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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNews Articles on Carmel Theater Park, CARMEL, Ind. .A crew from•'Dyna `'Lawn, Inc.; ;transplants a pine tree into Carmel's new downtown .mini-Park. The tree will be decorated during the holiday season to serve as•d:communi- ty Christmas tree . It rand other, trees.;were trans planted from the Carmel Public Library ground where they were being r'emovecttOs make way for a new wing; The NEWS Photo, John Flora. I Carmel :Theater ,owners Othmar and Libby, Grueninger say "Good-bye;': Carmel,c,:we'II' amiss :•you.''':' with this `sign ,on the closed °:= 'theater's;'. marquee . The.:; theater; Carmel's first, ,is being: sold to "the city for $5s,0o0 -for a, ±park` on ,the;:' one - eighth acre of :ground'4 ere, 21`'S Range ;Line Rd ` 'The city ;council voted last -month to.:-buy.- the theater and appropriated $10,000.. to tear the `la,ndrmark down to make way fori,the park. -The council M•ayord r� Jane Reiman, wh ihsFigated the sale, were worried` itw;ould become an *rated movie house. (Journal photo) `' 'BY JOHN FLORA" The Indianapolis News CARMEL, Ind. R.V. Welch ,Investments Inc. and Fidelity; Bank; of'Indianaahave:unveiled the plans for a ..160, 000 - plus minipark in` downtown Carmel. Development of the park;: on the site of the .:former. .Carmel Theatre.,,, is Jo : begin: next . week, . a Welch spokesman, F. Richard Rembusch, told the Carmel City Council :this week:_ -.; . ' Rembusch. said the ,majority:. of; the cost will be . borne by R.V..Welch.Investments. `- The firm's Motivation 'for undertaking the project;. ' Rembusch said stems frorri .`.'the : success we have experienced here in Carmel: We feel an obligation to return something tothe community over our property tax contribution?: The park is a project that if it were to require an appropriation, would have been:'more difficult for the city' to undertake," he ; said We hope it will : be significant to the revitalization of the downtown area." The park is bordered on ; the ;west by Range Line . Road; on the >south.'and .'east: by alleys and on the north by a building `which separates it from East Main Street. Plans call for a 6- foot. high; brick wall along. the .. north and east sides to= minimize the visual impact of other structures: There will be a -staging` >area on the north side for entertainment, `and; the:park will be landscaped with paving stones, benches and several trees and shrubs. Also included in the plans are la . fountain and a pool, as well as . a large:: evergreen;' tree which can be decorated each year for Christmas.: "We expect:to. begin ;:work: next week," Rembusch said; . "and the construction schedule. will be about ten ' '- 'weeks:' It's. possible some `, of the • plantings will be -- better perfor red in ,the fal i ! ' j , Richard L._French, president of • Fidelity Bant hailed the `park as "a quality project" and said, "We also support the cooperation between the business sector and, the public sector." In accepting the gift, Mayor Jane Reiman said,' "It's - the first large corporate gift that the city has ever received: That is a milestone. I'M hoping ..it, will lead the way for perhaps other people to be as' generous.' "We've been worried about the downtown," Mrs. Reiman said. "This is a beginning of a revitalization." City Councilman James Garretson said he has shared Mayor. Reiman's concern for the future of the downtown area, particularly when it came to light that the Carmel Theatre was to be sold. • The city' bought the theater and :demolished it earlier this year rather than take the chance it might fall into the hands of someone who would use it to show X -rated films. "We knew just providing more parking wasn't what . would draw people to the downtown area. Aesthetics draw people," Garretson said. "This (park project) is something that I don't think the city, with its resources, could ever have built as well as you have," he .told Rembusch and French. "A lot of people don't realize how many elderly people- are still in old Carmel and walk to do their shopping and banking," he said, adding the park wil - be .much appreciated by the community's senior citizens. . The landscaping of the park was done by Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Inc. in consultation with city officials. More Metro news; page 56 The News Photo, John Flora • arrnel businesswoman Ruth Dilger enjoys a quiet moment' in) Downtown' Park in Carmel. • umer. By JOHN; :FLORA‘,.„ The Indianapolis News CARMEL, Ind. ^Carmel' City officials will gather Sunday to celebratemultiple acts., of generosity and civic sprit < The occasion ?Lis the ?t2 p.m ;dedication of the Carmel Downtown Park -ail .acre tract .att21 , outh nerosoty: civic ` spirit {® ` be ` celebrat t purchase; the building for use as a theater. The park has a large evergreen .to deco: My concern, of course; was that it would turn -. rate at Christmastime • a small fountain two'.;'. into an X -rated •movie .house in downtown sides with brick wait for''privacy; a grassy' Carmel," Mrs. Reiman °saidk area as well as a stone walking area,-a small .lj "I' asked Libby (Mrs..Grueninger) what 'stone staging area and plenty of flower beds. price 'she` would 'accept and if she would be , „ willing to sell to the city of Carmel We" in • "In the very best sense of the word," Mrs. Y. Range.;Linefload on the site of return,'.: would demolish :the the building so it Reiman said, "this was ,a private-public pro r CarnieT'Fheater used =':for this''- type`?otw movie `w]ect;aw hythe_scity ,expaending approximately.;; _� The story of the park, -Mayor Jane, Rei -. house and would .'turn the one-eighth acre $65,000 and R.V. Welch Investments "and Fi into a beautiful ark.. .. delay providing about $70,000 as well as all mansaid, is a story about, •a very good p • , .• the ether. contributions of labor and material. ";', :person, Ehzbeth Gruemnger wh4,was sole , : .1' Her: asking. price' was'. a very fair $55,000: + owner�,of the; Carmel Theater ;-`` r ":She was`.and is a..concerned citizen'; of this Because' Carmel does' not have a park''. x rg rMrs , Grueningerti father g,Dr Harry , ;community." She coulii have received ;twice department,' maintenance of the park will be' Jones' a` longtimedentist here m Carmel,.built that amount and more from both offers she done'by street deparment personnel..,. the theateron a vacant lotrin the` 1940s ,.w, *,,, hid from out- of•state, ",she said 1,; ',."They're. Very .proud +of• the' park: because;'• ; "The theater.made a great contribution to ,•, t• Within 48 : hours ;•' the city council had • in "many cases, they worked along with •the, ".', the residents for :a' period of abou•35'years. It authorized the expenditure of $65,000, for the Jim Johnson the project manager and the was a place for all the'young'people in'the " °project . $55,000 to =buy ,the theater and other Welch people,". Mrs. Reiman said. - ,, Hamilton ; County'; area and: Northside of In $10,000 for. its demolition. "Several things have evolved :in the park -:. dianapolis'to go to th'e;,Saturday Matinee," "In:November 1984, ",Mrs. Reiman saiid,`."I — ; by chance," she said One day I was check; Mrs Reicrian'said. i ;,, t ' was at a social function of the R.V. Welch ingi on the progress of the park 'and Shep The theater was deeded to Mrs Gruen Investment folks and Michael Browning; the Cutler, a member of the Carmel Kiwanis Club roger; at the death of': her °,father and she president; told me he had been reviewing the was passing by He asked, 'Who's going to put s;.. attempted to keep up the. tradition of a good corporate giving for the company and noticed the flowers in for you ?' , family theater by showing only ,'`G' or `PG• "I looked at him and .said, 'How about the movies it had•not given a corporate gift to the city of , • Carmel up to that date. Kiwanis Club ?' ' Unfortunately in the early`• 1980s, fewer . "Within two weeks, Shep had .taken, that and fewer patrons used :the theater and so, in He simply said to me; 'What can we do request to the Kiwanis -Club and four :mem late 1983, she found'it necessary to ,look for for the city of Carmel ?' , bers planted all the chrysanthemums. in the: buyer for that piece' of' property, ",she said. "It was such a surprise, because no one park. It cost more than.$300," she said. :Carmel's Northvieiw,,Christian - Church` of- - had ever asked me before, that I drew a Persons wishing to contribute to the flow fered to ^buy the theater -and turnit, into a complete blank. Michael said it was the first ers in the park may direct checks to: youth center. To the ;mayor's surprise, the time he had seen me-speechless," she said. Carmel Downtown ' Park Flower • Fund City Hall, Carmel, Ind. 46032. "We hope to have ' a small Christmas, program and a tree - lighting ceremony at the :: idea was rejected by the Board ,of, Zoning • "Michael said, `What are you going to do Appeals ' •:: ,, . • , j;; with the park when you take down the '`I phoned the- Grueningers''and expressed Carmel Theater ?' my,'disappointment and,, asked. what! might ``I told him my intent was to visit all, the park in mid - December andi,next spring ewe:; happen•next, knowing that a theater -- under men's and women's clubs in the city, between will invite the Carmel Symphony Orchestr *a to our, zoning laws ,_ can' always'. remain a January and April 1985 to ask for contribu- perform a concert there," she said..', • theater,; either G';'rated or `X' rated ',depend tions because the city could not afford to . In a way, however, the dedication ceremo- make a park out of the•land," she said nies. will be slightly anti - climactic. ' "Michael immediately :.said, 'Jane,.: R.V.. "Clerk- Treasurer : Dorothy Hancock ada Welch. Investments and Fidelity. Bank of Indi- . vised me last week. she had . already per• , aria would like to take on 'that project as a formed a- marriage; by•request by 'the foun • corporate gift to the city of Carmel. tain in the park," Mrs: Reimansaid,. mg on,,who owns -it and never haveyto go to any boards: or commissions to •change 'owner- ship - �y `I`met with Mrs,,Grueninger. • She had, at that point, received offers from out of state to as 5 Cor �- orate STAR METRO REPORT Carmel, Ind. — Thanks . to a donation from R.V. Welch Invest - ments Inc. and ,Fidelity Bank of Indiana, Carmel will soon have the kind of park Mayor Jane A. Reiman had envisioned on the site of the old Carmel Theater. _ .. Mrs. Reiman had led city efforts to purchase the theater when she feared it might someday be sold to a firm that would show X -rated movies. To prevent that, the city bought the theater in late 1984 and demolished the downtown landmark this spring, hoping to build a park in its place. The gift from the two companies is making that possible, Mrs. Rei- man said Tuesday. "This is our first corporate gift. It's a milestone for us," she said. "We're very grateful. 1 didn't solicit it. They came forward." F. Richard Rembusch, a vice president with Welch, said Welch will underwrite the expenses, paying the majority of the costs with the remainder paid for by a "substan- tial" donation from Fidelity. _ The exact figures will depend on the final cost, which is expected to be more than $60,000, he said. Construction on the new park, located at '21 South Range Line Road, should begin next week and be completed in about 10 weeks. The new park will feature a decorative pool and fountain, 6 -foot- high brick walls on the north and east sides, extensive landscaping with paving stones and benches, and a small staging area. A large evergreen also will be planted near the front of the park and, Mrs. Reiman said, will be decorated each Christmas. _The park is as yet unnamed, though Mrs. Reiman said she favors calling it "The Downtown Park." "We'll always know where it is then," she said, adding that the also hopes the park will aid revitalization of downtown Carmel. Mrs. Reiman said Michael G. Browning, president of Welch In- vestments, asked her late last fall if there was a city project his , firm could -assist in. She told him about the theater, and said she planned to go to service clubs for help. In response, he sent his firm's architects and site planners to her to begin planning the park. Rembusch said the company "became aware that for the city to construct the park, it would require a significant appropriation ... that might stand in the way of this being a first -class project."