Whitestown Redevelopment Commission approves three resolutions, authorizes economic-impact study for large projects

The Town of Whitestown Redevelopment Commission on Aug. 4 approved three resolutions that amend a taxpayer agreement, establish development agreements for the Mills on Main area and create two economic development allocation areas, and authorized the commission president to hire an advisory firm to produce economic-impact studies for large RDC-funded projects.

The actions adopted included: approval of meeting minutes from July 7, 2025 (with one abstention), approval of a legal-fees claim, Resolution 2025-12 (taxpayer-agreement amendment), Resolution 2025-13 (economic development agreement for Mills on Main roadway extension), Resolution 2025-14 (creation/adjustment of allocation areas including Mills on Main and Albert S. White), and a motion authorizing the RDC president to retain an advisory firm for economic-impact studies for projects that would use more than $1,000,000 in RDC funds, not to exceed $30,000 per study.

Resolution 2025-12: taxpayer-agreement amendment Staff said the resolution corrects earlier lot-numbering errors and removes one parcel from an existing taxpayer agreement tied to an industrial building on Lot 1, creating a new taxpayer agreement that applies only to the corrected parcel (identified in the packet as Lot 3). Counsel said the agreement is between the bondholder and the property owner and that the Redevelopment Commission and town are parties to the paperwork but are not financially responsible for developer-backed bonds. Counsel added that First Merchants is the bank involved and that the parcel includes a commitment that a gas station must obtain a certificate of occupancy by Jan. 10, 2029; if the developer meets that timeline the taxpayer responsibility for that parcel will be released. The commission voted to approve Resolution 2025-12; the motion passed unanimously.

Resolution 2025-13: Mills on Main economic development agreement Staff described Resolution 2025-13 as the economic development agreement that would have a developer construct a roadway extension east from Indigo Blue at South Main Street to the intersection with Phipps Lane, adjacent to the Walker Farms neighborhood. The developer of the single-family project to the north will build the adjacent 300-foot segment and a multifamily project to the south will build the remainder of the segment, including retail at the northwest corner of that parcel, staff said. Planning Commission and Town Council review remain required; the agreement comes first to the RDC and will return for confirmatory action after those reviews. Commissioners voted to approve Resolution 2025-13; the motion passed unanimously.

Resolution 2025-14: allocation areas and Bridal Oaks adjustments Staff explained Resolution 2025-14 creates the Mills on Main EDA and allocation area and the Albert S. White EDA and pulls certain single-family residential parcels out of the broader Bridal Oaks economic development area so the EDAs are contiguous and to avoid mixing parcels that are already supporting bonds tied to Phipps Lane. Staff identified existing and pending projects that are funding current bonds (Meadows on Main, a gas station, Paul's On Tap, a medical office and a multi-tenant retail building). The commission approved Resolution 2025-14; the motion passed unanimously. Staff said the resolution does not change the timelines for existing bonds; any new bonds would carry their own schedules.

Authorization to hire an economic-impact firm Under other business the commission president said he would like authorization to hire a professional firm to perform an economic-impact study for large projects that would require RDC capital. He proposed the threshold for such studies be projects that would use more than $1,000,000 of RDC funds and proposed a not-to-exceed cost of $30,000 per study. Commissioners discussed whether an RFP would be required; counsel confirmed an RFP is not required for professional services. The motion as moved and seconded authorized the RDC president to retain an advisory firm for economic-impact analyses under those limits; the motion passed.

Other procedural actions The commission approved the July 7, 2025 meeting minutes (vote tally recorded as three yes, zero no, one abstention; Kevin Russell recorded an abstention). The commission approved a claims item for legal fees. The meeting adjourned at about 7:25 a.m.

Why it matters The resolutions reshape the geographic and financial structure for portions of the Bridal Oaks and Mills on Main areas, clarifying which parcels and projects will support existing bonds and which will be part of new allocation areas and agreements. The economic-impact study authorization directs the RDC to obtain outside analysis before committing substantial RDC capital, adding an explicit threshold and a spending cap for that work.