related to walking and walk-ability.
*Improve the quality and consistence of surveillance data collected about walking and walk-ability.
*Address research gaps to promote walking and walk-ability.
*Evaluate community interventions to promote walking and walk-ability.

The Surgeon General calls out developments and urban designers in his Step It Up report saying that many communities that are being designed can present barriers to walking, such as everyday destinations being located too far from home. A push for public transit also comes along in the report in saying that people are more likely to walk when they use public transportation and the lack of an adequate system may mean that opportunities are lost. Benefits to creating walk-able communities also can be of economic value. Walk-able communities often are attractive places for businesses to locate which will continue to help drive local economies. Community and street design policies are recommended to aide in the increase of physical activity. The Step It Up report asks that urban designers begin looking at ways to locate residences within short walking distances of stores, work-sites, public transportation, essential services, and schools via connection of sidewalks and paths that are well-connected, safe and attractive. Designers must also look at improving street lighting and enhancing street landscaping to reduce traffic speeds. Complete Street programs will be fast tracked across the country as the report also demands transportation and travel policies that create or enhance pedestrian and bicycle networks, subsidize public transit systems and more.

As an architecture and urban design firm that is committed to improving the quality of life in our communities, we already encourage and look to incorporate the ideas from the Surgeon General’s Step It Up report. Hoch Associates looks from transportation and urban design to streetscape enhancements, healthcare, wellness facilities and more that each one of our projects are designed with walkability in mind. We believe that many of our communities already offer great public parks and fitness centers, but why not increase this momentum and opportunity with expanded walking and biking paths, neighborhood activity areas, pocket parks and recreation zones. If we can take a page from the success of Salt Lake City or nearby DayBreak community and look at this as a way to enhance our own neighborhoods, it can only be a positive outcome. Our goal is to provide better access from schools and neighborhoods to vibrant community centers, creating walk-able campuses in master planning and putting an emphasis in better urban design. The news from the Surgeon General has found a welcoming home and we are excited to create the next generation of cities, ones that people don’t mind taking a walk in.

BETTER CITIES IS A HIGHER CALLING

December 5, 2016

When you think of urban design and quality of life, what is the first thing that comes to mind? I would be shocked if your first answer was Pope Francis, but if it is…then great! Growing up, my mom would always tell us as we put the utensils on the table, “remember you don’t talk about religion or politics.” Maybe it’s because both of my parents were involved deeply in both religion and politics, but it was something that always stuck with me. While it’s not the dinner table, we do find it appropriate today to discuss the vision of Pope Francis and his call for all of us as architects and urban designers. Of course, if you have been anywhere near the news, the internet or a smart phone you know that Pope Francis has landed stateside and is making a short five day tour of the United States eastern seaboard starting in Washington DC. During his visit, he will make the first-ever address to Congress and plans call for him to hold a multi-religious service at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. We are also certain that during the time he spends with President Barack Obama, he will be sharing some of his priorities and asking what the country plans to do to implement those action items.

Just a few short months ago, Pope Francis called for all architects, urban designers, planners and social developers to “create better cities.” He opened his much-anticipated 2015 encyclical by making an urgent and passionate plea discussing the current state and planned future for cities from rural landscapes to urban centers. He says “We were not meant to be inundated by cement, asphalt, glass and metal, and deprived of physical contact with nature.” Calling out more than just the typical toxic emissions, the Pope clearly discusses that we must improve our congestion, social exclusion, violence, noise, poor transportation and most importantly, our loss of identity. He goes on to write “In some places, rural and urban alike, the privatization of certain spaces has restricted people’s access to places of particular beauty.” We have all been guilty of this in the past, not understanding the full impact of the human environment. We want to believe that our design that has been stuck in our heads is the only one that should be constructed, but as the Pope says taking other ideas into consideration are a must in improving the quality of life. It’s exciting to see that one of the most respected leaders in the world has asked us to put an end to our shortsightedness and place an emphasis on creating a better quality of life in all of our designs.

At Hoch Associates, one of our greatest goals in each of our projects is creating #powerfulideas that inspire community. We do more than design a building, we look at the surrounding neighborhood, understand the economic impact, study the market and discuss how the project relates to creating or enhancing a neighborhood. We may have jumped a few years ahead of the industry, but our focus has been to create a better quality of life, no matter the size of the community. We love that Pope Francis said ” Interventions which affect the urban or rural landscape should take into account how various elements combine to form a whole which is perceived by its inhabitants as a coherent and meaningful framework for their lives. Others will then no longer be seen as strangers, but as part of the ‘we’ which all of us are working to create. For the same reason, in both urban and rural settings, it’s helpful to set aside some places which can be preserved and protected from constant changes brought by human intervention.”

From the design of buildings to creation of public transportation, the Pope also discusses how and why it’s important to put a focus on moving people in improved ways. “The quality of life in cities has much to do with systems of transport, which are often a source of much suffering for those who use them.” Public transit needs to be improved in all aspects if we hope to reach the majority. Issues with crowding, location of stops, service, lack of safety are just a few pointed issues made by the Pope, who has been photographed many times taking public transit. Ranging from beauty in design to providing proper services for all, not just select portions, our call is create civic spaces that we are proud of as a community and not just a designer. Sites that are usable and function easily are a must for the next generation of designs. Designing communities that are livable, walkable and intensely personal aren’t just an idea but the new way of life. We have already taken this call into action and have used that in our designs from The Reserve At Hamilton Place to The Ash Skyline Project and more. Designs are about creating an identity and a sense of community, we must remember that our spaces influence emotions and actions. We hope that while the Pope has a few moments with President Obama and a few other civic leaders, he reminds them of this opening statements this year in our job to create better cities.

THE MILLENNIAL CITY

December 5, 2016

Being someone who was born after 1980, I exist in a generational category designated as “millennials.” Every single week there is a new study about our generation, and surely there should be. According to the United States Census, the Millennial Generation is the largest to ever move through history, at nearly 20 Million more than the next closest Baby Boomer in regards to size. These studies range from Millennial Marketing to shopping habits, food choices, modes of transportation and more, yet the most conflicting of all these studies is WHERE do these millennials live. Some have said that this generation prefer to relocate from the distant suburbia to a thriving downtown highrise, while other reports including The Washington Post declare that just like their parents and generations before, millennials desire to live in sprawling communities at the edge of the city.

My city is different than any of the results from the studies mentioned above. For me, I am located just two blocks from downtown Fort Wayne and the ever booming riverfront development area. I could have selected anywhere in Fort Wayne to live, from the estates in 46804 to the cramped apartments lining Washington, Wayne or Berry. Instead of settling for what researchers were telling me, I picked an small residential enclave located near a Kroger, Pizza Hut and access to nearby Hamilton Park. My two dogs have never complained about the short five minute walk to the green grass of the nearby park and the traffic isn’t congested keeping me up all hours of the night. Something funny happened, in 2014 I discovered I am not alone. Something finally broke through with city planners, after spending years designing and studying what they assumed millennials would rush to buy, they found that their historic, tree lined streets constructed between 1860 and 1940 were seeing large demographic changes. Many houses in these once neglected neighborhoods were rent havens, but this swell of millennials began purchasing the houses for a much lesser price than their suburban counterparts. This was the rise of the Millennial City.

The Millennial City is different than our many cookie cutter suburban communities, filled with non-descript vinyl sided homes. This new Millennial City thrives on walkability and easy access to public transit. As I think about the Bloomingdale neighborhood, I am within five minutes of the nearby CitiLink stop, access to the Saint Mary’s river and even the famed Fort Wayne River Greenway. What is even more fascinating is the relationship component that millennials are thirsting for when selecting a neighborhood to call home. This generation is looking for a neighborhood that promotes quality of life and mind. Imagine a neighborhood with a local community center that has contiuous programming in place or a school that has all aged activities after hours and churches that become multi-use facilities. In addition to the necessary requriements for relationships and quality of life is the centralized schools and the rise of small commercial shopping centers, often with only three to four storefronts offering basic necessities from food to haircare.

Sure, we will continue to see investments in our downtown residential and continued growth in the suburban footprint, but it’s great to see the renaissance that the cities are experiencing in the core. These Nebraska, Oakdale, Soutwood Park, NorthSide and Lakeside neighborhoods that have been a part of the city for over 100 years are coming back to life after city planners began to ignore just a few short decades ago.

A WEEKEND JOURNEY ON THE RIVER

December 5, 2016

It began, as raindrops started their fall during our journey down Parnell Street. Five guys, all crammed in a 2010 Jeep Liberty trying to outpace the storm. The drops increased in intensity, but that wasn’t about to stop this ragtag team wanting to plunge feet first into our Saint Joe river. The winding journey into Johnny Appleseed seemed much smaller than anticipated, for some reason I thought the boat ramp was miles into the park, really it’s just a short walk from the Coliseum. As we jumped out of our vehicles and headed toward the river, the rain slowly began to disappear. These five guys were not going to let a soggy afternoon dampen a weekend journey down the Saint Joe river in Fort Wayne.

The journey toward the Fort Wayne Riverfront began with a splash, the kayak’s hit the water at the Johnny Appleseed Boat Ramp and as soon as the ores were in, the rain began again. It became a race to see who could get to the Parnell Avenue bridge the fastest. Mostly blue and my red kayak circled around like sharks hanging out beneath the 40-year-old concrete structure, rain continued to pour down and we were seriously considering just rowing back and calling our trip short. Then just a few minutes after we arrived at the bridge, it was like a ship coming ashore, we saw one and then two pedal boats making their way through the downpour to our safe harbor. It was a young husband and wife, they took a weekend journey themselves upstream from the Fort Wayne Outfitters as they tried to find refuge from the storm. As we sat under the bridge our conversation was filled with tales and experiences along the river, it was a pleasure getting to talk to strangers and learn about their intended journey as much as they enjoyed ours. It’s not often you find yourself walking down a public street and getting to meet different people and strike up a conversation like ours. About 20 minutes later, the rain began to move out of our path and our paddling would begin again.

As we moved around the bend in the Saint Joe River, slowly paddling closer to downtown you could see very quickly Stevie’s Island. It’s funny, most people in Fort Wayne fly down Spy Run Avenue and may not know that this little gem inside our city exists. The island was named for a young man who adopted it as a “getaway” from his everyday life. Steven Jones and his friends/family spent many years caring for the island making it the prime place for bonfires, picnics, and social gatherings. An advocate for the rivers, one day on a job site in Lima Ohio, Steven slipped and fell to his untimely death at the young age of 25. The entire community at the time rallied around enough support to have the island dedicated in his honor and nearly 30 years later that island is still a great escape for neighborhood kids and families. As we paddled to the right side of the island, you could clearly see two tents recently placed on the edge of the island and what looked like a rural campfire burning in the distance. A few yards down the river a familiar voice came calling through the thick brush, it was the river man himself Dan Wire, showing his daily view of our beautiful riverfront to some friends who were visiting. Dan shared with me that on the same day we were the third group of kayakers to pass his back yard on the river, ‘what a pleasant site this is’ said Dan, ‘ten years ago you would never imagine seeing one group let alone three’

After spending about 10 minutes talking with Dan while sitting in my kayak, the journey would soon begin again. After finding a discarded tennis ball on the shoreline, a game of chase the ball quickly ensued and the Saturday afternoon trip was filled with laughter and fun. As we began approaching State Street, the ruins with an I-Beam and brick wall of what once was Fort Wayne’s Centlivre Brewery stood tall from the river. The history on the Saint Joe alone will keep your mind running on full through the afternoon, from the historic Tennessee Avenue Bridge to the anonymous statue of the Jesuit missionary who named the three rivers. As we approached the Fort Wayne Riverfront project area, you could begin to see downtown open in front of you. A site to be seen is the historic architectural masterpiece that is Fort Wayne’s Water Filtration plant serves as an anchor of the visioned development, sitting high above the confluence. Cannons and muskets were being fired during the Old Fort reenactment, dozens of people cheered us on as we passed Don Halls Deck and the city quickly became alive. It was interesting to see how quickly the landscape and interaction changed from the Saint Joe to the Saint Mary’s river.

As we began the last stretch of our Fort Wayne Riverfront Weekend Journey, our arms were stronger than ever, row…row…row said one of the guys, my back however…that is another story. Life began to spring up everywhere between the Spy Run Bridge and the historic Wells Street Bridge. Joggers on the River Greenway, couples dining on The Deck, hundreds walking along the riverfront experiencing the Old Fort and a beautiful wedding taking place on the Wells Street Bridge. As I pulled my phone from the waterproof box hidden in the back of my kayak, I saw that we had spent almost two hours on the river. It was funny, reading all the negative comments on Facebook from residents who are against the river development (calling out pollution, brown water, and bad aroma), my journey had never encountered the great stench they spoke of. Sure, you could smell water, because of course, we are ON the water! There were no stretches of dead fish or traces of sewage floating downstream, instead, it was a nice quiet journey along a beautiful Fort Wayne Riverfront.

As we came to the end, my long lasting smile began to fade. I didn’t want the weekend journey to end. The riverfront was full of life, beauty, and peacefulness. I can see why Steven Jones and his friends spent nearly every weekend rallying around the rivers and exploring the unnamed island. The journey from Johnny Appleseed to Guildlin Park was over four miles, yet it was a great way to spend two hours on a Saturday afternoon. As we pulled the kayaks out of the water, we stood ashore looking over the calm river and shared stories of our trip. The rivers, all three of them that made Fort Wayne the city it has long gone neglected. Too many bad media and press against the riverfront have stacked up negative emotions from some of the louder contingents in the city. Yet here we were, the third group of people who paddled in our kayaks down this wonderful natural resource. Hoch Associates has been a proud supporter of the Fort Wayne Riverfront development, both large and small scale. We believe that connecting our city to our riverfront is exactly what will propel our city into greatness, looking at examples from other cities who have done the same, the ingredients for the recipe is in front of us, we just need to put it together.

NEIGHBORHOOD LOVE

December 5, 2016

We believe that everyone from business to individual is responsible for inspiring quality of life projects and that comes from deep rooted neighborhood love. Sure, you may not initially shout from the rooftops that you are a insert neighborhood cheerleader, but when you talk among friends, that name comes up. Most of the time, it brings a sense of belonging and a passion for place. It’s your neighborhood school, the corner coffee shop and the people that live a couple doors down you met when you first moved in. It’s that sense of ownership that gives your mind a place to go when looking for comfort. Neighborhood Love is truly the best and worst assets of what makes your community…your pride…great!

Often at Hoch Associates, you will find us talking about our own neighborhood centers and what makes each one of them unique. Our Indianapolis office for example is located on Virginia Avenue in the historic Fletcher Place Neighborhood Association. Full of two story classic turn of the century homes, quaint streets lined with parked cars and tightly packed sidewalks and a small commercial strip at Virginia and College. We recently joined our neighborhood association to promote the causes of our neighbors, it’s our way of showing some neighborhood love. In Fort Wayne, you can find us across from the Allen County Courthouse, in the middle of major downtown renovation projects. The hustle and bustle of Berry Street is filled with pedestrians, bicyclists and cars alike all working in corporate offices and locally owned storefronts. Activities are planned for every season in downtown and Hoch is excited to be in the heart of it all. Neighborhoods not matter the size, density or design are an important part of what makes us each unique. It tells a part of our story, and for Hoch that is no different.

Today, Rent Jungle released the best Indianapolis neighborhoods to call home, and we are proudly located near three of them:

Bates-Hendricks
In 2009, this neighborhood located directly to our south won the Spirit Award for the New Jersey Street Project and an additional award for its Abandoned Housing Project. Oh, we forgot to mention the national Keep America Beautiful Award, the East Street Alternatives award, SEND’s Helen Fehr Award for Community Service and the New Street Imagine Grant. No wonder it placed third in its category for the Neighborhoods USA Best Neighborhood in the Nation Award. This tightly knit neighborhood should be inspiring to others who are trying to make progress in their own communities. Amenities include two public green spaces, bike trails, walking trails, top rated schools, shopping, easy access to downtown and highways and more. The neighborhood took its name from the beautiful Bates-Hendricks house constructed in the early 1820’s. The neighborhood is starting to also see exciting new growth because of the proximity to Fountain Square and the highly traveled Shelby Street. It will be exciting to see as Bates-Hendricks continues to grow and remain the top neighborhood in Indianapolis.

Garfield Park
You could call them picky, but in all honesty…it’s okay! Garfield Park Neighborhood Association Board Members fought the construction/opening of a charter school on Shelby Street in 2014 because it wasn’t on their list of ideal businesses for the neighborhood. However, a new bicycle shop, pizzeria and coffee shop have all opened on Shelby and will soon be followed by a newly renovated factory building on Cruft Street to house the famed artist and maker space Big Car. If you are looking for green space and active quality of life areas like tennis courts, ball fields and more, maybe Garfield Park is your next stop. The neighborhood is named for the centrally located Garfield Park (the first public park in Indianapolis) featuring such amenities and a 10,00 s.f. Conservatory and Sunken Gardens. Many homes are becoming owner occupied once again and the neighborhood is experiencing new growth it hasn’t seen in decades. Hoch Associates has some exciting plans for the neighborhood it too will soon introduce.

Fountain Square
In 1835, Calvin Fletcher (Fletcher Place Neighborhood) and Nicholas McCarty purchased a 260 acre farm stretching just south and east of downtown Indianapolis. In the years following the civil war, this portion of Indianapolis began to boom with several new residential units being constructed and a commercial strip where Fountain Square and Virginia Avenue are located today, often referred to by the neighborhood locale as “The End” because it’s proximity to the Citizens Street Railway Company. After much growth and prosperity with several theaters and local businesses, the neighborhood saw stark decline because of the construction of the Interstate system. However, efforts were made to stop the decline in the late 1990’s when Fountain Square was named one of the cultural communities in the city. Today, the arts continue to be prominent, walking and biking are the preferred mode of transportation with the extended Indianapolis Cultural Trail, and craft distilleries and breweries are now dotting much of the storefronts. Fountain Square is on track to be one of the most prominent cultural hubs in the mid west in the coming years.

From Fountain Square to Downtown Fort Wayne, Garfield Park and Fletcher Place each have their own story and identity that we admire. It’s that Neighborhood Love you will often hear us echo, and that is why we chose to locate and support these amazing places that are creating a better and more sustainable quality of life.

SPAIN HAS A PEOPLE PROBLEM

December 5, 2016

A thousand villages dot the valleys of Spain. Zooming in from high above the globe on Google Earth, you can see the cities and towns connected like a spiderweb with one another, stretching and filling various spots on the map. From 30,000 feet above on the computer the towns look vibrant and full of life, but take a look closer. Notice the lack of cars…activity…or even people?

The central valleys of Spain have a small problem. Not rodents or financial…no, the problem is surprisingly more simple, one would think. Spain has a lack of people problem. These hundreds if not thousands of rural villages located in large gatherings of farmland quilted together by a network of roads and rivers are empty. Houses and schools stand still as if it were a scene in the movie Silent Hill. Reminds you of areas located deep into Detroit, where once filled blocks are now stranded and vacant, eroding in time. Locals, the few that are left, claim the land is dusty and desert like, lacking the necessary elements to farm a full field or make the space viable for other investments. Much of the vacancy was due to the entire continent and how it faced the Industrial revolution.

One village featured by NPR called O Penso is a small hamlet, with improved roads, six houses and a few outstretched farm fields making up about 100 acres of land. The entire village with a population of 0 is for sale at an astonishing $230,000. The village is ripe for an economic boom if someone wants to take the risk to invest. Located only six miles from the coast, the village sits near what is known by many travel companies as the best surf spot in Europe. The last full time resident of the town died nearly a decade ago, and locals from neighboring communities want to see these small hamlets, just like O Penso, come to life with children and businesses once again. The biggest issue facing the countryside is the lack of interest from the nation as a whole in improving the regions and smaller rural neighborhoods. The current residents of Spain want to live in Madrid, Barcelona or other urbanized areas which is leaving many places abandoned and unpopulated. The entire region as a whole is expected to lose nearly a third of its population by 2040. One community has even gone as far as giving away the town for FREE! The historic community of Cortegada is located next to one of Spains more important rivers and is sitting abandoned, the only stipulation is the person who wants the town has to agree to fix 12 abandoned homes, not bad when you consider getting an entire city.

It makes you take a moment and think, these abandoned communities…what could they be used for? If you could purchase an entire 100 acre city for $230,000 with an improved roadway connecting it to the outside world, could you use it as a test lab for community building? I often think of how Future CapeTown has brought urban designers from around the world together in a collective environment, creating and molding the future of South Africa. What if a group similar in make up decided to do the same in Spain? Could we use these abandoned spaces to help us better understand walkability, civic design and quality of life? We want to create attractive hubs of life, and Spain may be the perfect place to start. If their story is similar to many communities in America, why not give it a try. Sure it’s a risk and a huge undertaking, but in the end..it may be worth the investment.

A WIN FOR TRAILS IN INDIANAPOLIS

December 5, 2016

“The boldest step of any American city toward supporting bicyclists and pedestrians.”

— The Project For Public Spaces

The dream of Brian Payne became a reality when the ribbon was cut in 2013. In 2015, USA Today would place the Indianapolis Cultural Trail as one of the ten best walking trails of any in the entire nation, Metropolis Magazine named Indianapolis one of the worlds 10 most livable cities due to the impact of the trail, and a new study would reveal that this project has increased property values in the city by $1 billion dollars.

Payne, who is the director of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) says that the Cultural Trail wasn’t just designed to be a trail, but an economic engine and more importantly a change agent for the city overall. Instead of the city once focused on widening as many roads as possible to get people through downtown, the city is now embracing beautiful design, bicycle culture and sustainability. On Thursday, Mayor Ballard announced that with a report by the IU Public Policy Institute, the initial economic and community impact of the trail was a success. Property assessments within one block (in some places more) of the eight mile trail have increased nearly 150% since 2008. Another interesting figure is that the average expected expenditure by Trail users is $53 and that 95% of trail users surveyed feel safe while on the trail. Businesses located along Mass Ave and in Fountain Square have seen larger increases in customers over revenue, but our neighborhood Fletcher Place has had an increase in revenues rather that customers. Together, the trail has added 40 to 50 full-time positions and 47 part-time jobs. Nearly 25% of businesses located along the trail say they now open on weekends and nearly the same amount stay open later.

The 8 mile walking/biking trail circles the circle city connecting amazing cultural neighborhoods with one another is also keeping people in downtown for longer periods of time. The benefits seen by this placemaking project well exceed what was originally expected, especially the power that the Indianapolis Cultural Trail has provided for Fletcher Place and Fountain Square. As we look out of our windows onto the trail, it’s great to see the mix of people that are discovering Virginia Avenue and Fletcher Place for more than just a once neglected neighborhood (due to the disconnect between downtown and Fountain Square). Between South Street and the I65 bridge, Virginia Avenue and surrounding streets has seen a 240% increase in property values. In our neighborhood alone, 73% of the businesses have opened since 2010, many linked directly to the trail.

We extend a hearty congratulations and thank you to the great folks who made this project a reality. We know that a development like this takes a lot of time and money, but it’s also the deep dedication that Payne, Mayor Bart Peterson and hundreds of others put into The Indianapolis Cultural Trail. What’s next for the Indy trail? It could be an extension on Washington or Garfield (which we are secretly keeping our fingers crossed for). At the very least, we hope that these amazing statistics directly linked to the trail will spur additional placemaking projects in our other communities. Imagine an Arts and Food trail connecting several distinct and historic Fort Wayne neighborhoods from Southwood to Northside and Nebraska. How about a Gem City trail networking the various innovation hubs that dot the landscape around Dayton. Sure, it starts as a dream, but you can see how a powerful idea like this turned into one of the best things that has possibly happened for the city of Indianapolis.

TEMPORARY SIDEWALK EXTENSIONS

December 5, 2016

New York City, just like every other city in the country has seen an increase in bicyclists and pedestrians. The city of over 8 Million residents is struggling to keep up with the demand of better, friendlier pedestrian gateways because city planners several decades ago cut back the wide sidewalks in exchange for an extra travel lane. However, the lack of sidewalks and pedestrian pathways could be changing soon thanks to an innovative property owner and developer that has presented some powerful ideas to city administrators in the form of temporary sidewalk extensions. This spring, a few of the city streets will turn into pedestrian only pathways including the famed Broadway from 47th to 42nd street. Broadway will also be temporarily closed between 32nd and 36th near the world famous Macy’s department store.

The people behind this idea is Real Estate giant Vornado Realty Trust who proposed the car-free zones are only a three-month trial to last through the summer when pedestrian activity is at a natural all time high. The Department of Transportation for the city is using this as a trial in hopes to reduce crashes and injuries while allowing vehicles to travel more smoothly along several city thoroughfares. Vornado owns several premiere property holdings including the Hotel Pennsylvania, Penn Plaza and the Manhattan Mall. They will also be closing a near one block portion of 33rd directly linked to Madison Square Garden and One Penn Plaza on a permanent basis. The goal is to create a pedestrian-friendly open plaza which will reduce the number of accidents on one of New Yorks busiest segments. The plaza will feature tables for dining, a stage for musical performances, space for yoga and other outdoor programmed activities. The development company believes it will also improve the overall quality of life and increase property values.

We have already seen projects like the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and in Cincinnati Temporary Sidewalk Extensions in the forms of pop-up parks. It makes us wonder if this idea is successful and the Department of Transportation in New York City embraces the idea post trail, what other cities could pick up this idea. Vornado who is doing the experiment is paying for the planning, construction and monitoring of the extensions without any tax or cash incentives from the city. With a lot of discussion in place making and road diets, what streets would you like to see this tried on?

A POWERFUL IDEA FOR TRANSPORTATION

December 5, 2016

A powerful idea has to start somewhere, many times it’s over a cup of coffee with two friends or colleagues, but it also could come from a point of adversity. Either way, when a powerful idea becomes a reality, it truly can be a win-win for the parties involved. A cop in Seattle had lost his wife who had been hit by a driver that failed to stop for her at a crosswalk. Officer Belshay and colleagues regularly would conduct enforcement efforts to ticket other drivers who would disobey the pedestrian traffic laws in the city. Then it came, before he was ready to retire in 2012, he decided to change the violation into a reward making his efforts have a longer life and bigger social reach. He bought a stack of $10 gift cards from a local restaurant and handed them out to drivers and bicyclists who did the right thing by allowing pedestrians to cross the street. Within the hour, he rewarded 34 people for stopping when they were supposed to, and this gratitude began generating positive news for the police department.

Zoom to today, a city councilman who has seen the benefits from this social exposure for Seattle is taking this idea to the big stage called Seattle Vision Zero initiative, a powerful idea for transportation planning that has the goal of reaching zero traffic fatalities by 2030. Several cities are beginning to adopt planning programs to curb fatalities, all of which are based on a three-pronged approach, using engineering, enforcement and education. However department of transportation officials in Washington believe this is the first of its kind in using positive reinforcement such as gift cards to promote safe driving. City and state officials have been working at various locations including local elementary schools, high traffic bridges and public market spaces.

Sure, it’s a crazy idea and maybe Seattle has a budget to spend on goodies for good citizens, but imagine if this same idea was performed in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis or Dayton? Allstate Insurance ranked Fort Wayne 35th safest city in the country, yet Dayton was slightly lower at 49 and Indianapolis barely registering at 76. With the cities that Hoch Associates is located in, all running to improve quality of life by investing in several miles of new bike lanes and complete streets programs, the Vision Zero initiative can help achieve better benchmarks.

COLLEGE GRADS LOVE DAYTON AND FORT WAYNE

December 5, 2016

College Graduates Love Dayton and Fort Wayne

You can add another accomplishment for city economic officials in both Fort Wayne Indiana and Dayton Ohio, and this is a hot list that will provide for the economic good of both cities. ZipRecruit, a top website for hiring and recruitment has places Dayton Ohio number three overall and Fort Wayne Indiana number five for the Top 10 Up-and-Coming cities for College Grads to consider relocating to. Anytime a city makes a list like this, you begin seeing national attention placed on the value this offers to companies and firms looking to relocate offices, industrial manufacturing centers and more. Economic Development groups like Fort Wayne’s Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership sees this as another award on the shelf to help attract and retain major employers such as General Motors and Parkview Health.

The article says while moving to a big metro might be the perfect antidote to college town cabin fever, the large populations can often mean heavier competition for open positions and the high, often skyrocketing costs for basic amenities and living expenses can leave you broke. When graduating from college, the weight of a student loan added to the expense of living in a high cost of living position and aggressive entry level job market may not be the best option.

DAYTON OHIO
Working closely with consultants in the Dayton region, Hoch has had a proud history in the Miami Valley. This article highlights that Dayton’s top positions are in the research and production of aviation and aerospace technology fields which is to no surprise as it’s also the birthplace of aviation. Healthcare research is also an important industry for the city with institutions such as the Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton. Add these to the fact that Dayton boasts the lowest median rent at just $671 a month and a high quality of life with several world renowned leisure based events such as an acclaimed opera and ballet, you can see why our fine city made this list. Another huge factor for Dayton is that safe, scenic biking routes make Dayton a ‘bike friendly’ city.

Dayton’s top positions are in the research and production of aviation and aerospace technology, still the leading industry in the city where human flight was invented. The economy is also bolstered by healthcare research with several prominent institutions such as the Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton. Dayton boasts the lowest median rent of cities on our list at $671/mo, and also ranked highly as a regional cultural hub. Residents spend their leisure time enjoying acclaimed opera and ballet performances, and live music at events like the annual Blues Festival. Safe, scenic biking routes make Dayton a ‘bike friendly’ city, and allow its population to enjoy its natural beauty.

Top 5 Industries and their most available entry level position:

Sales and Business – Account Executive
Marketing/PR – Marketing Assistant
Manufacturing/Operations – Field Service Technician
Information Technology – QA Analyst
Healthcare – Physician Wound Care

FORT WAYNE INDIANA
Hoch Associates’ home office is also located in the heart of this growing region. A recently announced 1.3 Billion dollar economic boost was announced this week from two of the cities top employers which will add jobs directly and not directly related to the companies. After a significant economic depression and horrific unemployment numbers in the 80’s, Fort Wayne was once declared another ‘Rust Belt’ city has been relabeled as the ‘city that saved itself.’ Of course this was no small feat, several key people and business decided to not give in and instead challenge the media and bad press by giving their all, staking claim to greatness rather than ‘the good ole days.’

While production and manufacturing is still key for the city, several new industries have agreed to give Fort Wayne a second look. Healthcare with companies such as Lutheran and Parkview have both invested over a billion dollars into the economy with new healthcare facilities including the recently announced $80 Million Cancer Research Institute. Insurance has also become a large employer with companies like Brotherhood Mutual and the exciting new project for Ash with a $99 Million investment only a block west of our home office. Bundle these exciting new projects with the second lowest cost of living in the entire country, top 35 cities for individuals under 35, a vision for a grand riverfront redevelopment and the top ten cities with the best quality of life, you can see why the list included Fort Wayne.

Top 5 Industries and their most available entry level position:

Marketing/PR – Entry Level Marketing
Manufacturing/Operations – Operations Supervisor
Management/Executive – Entry Level Management
Insurance – Insurance Agent
Healthcare – Occupational Therapist

Congratulations and kudos to both of our amazing cities on these exciting announcements. We look forward for more to come.

Top Cities to Start A Business

December 5, 2016

Hundreds of metropolitan and countless thousands of micropolitans compete daily for business, tourism, residents, investment and the like. Stretching coast to coast, every community is in a fierce battle to have a positive and vibrant economy, and while all wish they were winners, not everyone can cross the finish line. The battle for economic development, entrepreneur retention and expansion is often costly and everlasting.

Just today a new list ranked 150 of Americas top metro areas to start a new business and to continue the path of achievements Fort Wayne has seen in the last year, we can add another gold star. Wallethub has given us another reason to love the Fort Wayne metro at the eleventh best city in the country to be an entrepreneur, quite the achievement beating out cities much larger. The list was ranked based on thirteen strategic metrics that provide a healthy atmosphere for young business leaders.

1. Accessibility of financing (total value of small business loans)
2. Cost of office rental/lease space per square foot
3. Access and availability of employees
4. Labor costs and median annual income
5. Corporate tax structure
6. Cost of living
7. Average length of employee workday
8. Educational level of the workforce
9. Entrepreneurial activity
10. Five-year survival rate
11. Number of small business per capita
12. Industry and business variety
13. Small Business acceptance and friendliness

What is most important to note is while these may be the best metrics for small business, some industries like tech/web are not looking at the same metrics. After reviewing every metro in the country from coast to coast, the findings have shocked several in the economic development community. Even more interesting to realize is the amount of communities not located along a major coast, but instead the heart of the country where several scholars have all but put on life support for future business expansion. It’s nice to prove them wrong.

1. Shreveport Louisiana
2. Tulsa Oklahoma
3. Springfield Missouri
4. Chattanooga Tennessee
5. Jackson Mississippi
6. Sioux Falls South Dakota
7. Memphis Tennessee
8. Augusta Georgia
9. Greensboro North Carolina
10. Columbus Georgia
11. FORT WAYNE INDIANA
12. Amarillo Texas
13. Columbus Ohio
14. New Orleans Louisiana
15. Birmingham Alabama
16. Wichita Kansas
17. Grand Rapids Michigan
18. Laredo Texas
19. Winston-Salem North Carolina
20. Nashville Tennessee

Hoch Associates is proud to call Fort Wayne our home, and it’s exciting to see another accolade for our growing metro. With Fort Wayne being named in the 35 Cities for People Under 35, Best Cities for Cost of Living, Best Quality of Life and now Best Cities for New Business, our future can only be brighter.

A LESSON FROM GROVE CITY

December 5, 2016

Coliseum Blvd. is full of big box retailers, six lanes of traffic, countless access drives and some of INDOT’s most concerning intersections with high traffic accident counts. The thought of turning this primary corridor into a complete street with bike lanes may not be on the minds of many or any Fort Wayne city leaders because the amount of traffic that uses the road daily. The idea of a bike friendly Coliseum Blvd. seems over the top to many, but one community in neighboring Ohio has already created a plan and implementing it on its busiest roadway. Let’s take a quick trip and a lesson from Grove City Ohio on the outskirts of Columbus where you will find Stringtown Road as the primary roadway connecting hundreds of businesses and serving as a primary gateway to the community.

The roadway was in need of overall enhancements due to the nature of its gateway origin from Interstate 71 to the downtown core. Some may argue it’s not a Complete Street by definition, this sidepath (a sidewalk that is designed for bike travel over pedestrians) protects the bikeway from the road. The other issue is the design of Stringtown Road itself in that there are several commercial access points not necessarily reducing entrance and exit drives creating some minor potential conflict points with bicyclists. However, Grove City officials have began understanding the need to create complete streets no matter the neighborhood connecting areas in and around all parts of the city and while it’s not a perfect solution, it’s a step in the right direction.

As we look at Fort Wayne’s primary roadway connecting nearly 65% of the city’s population via roadway, the growing need to connect these neighborhoods by bike is escalating. City officials are working with Fort Wayne Trails to construct and develop several miles of bike and pedestrian walking paths including the much famed Pufferbelly which will run from downtown to Glenbrook in the coming years but it’s still several years off. What if we began talking about how to better connect our neighborhoods? What if our leaders began looking to other communities like Grove City for ideas on how to turn major thoroughfares like Coliseum, Coldwater, Lima and the list goes on into active pathways for both auto and bike travel. What’s next for us to create stronger neighborhoods linked together?

the mess on main

December 5, 2016

Frank Gray, a local journalist for Fort Wayne’s Journal Gazette Newspaper uses The Mess On Main as his subject for the latest piece on city development. The article has welcomed several opinions on the papers Facebook page with nearly 80% of the comments in favor of the reconstruction with a few that are digging in their heels. While it’s nice to see the rising support for safer and better highways in the city, we can’t settle for anything less than full community buy-in for the enhancement of our city throughways.

His article begins by saying “Crews buying new sewer lines dug up the street and intersection for blocks between downtown and St. Joseph Hospital. They were quick about it, though. They dug up the road, laid huge pipes and buried them in no time before moving on to another block.” If you haven’t followed other city projects the city is required by the federal government to invest millions into storm sewer separation and it’s all part of a bigger project that will see hundreds of millions building a large tunnel under the city for drainage. The city is also facing a strict timeline to complete these projects before being fined, which leads to the rush the city is facing.

In the attempt to rebuild the city infrastructure that is often not seen by the public, there are going to be several changes city residents will see above street level. City crews will be busy painting new lines along Main Street which runs between the community center and St. Joesph Hospital. The new striped lanes will reduce Main Street from four lanes to three with one travel lane in each direction and a central turn lane. The most exciting part of the restructuring and road diet facing Main Street will be two bike lanes running along the edge of the road. The design will make the street which is already busy, safer for both motorists and cyclists. Gray states “We’ll have to see what sort of congestion the new arrangement has. Turning left onto Broadway might be a headache at times, but one just learns to take different routes of avoiding those headaches. The one thing that concerns me are the bike lanes.” This is often the concern of many which are causing the residents of Fort Wayne to not have the full backing of these projects. He continues to say “I worry about the cyclists and whether all of them understand the rules.” He uses examples of people traveling the wrong way on Wayne and Berry streets which are both one-way roads, but what he doesn’t mention is that Main will be a full two-way street which is quite different than the two he mentioned before.

While we appreciate the concern of bicyclists following the law, the promotion of doubt for the city to continue building these multi-modal transportation corridors may be the most troublesome. It’s exciting to see the city making these much-needed changes to Main Street. While the stretch of the roadway being reconstructed only runs between St. Joseph and the Community Center, it’s a step in the right direction. It would be nice to see additional blocks of Main Street converted and positive journalism from the city outlets like The Journal Gazette, WANE, etc. will help go a long way.

We now question, with the street being completed to Jackson, which is just a few short blocks from the Carole Lombard bridge, could Nebraska be the first connected neighborhood to downtown Fort Wayne? There are no current plans to extend the bike path any further west from Jackson, but it’s a conversation we would love to start. The Nebraska neighborhood which extends from Leesburg to Carole Lombard bridge is an upcoming neighborhood has also faced several economic strains including burned out and arson riddled buildings to empty storefronts and vacant lots. The neighborhood once was the industrial complex created by Theodore Thieme for his Wayne Knitting Mills complex where thousands of company employees resided, shopped and worked. The expansion of such multi-modal transportation would encourage bicyclists to travel to and from the neighborhood to downtown but most importantly create a strong connection between both Saint Francis educational campuses. The increase in bike and pedestrian traffic with a decrease in fast moving vehicular traffic will also enhance the safety of children walking to the local elementary school and people who would like to explore the quaint shops and restaurants lining the historic streets in this perfectly located neighborhood.

Can we make Nebraska our first connected neighborhood?

15 IDEAS TO CREATE A BETTER FORT WAYNE

December 5, 2016

A recent article in Sustainable Cities Collective titled 21 Easy Measures to Create A Walk-able Community made us think about how we could implement this and create a better Fort Wayne. City officials have been busy with paint machines this week, striping new travel paths for both car and bike along major thoroughfares like Main Street between Jackson and Maiden and a small portion of Ewing between the new roundabout and Berry. While these are great steps forward that will make Fort Wayne a top walk-able community, the list provided 15 quick ideas that could be implemented as soon as tomorrow, because they are neither expensive, nor require several studies and reports which often keep the process in slow mode.

1. NO RIGHT ON RED
Sure, we all love to creep into the intersection just slightly and briefly look both ways before hitting the gas pedal to speed around the corner only to be stopped by another red light just a few hundred feet away, but what does this really get you? With a little press and marketing, if Fort Wayne said no more right on red (and used a few signs to enforce this position), the city would quickly see a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly street grid. Now, we aren’t crazy and asking for the city to consider this in all areas, but let’s start at least with the several city blocks in downtown and even into some of the significant neighborhoods such as Nebraska, Bloomingdale, Lakeside and South Calhoun to start.

2. NO RUSH HOUR LANES ABUTTING A SIDEWALK
Not necessarily a direct situation in which our city faces, but spend five minutes on Washington or Jefferson at rush hour and you can see that speed often does not matter, as long as you don’t get stopped at Broadway or Van Buren you can often sail to Jefferson Pointe in less than five minutes. The city is investing several million dollars on enhancements to both streets for street calming features, but there are easy measures to “sample” these effects provided through tactical urbanism.

3. WELL MARKED AND WELL LIT CROSSWALKS
A little paint and some additional signage could go a long way in making Fort Wayne a truly multi-modal city. Crosswalks often are a last thought for many as they are merely a stripe of paint, but these can be extremely helpful for the other modes of travel including pedestrians who use them the most. Even a better idea, hold an art contest with local students who design creative cross walks that will include and promote the arts, but also provide a visible reminder of the potential traffic that could be coming into the intersection without notice.

4. NO PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS REQUIRING PUSH BUTTON ACTIVATION
Honestly, do they work? Why not just remove them and adjust signal computers to provide pedestrian crossing phases automatically.

5, FULL ENFORCEMENT OF PEDESTRIAN RIGHT-OF-WAY
A job for Fort Wayne police, pedestrians are just as important as the cars that use the roadways and assigning enforcement personnel and property instructing traffic wardens will help create a safer and more accessible environment.

6. LONGER CROSSING SIGNAL TIMES
The central computer allows cities to adjust crossing times at all intersections. It seems as if some areas, the city has not truly studied the crossing times needed…take Sherman and High for example. One could walk across Sherman twenty times before the cross walk changes in favor of the other traffic. However intersections along the wider Jefferson and Washington streets lack the time needed for slower and large groups of pedestrians. A simple and easy fix.

7 PROVIDE THE “GO” SIGNAL TWO SECONDS BEFORE VEHICLES
Again, going back to the central computer, a quick adjustment will get the most vulnerable pedestrians into the intersection before vehicular traffic, forcing drivers to pay more attention before entering or turning into a street.

8. FEWER CURB CUTS ACROSS SIDEWALKS WITH HIGH PEDESTRIAN VOLUME
Pedestrian safety and convenience should trump short convenient access for cars. The city recently denied two curb cuts for the Saint Francis parking lot along the reconstructed Ewing to provide safer travel for multi-modal transportation. This is a minor step in the overall redevelopment of Fort Wayne, but one that will continue to make a long term significant impact.

9. NO CLOSED SIDEWALKS
Sure, construction can be tricky and ultimate safety is the concern by all, but to some..closing the sidewalk is the “easy” thing to do. Make construction companies fully review the needs of a closed sidewalk and look at increasing the fee for a closure permit which will weed out projects that truly need closure from those who are looking for an easy fix.

10. NO SIDEWALKS WITH LESS THAN FIVE FEET OF USABLE SPACE
Looking at the 1890’s in the bustling metro of New York, many of the streets saw sidewalks that would vary between 8 and 12 feet wide. Transportation by foot was preferred (and ironically still is). This will take several years of planning and reconstruction, but removing obstacles like light boxes, trees and signs will allow for better walk-ability.

11. TWENTY IS ALWAYS PLENTY
Driving through downtown Fort Wayne, one will find the speed limit range between 20mph and 35mph with several changes between destinations. With neighborhoods requiring a 20mph speed limit, why not require this downtown along the heavily trafficked sidewalks and crossings. Not only would this require the vehicular traffic to slow down and pay attention, but a uniform speed through downtown would eliminate the various traffic issues caused by not knowing the limits posted.

12. REINSTATE THE RED LIGHT AND SPEED CAMERA SYSTEM
I remember driving in the outskirts of Springfield Ohio where traffic was cautious because of the hidden red light camera. The day I saw my own mugshot in the mail, I realized I too had to be more cautious at this extremely busy intersection. By bringing back red light and speed cameras at significant intersections downtown, it will create an overall appearance of a city taking interest in the walking population.

13. NO LARGE PARKING LOT WITHOUT MARKED PEDESTRIAN ROUTES
Every driver becomes a pedestrian once the car is parked but most lots provide poor guidance for pedestrians and rarely a safe passage. When city and county owned lots are re-striped, maybe we look at requiring each lot to have focused pedestrian refuges and routes so cars can be more mindful.

14. INSTALL REST AREAS
When constructing new sidewalks and reconstructing roads, the city should focus on areas of widened space, benches, green lawns, art structures and the like can provide relief for pedestrians and make walking more pleasant, especially for the elderly that need to sit from time to time.

15. REDUCE NUMBER OF ONE-WAY STREETS
While there is no more significant safety for pedestrians between one and two way street intersections, two way street patterns “tame” traffic and especially in narrower streets slow overall traffic habits and change it from freeway to local.

So, what is holding us back? These are simple measures that can easily be worked into budgets by city officials and if designed right, allow the city to apply for significant place making grants from the federal government. Why wait for another pedestrian accident, let’s move forward and begin implementing these ideas today. While they may seem simple, they really are just that…15 ideas to create a better Fort Wayne.

WHAT GOES INTO A STREET

December 5, 2016

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Mayor Bill Peduto issued an executive order yesterday afternoon requiring the city to develop a new policy that will affect the design, construction and future maintenance of the city streets. The mayor said “investing in smart, multimodal transportation infrastructure is among the greatest needs facing Pittsburgh and will not only support economic growth, but the health and safety of everyone in the city.” This story is nothing new in our country, in fact hundreds of communities dotting the lower 48 have been executing new Complete Streets strategies to improve the overall economic and physical health of their cities. In fact, in 2012 Indianapolis was named the best new Complete Streets Policy in the entire country.

“Indianapolis is putting critical investments into our urban environment to make it more inviting to new businesses and residents,” said Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard in a statement. “Growing our workforce and attracting new talent requires Indianapolis to do everything possible to make our city a place where people easily can walk to amenities in their neighborhoods, bike and drive to and from work, and explore our many great attractions—a place where people want to call home.”

The question to many is, “what is a complete street and why the sudden change?” A new study by Substainable Cities Collective has provided powerful information on why Commplete Street Initiatives should be taken on by all cities.

1. Streets were usually safer: Automobile collisions declined in nearly 70% of projects
2. Safety provides a financial value: When cities have provided Complete Streets improvements, collectively it averted 18+ million in total collision costs in just one year. (within the sample only)
3. Streets encourage multimodal travel: Cities are experiencing a rise in biking, walking and transit rather than traditional car/truck travel.
4. Projects are cheap: The average cost of a project was just over $2 Million dollars which is far less than the average 10 million in STIP’s
5. Economic Development: Not only is Hoch Associates an architectural firm but a team of individuals that look for economic opportunity for our communities. The findings from the study suggest that projects were supportive of increased development, new businesses and relocation, higher property values and new private investment dollars resulting in stronger economic impacts for the communities in which they are completed

It’s sometimes hard to believe a study when you don’t see physical results but the economic impact that Complete Streets is having in cities like Dubuque Iowa are proof of the power. The study says the city reconsidered four main avenues in its historic Millwork District, replacing sidewalks, easing pedestrian walkways, adding new lights and painting bicyclist sharing lanes and a multi-use trail, the bicycle traffic has increased by 273 percent. Since the completion of the project, the Millwork neighborhood has experienced over $34 million in new private investment, with another $150 million that could be coming soon. City leaders all agree that the project has been a big success.

With the nation watching our story, and projects like Ash Brokerage/Skyline, what areas of Fort Wayne should we consider most in need for a Complete Streets push. We agree, the positives outweigh any of the negatives in the Complete Streets dialogue, yet our city hasn’t taken a serious look at this yet. We hope that soon in addition to the intricate public/private partnership with Skyline and the millennial targeted Randall and Superior lofts, our city will make news with asking what goes into a street. Providing a much needed multi-modal form of transportation in downtown and outlying Fort Wayne will only help continue putting us in front of the nation as a city to watch.

THE END OF ONE WAY STREETS

December 5, 2016

In the early 20th century, communities focused on creating vibrant downtowns with wide sidewalks, decorative landscaping and at most two to three lanes of traffic for travel by the locals. It wasn’t until the 1950’s as cities expanded rapidly from once exploding downtowns into fields and outreaches creating the great American suburbs dotted with shopping malls, highways and several one way streets to push traffic from the downtowns to the new extended footprint. This one-way phenomenon wasn’t just focused on large cities, but even the smaller rural communities as the generation of citizens were focused more on car travel and less on walkability. What city planners at the time didn’t foresee was the sociological impact that one way streets would have on the residents and neighborhoods that they were located in.

In 2010 as the first of the millennial generation began taking over city planning and traffic engineering departments nationwide a renewed emphasis was placed on creating great downtowns and the end of one-way streets. This required that we had to re-think the flow of traffic from focusing on neighborhood travel rather than fast outbound traffic. Not only was it a new found passion for the generation, but new statistics began playing a larger role. In the city of Louisville, officials converted two one way streets back to two way traffic and found that traffic collisions dropped by nearly 36 percent on one street and over 60 percent on the other. This was even after traffic increased on the newly traveled two way road. In addition to fewer accidents, the property values on the street increased and businesses saw new revenue and pedestrian traffic. What was more interesting was the amount of crime dropped, by nearly 25 percent while other areas and neighborhoods saw crime on the rise.

We at Hoch have been discussing the idea and importance behind complete streets in our communities. With the city of Fort Wayne recently returning both Ewing and Fairfield to two way travel streets and Indianapolis ranked among the highest in the country for complete street action plans, it’s exciting to see progress being made. Cities that changed the roads in the post-World War II era when they re-engineered around the car are now seeing the importance to cut crime, improve property values and calm traffic. While there is progress, we want to challenge more cities to make the change on their thoroughfares putting an emphasis on creating vibrant downtowns and stronger, safer and healthier neighborhoods.

ROADS ON A DIET | FORT WAYNE URBAN IDEAS

December 5, 2016

During Mayor Tom Henry’s neighborhood investment plan announcement, the call for additional road going on a diet including Oxford, Hessen Castle and others were a major part of the 20 Million dollar package for 2015. Earlier this week, we discussed how several cities are looking at declaring an end to one way streets as millennials continue to be focused on urban centers rather than vast suburban outreaches. This news is shocking to many as the previous generations looked at how widening roadways would create efficient travel opportunities to outlying destinations, essentially leaving the center of the city. In the 1950’s and until as recent as ten years ago, cities would spend millions each year on right of way and infrastructure widening projects. The concept of now going back into communities and putting these once wide travel paths on a diet are getting mixed reviews. Some leaders are concerned with the potential public outcry, yet many communities are now seeing the positive impact of complete streets and smaller, safer thoroughfares.

Another city recently made a huge step to reverse wide multi-lane roadways and enhance the neighborhood feel. Akron Ohio announced that a safety upgrade is planned for both Cedar and Exchange streets along a stretch between Portage Path and Broadway. City engineering officials are concerned that with so many lanes of one way traffic, the safety of people traveling continues to diminish as people are having weaving accidents, turning from incorrect lanes. Both Cedar and Exchange run near the urban center of the city and people often get confused with which lane to be in at specific intersections, which also increases the likelihood of pedestrian vs. vehicle accidents. City officials noted that in a three-year span, there were nearly 600 crashes, more than half of which were “categorized as sideswipe-passing.” The city is planning to spend $8.5 million dollars to “right-size” the number of lanes from five to two, adding bike lanes and street parking. It will also include upgrades to 21 intersections with new LED traffic control signals that will be interconnected through the area which will allow traffic to flow more efficiently.

It will be exciting to see additional upcoming street dieting and complete street projects in our cities. This is not just a trend but a new way our cities are being designed and built. The thought of several large open lanes in one direction to funnel residents and businesses out of the center to stronger and more vibrant downtowns and neighborhoods are the new normal. Fort Wayne is currently conducting a safer thoroughfare approach near downtown on Ewing, Main, Jefferson and Fairfield Streets.