Marc Crumpton has been in Broad Ripple since 1973. He started as a cabinet maker working for Leo Stenz Construction. In 1983 Marc bought the Dawson building located at 916 Westfield Boulevard, between Turandot and Monon Coffee Company, where he opened Broad Ripple Refinishing. After more than 20 years of restoring antique furniture, he is ready to retire.

Marc has been considering this move for some time. He used his artistic talents to design a new building for the lot. "I have lived in Broad Ripple for over 30 years," said Marc, "and I know exactly what should be built in this spot. I designed a building with a 1900's feel in the Arts and Crafts style. The facade has natural field stones and clinker brick, with a natural limestone trim. It will enhance the streetscape of the village."

The new design is a three-story, 10,880 square foot building suitable for a mix of retail, restaurant, and office space. "We are talking to several clients now," explained Kurt Meyer, president and founder of Baseline, Inc., the real estate firm handling the leasing. "Our focus is on national and regional businesses, although we are certainly not excluding local ones. We can adapt the leasing to fit the business. There could be a small shop owned by the boutique division of a larger store on the ground floor with a high-end restaurant on the upper two floors. Or maybe a restaurant on the ground floor and offices on the upper floors."

The zoning for the new development has been passed, and the plans are nearly complete. According to Kurt, once the tenants are in place, the new businesses could be ready to move in to the new building in as little as eight months.

The north side of the property ends at the canal. There is another project underway that will transform this area along the canal between Westfield and Guilford into a public promenade. "We look forward to the completion of the canal beautification project," said Marc. "We also support turning the individual parking lots along the canal into a easy-to-manuever common lot. We might lose a couple of parking spots, but the result would be more usable for all."

Details of Crumpton's plans for 916 Westfield Boulevard can be viewed on the Baseline website www.baseline1.com.