Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Carmel mayor outlines redevelopment plans for US 31 corridor, CNO site and infrastructure investments
Summary
Mayor Bingham told a small-business luncheon that the city is pressing redevelopment of the US 31 corridor and the 68‑acre former CNO campus, while stepping up parking enforcement and safety projects to drive customer access and traffic safety.
Mayor Bingham told attendees at the Carmel Small Business Network lunch that the city will continue pushing redevelopment on the US 31 corridor and the former CNO corporate campus and emphasized a concurrent push on parking enforcement and street-safety investments.
"We have 1,000,000 square feet of vacancy along the US 31 Corridor," Bingham said, urging entrepreneurs and property owners to consider higher-density and mixed‑use redevelopment. He described the CNO site as "roughly 68 acres" and said it is on the market with active efforts to attract a sale and subsequent redevelopment.
The mayor described several large projects either underway or in early phases — including Hines’ purchase of a redevelopment parcel, Republic Airways’ new headquarters, Monash Square (north), Civic Square condos, North End Phase 2 senior housing and other private investments — and said those projects together could represent "probably $1.5–$2,000,000,000" of economic impact (transcript phrasing approximate).
Bingham also outlined operational steps intended to improve customer access downtown: the city plans to hire additional parking‑enforcement staff and adopt new software to better track time‑limited and handicap parking, saying tickets will be "a little painful" by design to deter repeat violators. He encouraged business owners to report persistent parking problems so staff can follow up.
On traffic safety, the mayor said the city is investing in roundabouts, raised crosswalks and heavier paving work, noting a recent increase in pavement spending from roughly $4.5–$5 million historically to about $8.5 million over the past two years. He framed these projects as safety‑first efforts to slow speeds and reduce crashes while keeping roads in strong repair.
Bingham urged small businesses to use city marketing assets — photography and video the city makes available — and to engage with event programming that draws visitors. "If you're looking for talent, or you're looking to sell the next house, or you're looking to grow your business ... this is exactly what we want you to talk about," he said.
The mayor closed by inviting written questions for a Q&A and encouraged continued engagement with city staff and attendance at future small‑business meetings.
