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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApplication: Additional Information ARKWOOD WE1 'rte S PROJECT PERSPECTIVE %CS* INTRODUCTION \" \ � Indianapolis-based Duke-Weeks Realty Corporation proposes to create an upscale corporate headquarters and office campus known as Parkwood West. The campus, to be zoned as a Planned Unit Dewopment, shall be located on a 36-acre site on the north side of West 96`h Street between Mei at n S,t er egand Spring Mill Road in Carmel, Indiana. Parkwood West shall offer a secure, aesthetically pleasing environment for its corporate clients while respecting the needs and sensitivities of area residents. The proposed site development plan for Parkwood West is based upon, and reflects many of the concerns and opinions of its future neighbors and the government officials who must ultimately approve it. The plan contains significant modifications from the proposal first presented in 1999. Each of these modifications is intended to minimize impact on residents and businesses within a one-mile radius of the site, and is reflected in the following areas: Project Size The proposed project is significantly smaller in scale than that originally marked for rezoning in 1999. A 19-acre parcel north of Interstate 465 near the Hewlett-Packard building and a 10-acre parcel east of Meridian and south of I-465 have been dropped from the project. Parkwood West shall encompass a maximum of 561,000 square feet, a 36% reduction of the 869,000 square feet previously proposed. The revised plan calls for three (3) five-story Class A-office buildings, two (2) parking plazas and the potential development of two premium full-service restaurants to be located on the southeast quadrant of the property (northwest corner of West 96th Street and Meridian Street). Maximum heights of the three:office buildings shall not exceed 100 feet. Removal of Retail Center-Hotel The 110,000-square-foot retail center proposed in 1999 for the northeast corner of 96th Street and U.S. 31 in 1999 has been eliminated from the current plan. The revised plan calls for the incorporation of upscale restaurants within the corporate campus setting. This incorporation shall include office buildings and up to two(2)full-service,executive menu restaurants. Plans for a 300-room hotel have also been dropped. Visibility-Lighting Great care has been taken to preserve and protect sight lines of homeowners immediately south and west of the project. Tree-lined landscaping berms along 96`h Street and Spring Mill Road will stand a minimum height of 14 feet at treetop level at the commencement of development, increasing to nearly 20 feet at treetop level in five years. Combining innovative architecture, natural features such as a pond, outdoor terraces and a highly- landscaped central courtyard with water feature and brick pavers, Parkwood West reflects Duke-Weeks' commitment to fashioning public space of the highest design and planning standards. Low-impact, covered standard lighting will be utilized throughout the project. Berming and lighting in Parkwood West shall conform to standards established at Duke-Weeks Parkwood project, located immediately east of the project site on East 96th Street. Avatar bommunications Group,Ltd. 1905 Crown Plaza Boulevard • Plainfield,Indiana 46168 Phone:317-837-9832 Fax:317-837-994.1 E-Mail:•preno @ avatarpr.com , Parking Parkingplazas are oriented to run south to north in order to further minimize exposure to homeowners on the south side of 96th Street. At maximum heights of 13 feet and 23 feet for Plazas "A" (west side) and "B" (east side), these plazas will be naturally screened from 96th Street and the intersection of 96th Street and Spring Mill Road using landscaped berms and trees. Total parking is 2,146 spaces or 37% fewer spaces than proposed in the 1999. Traffic-Access Studies to determine the most appropriate improvements to 96`h Street between Meridian Street and Springmill Road are underway. Initial studies suggest that 96th Street should be widened to four lanes from Meridian Street west to the main entrance of Parkwood West. The intersection of 96th and Meridian Streets shall be enhanced to maintain or improve the existing capacity of the intersection. Additionally, an exclusive exit ramp from eastbound I-465 to Parkwood West shall be constructed to minimize or eliminate any impact on southbound Meridian. Traffic engineers have determined that Parkwood West will not cause significant congestion with these improvements in place. • There shall be NO access to the site from North Springmill Road. Drainage Drainage requirements for Parkwood West shall be accommodated by the excavation of a detention pond fronted by a greenbelt on the north side of the property fronting 1-465, and in accordance with Indiana law will not impact the Williams Creek flood plain or existing residences in the immediate vicinity of the project. Signage As a Planned Unit Development all Parkwood West signage shall conform to the specific signage provisions of the PUD and the existing sign ordinance the City of Carmel as it relates to size and placement. NO billboard signage shall be located within Parkwood West. SUMMARY As evidenced in the areas outlined above, Duke-Weeks believes the concept development plan for Parkwood West represents a thoughtful, well-reasoned compromise that attempts to balance its needs as a property owner with those of the project's neighbors. By creating an optimum, first-class business environment that will attract leading firms and professional, highly-educated employees, Duke-Weeks is supporting the City of Carmel's Comprehensive Plan and the ongoing initiative to establish Carmel as a leading "Edge City." After paying for the roadway improvements,Parkwood West stands to generate $17 million in additional property taxes for the City of Carmel over the next 20 years, in addition to funding$5 million in road improvements. It is the position of Duke-Weeks that Parkwood West will serve as an appropriate and beneficial use of the site, creating positive economic impact and enhancing quality of life for citizens of the City of Carmel, Clay Township and Hamilton County. Construction of Parkwood West is planned to begin in spring 2001 with completion of the first office building one year later. The entire project is expected to be completed by December 2003. Contacts: Ernie Reno 837-9832 Donna Hovey 808-6000 Avatar Communications Group,Ltd. 2 1905 Crown Plaza Boulevard • Plainfield,Indiana 46168 Phone:317-837-9832 Fax:317-837-9941 E-Mail:ereno @avatarpr.com �; - • • 1 11 ht). PARKWOOD WEST r;tcki ® FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN' 23 2000 T Does 4 WHAT IS PARKWOOD WEST? Parkwood West is an upscale corporate office campus to be located on a 36-acre site-on t - north side of West 96th Street between Meridian Street and Spring Mill Road in Carmel, Indiana. Parkwood West has been designed to offer a secure, aesthetically pleasing natural setting for its corporate clients while respecting the needs and sensitivities of area residents. HOW DOES PARKWOOD WEST DIFFER FROM THE PLAN ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED IN 1999? The proposed site development plan for Parkwood West is based upon, and reflects many of the concerns and opinions of its future neighbors and the government officials who must ultimately approve it. Several meetings and discussions have been held with concerned and interested parties to resolve concerns wherever possible and practical. Therefore, the revised plan contains significant modifications from the proposal last presented in 1999, all intended to minimize impact on residents and businesses within a one-mile radius of the site. Those improvements are reflected in the following areas: SIZE The proposed project is significantly smaller in scale than that originally marked for rezoning in 1999. A 19-acre parcel north of Interstate 465 near the Hewlett-Packard building and a 10-acre parcel east of Meridian and south of I-465 have been dropped from the project. Parkwood West shall encompass approximately 561,000 square feet, a 36% reduction of the 869,000 square feet previously proposed. The revised plan calls for three (3) five-story Class A- office buildings, two (2) parking plazas and the potential development of two (2) upscale full- service restaurants to be located on the southeast quadrant of the property (northwest corner of West 96th Street and Meridian Street). Maximum heights of the three office buildings shall not exceed 100 feet. REMOVAL OF RETAIL CENTER - HOTEL The 110,000-square-foot retail center proposed in 1999 for the northeast corner of 96th Street and U.S. 31 in 1999 has been eliminated from the current plan. The revised plan calls for the incorporation of upscale restaurants within the corporate campus setting. This incorporation shall include office buildings and up to two (2) full-service, executive menu restaurants. Plans for a 300-room hotel have also been dropped. Avatar Communications Group,Ltd. 1905 Crown Plaza Boulevard • Plainfield,Indiana 46168 Phone:317-837-9832 Fax:317-837-9941 E-Mail:ereno @avatarpr.com • VISIBILITY -LIGHTING Great care has been taken to preserve and protect sight lines of homeowners immediately south and west of the project. Tree-lined landscaping berms along 96th Street and Spring Mill Road will stand a minimum height of 14 feet at treetop level at the commencement of development, increasing to nearly 20 feet at treetop level in five years. Combining innovative architecture, natural features such as a pond, outdoor terraces and a highly-landscaped central courtyard with water feature and brick pavers, Parkwood West reflects Duke-Weeks commitment to fashioning public space of the highest design and planning standards. Low-impact, covered standard lighting will be utilized throughout the project. Berming and lighting in Parkwood West shall conform to standards established at Duke-Weeks Parkwood project, located immediately east of the project site on East 96th Street. PARKING Parking plazas are oriented to run south to north in order to further minimize exposure to homeowners on the south side of 96th Street. At maximum heights of 13 feet and 23 feet for Plazas "A" (west side) and `B" (east side) respectively; these two-level plazas will naturally screened from 96th Street or the intersection of 96th Street and Spring Mill Road using landscaped berms and trees. Total parking is 2,146 spaces or 37% fewer spaces than proposed in the 1999 plan. 10 HOW WILL THE PROPOSED PROJECT IMPACT TRAFFIC FLOW? Studies to determine the most appropriate improvements to 96th Street between Meridian Street and Springmill Road are underway. Initial studies suggest that 96th Street should be widened to four lanes from Meridian Street west to the main entrance of Parkwood West. The intersection of 96th and Meridian Streets shall be enhanced to maintain or improve the existing capacity of the intersection. Additionally, an exclusive exit ramp from eastbound I-465 to Parkwood West shall be constructed to minimize or eliminate any impact on southbound Meridian. Traffic engineers have determined that Parkwood West will not cause significant congestion with these improvements in place. There shall be NO access to the site from North Springmill Road. WILL THE PROJECT IMPACT DRAINAGE IN ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL AREAS? Drainage requirements for Parkwood West shall be accommodated by the excavation of a detention pond fronted by a greenbelt on the north side of the property fronting I-465, and in accordance with Indiana law will not impact the Williams Creek flood plain or existing residences in the immediate vicinity of the project. Avatar Communications Group,Ltd. 2 1905 Crown Plaza Boulevard • Plainfield,Indiana 46168 Phone:317-837-9832 Fax:317-837-9941 E-Mail:ereno @avatarpr.com • WHAT ABOUT SIGNAGE? As a Planned Unit Development all Parkwood West signage shall conform to the specific signage provisions of the PUD and the existing sign ordinance the City of Carmel as it relates to size and placement. NO billboard signage shall be located within Parkwood West. WHY DOES DUKE-WEEKS WANT TO BUILD PARKWOOD WEST ON THIS SITE? With its adjacency to comparable commercial projects and immediate access to major traffic arteries, Duke-Weeks believes the revised concept development plan for Parkwood West represents a reasoned compromise that attempts to balance our needs as a property owner with those of the project's neighbors. There is strong market demand among leading corporate users for the type of setting that will be offered by Parkwood West. The project site is located in the heart of the U.S. 31/Interstate 465 corridor, established as the second-largest office market in the City, and represents the remaining undeveloped parcel of the U.S. 31 interchange with I-465. Parkwood West will offer convenient access to the Carmel/U.S. 31 office and retail corridor, Downtown Indianapolis, Indianapolis International Airport, and the residential, educational, entertainment and recreational amenities of Indianapolis and Carmel. WHAT IMPACT WILL PARKWOOD WEST HAVE ON THE TAX BASE? By creating an optimum, first-class environment that will attract leading firms and professional, highly-educated employees, Parkwood West stands to generate $17 million in additional property taxes for the City of Carmel over the next 20 years, in addition to funding approximately $5 million in roadway improvements. WHAT IS THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE FOR PARKWOOD WEST? Duke-Weeks hopes to begin construction of the project by spring 2001, with completion and occupancy of the first office building in spring 2002. The project is expected to be fully developed by the end of 2003. 1( WHO IS DUKE-WEEKS REALTY CORPORATION? Duke-Weeks Realty Corporation, headquartered in Indianapolis, is one of the nation's leading real estate companies. Duke-Weeks operates in 16 markets, developing and managing a portfolio of office, warehouse/distribution, industrial and retail properties. Contacts: Ernie Reno 837-9832 Donna Hovey 808-6000 Avatar Communications Group,Ltd. 3 1905 Crown Plaza Boulevard • Plainfield,Indiana 46168 Phone:317-837-9832 Fax:317-837-9941 E-Mail:ereno@avatarpr.com