The long-shuttered Shell Station just north of the Central Canal on College would be the site of new taxpayer-subsidized apartments, parking, and an organic grocery store. Midtown tax increment financing (TIF) district funds (the district runs from 38th and Fall Creek north to Broad Ripple) would be used for the mixed-use complex if all goes as planned.

Joe Scimia of Faegre Baker and Daniels described the proposal to the Broad Ripple Land Use Committee on April 23, 2013. According to meeting minutes posted on the BRVA website, the project would include a 35,000 square foot organic grocery store, 88 new apartments, and a 280 space parking garage at the site of the shuttered Shell Station at 64th and College and the apartments currently behind it. The complex would be 5 stories with 4 stories of apartments.

Broad Ripple's city councilman, Will Gooden, said he supported the TIF financing for the project which will generate more TIF funds for other projects. "The concept of TIF financing is a good one for Midtown and north Midtown," he told The Broad Ripple Gazette. Gooden said he was excited about getting the TIF concept going. Like the new Broad Ripple parking garage, this project would add to the TIF base, he continued. It will help the rest of the district and Midtown.

Also supporting the project was Marc Lotter, Communications Director for Mayor Ballard. He said it was great news for Broad Ripple that the area is looking good for economic development. Obviously a lot of study was done on the marketplace, traffic, and the like by the developer which is why they picked the site, according to Lotter.

With rents for a one bedroom apartment in Broad Ripple approaching $1,000 per month and no new apartments nor condos being built in years despite the strong demand, tenants might like more options. Gary Ricks, tenant at an apartment complex one mile north of the Village, said he welcomed 88 new units of apartments. "Certainly Broad Ripple needs more housing close and convenient to the Village. That's good for everybody," he said. (However, the existing 40 units of apartments behind the Shell Station would be demolished under the plan so the net increase in apartments is smaller.)

Not everyone is thrilled by the proposal, however. Rudy Nehrling, President of the nearby Good Earth Foods (which sits just behind the proposed project area), has concerns about taxpayer support for the project (via tapping into the new mid-town tax increment financing). He and 11 others protested the project at the recent grand opening ceremonies of the new parking garage and has also started a petition drive against the project. His concerns are:

• There is a lack of grocery stores between 38th Street and 64th Street so city tax incentives should be used instead in this "food desert" area instead of Broad Ripple.
• Does Whole Foods (who Nehrling thinks is the grocer) need $5 million in "local Hoosier tax dollars" to build another store just two miles from its existing location? The 35,000 square foot store is too large for the Village as well.
• The project at 5 stories (and 2 acres) is too large for the Broad Ripple Village area.
• At 85 feet, the project would be too tall (current zoning is for 50 feet) as well.

"Broad Ripple was always a village with small stores," Rudy told The Broad Ripple Gazette. The new TIF is to help neighborhoods that need help such as 38th and Fall Creek, he continued. Nehrling said less than one month after the TIF was enacted, Browning Investments is now proposing this project and asking for taxpayer incentives.

(Other groceries in the area include the Fresh Market on College, 2 Targets (at Glendale and Nora) which now sell food, 3 Kroger Stores (Broad Ripple Village, 71st and Keystone, and on 86th Street),Walmart on Keystone, 2 Marsh stores (on 86th Street and in the Glendale area ), and the Whole Foods in Nora Plaza.)

Whole Foods Midwest corporate office spokesperson Keith Stewart said the company does not comment on proposed projects until a lease has been signed. He did confirm the Nora store is being upgraded to better serve customers.

Per Brooke Klejnot, Executive Director of the Broad Ripple Village Association, the group has not taken a position on the proposal. However, the group would like to see something done at the former Shell gas station site which she said needs a lot of environmental clean up. She said the project would go before the Board of Zoning Appeals on June 6.

Calls and emails to Mr. Scimia and to the developer's office, Browning Investments, were not returned as of press time.