Tag Archives: fishers

Construction set to begin in Fishers

HAND staff and board members
Current News, Fishers, ,

Almost two years after being awarded $2 million to build an 11-unit rental community in Fishers, HAND Inc. hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the site June 15 to celebrate the start of construction.

The project had been on hold due rising construction costs, but HAND was able to proceed thanks to a $1.4 million low-interest loan from IMPACT Central Indiana, the impact-investing affiliate of Hamilton County Community Foundation and Central Indiana Community Foundation.

HCCF's Tom Kilian speaks at the Cumberland Cottages groundbreaking ceremony.

HCCF President Tom Kilian Jr. spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, heralding the opportunity the project is creating for working families in Fishers. Inclusive economic growth is one of the foundation’s strategic priorities.

HAND Executive Director Andrea Davis also addressed the crowd, thanking construction and design team members Meyer Najem, David Rausch Studio, and Weihe Engineers for their commitment to the project despite the delays.

Fishers-based Meyer Najem is the general contractor on the $4.6 million project. Rausch, based in Zionsville, is the architect, and Carmel-based Weihe handled civil engineering.

In addition to IMPACT Central Indiana, funders include the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, the Hamilton County Community Development Block Grant program, and the Crosser Family Foundation. Citizens State Bank provided initial project funding.

Six of the 11 units will be reserved for residents earning up to 60 percent of area median income, a population that is funding it increasingly difficult to afford to live in Hamilton County. The remainder will be available at market-rate rents.

Founded in 2003, HAND is based in Noblesville. It leases a total of 142 rental homes to low- and moderate-income residents in Hamilton, Boone, and Tipton counties. Cumberland Cottages will be HAND’s first property in Fishers.

Members of the Cumberland Cottages design and construction team are ready to get started.
From left, County Commissioner Steve Dillinger and State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn joined HAND’s Andrea Davis, Fishers City Councilor Crystal Neumann, County Councilor Sue Maki, and Fishers City Councilor Jocelyn Vare at the groundbreaking ceremony on June 15.
Funding partners Peter Nelson from IHCDA, Tom Kilian from HCCF/Impact Central Indiana, and Aimee Jacobsen from the Noblesville Housing Authority joined the fun.
HAND staff and board members
HAND staffers Kelley Romweber and Rebekah Metzger joined board members Nick Surak, Brittany Heidenreich, ED Andrea Davis, and board members Lauren Guynn, ME Barwacz, and Kert Toler for a photo at the site.

Partner Feature: SouthPointe Village meets need for affordable, accessible housing

Current News, Fishers, , ,

How’s this for evidence that Fishers needs more housing the city’s growing workforce can afford? It took RealAmerica Cos. just two weeks to lease up its new 62-unit SouthPointe Village apartment community.

SouthPointe Village’s success is testament to the demand for beautiful, affordable, accessible homes for those who want to live, work, and play in Fishers.

A quarter of the apartments at SouthPointe Village are reserved for residents with disabilities, and the entire property was designed to be accessible. Residents also have access to four on-site service providers that serve the disabled population — a first for Fishers and Indiana.

Fishers was an ideal location for SouthPointe Village because Hamilton Southeastern Schools have excellent programs for individuals with disabilities. But after graduation, they struggle to find affordable housing with services to help them live independently.

“Fishers has great resources, but we don’t have affordable housing for our workforce who support folks with disabilities,” said Kelly Hartman, co-chair of the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability and founder of Outside the Box. “And we don’t have the opportunity to have folks with disabilities integrated into the community.”

RealAmerica stepped in and partnered with four local service providers to provide on-site services at SouthPointe Village for persons with disabilities. Janus Developmental Services, Outside the Box, Insights, and Opportunities for Positive Growth are working together to help residents with life skills, education, employment training, and independent living. Additionally, Janus has on-site offices on the first floor of SouthPointe to provide easy accessibility for residents and their families.

“We’ve had strong advocacy for folks with disabilities, and we know that housing is a critical shortage for those individuals,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Integrated into SouthPointe will be units that are tailor-made for individuals with disabilities, and this demonstrates a sensitivity to the community and the context for why we’re developing these projects. That in itself is a testament to both RealAmerica’s and the community’s desire to develop something that is accretive to our community.”

At SouthPointe Village, 25 percent of homes were aside for individuals with disabilities, and the entire building is accessible (including raised and lowered garden beds, sidewalks around each community amenity, elevators, automated doors on both ends of the building, and more).

Located at 11245 Lantern Road in Fishers’ thriving Nickel Plate District, SouthPointe is in a prime location for persons with disabilities to be close to employment and their families.

Cecilia Coble, former Fishers City Council President and co-chair of the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability, said, “A lot of families, like myself, want to be close to their loved one with a disability. And unfortunately, with the lack of affordable housing, it’s hard for loved ones to be close to their parents and grandparents and remain in the community in which they grew up. So, we’re really excited and proud to be a part of this project with RealAmerica.”  

SouthPointe Village is a four-story, 62-unit property, offering residents two different open-concept, 1- and 2-bedroom floor plans. All apartments include full-sized, in-unit washers and dryers, luxury plank flooring, built-in kitchen appliances, a balcony or patio, upgraded soundproof flooring and windows, ceiling fans, energy-efficient features, and free in-unit internet service.

Other featured amenities include a dog park and pet spa, an on-site fitness room, an indoor playground and reading corner, sky deck, community room with a kitchen for entertaining and gathering, community garden, bike share program, craft room, computer resource center, and 529 plan funding for resident children. 

The official grand opening took place on Friday, Oct. 8, and included speeches from the City Council, Executive Director of IHCDA, RealAmerica President and Owner Ronda Shrewsbury, and service providers. The grand opening included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, vendor fair, apartment tours, and an on-site food truck. The event was well-attended by the community, officials, and residents.  

SouthPointe Village would not be possible without RealAmerica’s proven commitment to quality, affordable housing, the support of the City of Fishers, the City Council, Mayor Scott Fadness, the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, and the service providers’ support and partnership. Additional financial partners include Boston Financial and Merchants Capital. 

For more information about SouthPointe Village, visit homeatsouthpointevillage.com. To learn more about RealAmerica’s services and newest properties, visit www.RealAmericaLLC.com or find RealAmerica LLC on Facebook and LinkedIn.

HAND awarded $2M for planned workforce housing development in Fishers

Current News, ,

The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority’s Board of Directors voted today to award HAND Inc. a $1.5 million grant from its HOME Investment Partnerships program and a $500,000 loan from its Development Fund to support construction of 11 rental cottages in Fishers.

HAND, a nonprofit community housing development organization based in Noblesville, plans to invest more than $3 million to build Cumberland Cottages. Hamilton County previously allocated $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to HAND for property acquisition.

HAND will continue to seek additional funding for the project, which will also utilize a loan from Citizens State Bank.

Cumberland Cottages is planned for almost 2 acres of mostly vacant land at the southwest corner of Cumberland Road and 141st Street in Fishers. Earlier this year, the Fishers City Council agreed to rezone the property to allow for the development.

Plans call for building four two-bedroom units and seven three-bedroom units in what’s known as a cottage court layout, clustered around shared green space. Six of the 11 cottages will be reserved for residents who earn no more than 60 percent of area median income.

This will be HAND’s first rental property in Fishers. It owns eight rental communities in Hamilton and Boone counties—in Carmel, Cicero, Noblesville, Sheridan, and Lebanon—leasing almost 140 affordable apartments to low-income residents. Construction of a ninth, in Tipton, is expected to start this fall.

“We know that residents throughout Hamilton County need a wide range of housing options—including some affordable ones—and HAND is thrilled to be able to help,” said Executive Director Andrea Davis.

As part of its application for HOME funding, HAND signed service agreements with more than a dozen local nonprofits that may be able to assist residents of Cumberland Cottages. Tenants will receive information about community partners’ services at move-in.

Construction is expected to begin early next year, following the completion of a federal environmental review and the city of Fishers’ approval of the final development plan.

HAND has enlisted the help of several local firms to develop Cumberland Cottages. Project partners include David Rausch Studio, Jung Design, Context Design, Weihe Engineers, and Meyer Najem Construction.

Partner feature: RealAmerica builds housing for ‘missing middle’ seniors

Current News, Fishers,

Indianapolis developer RealAmerica continues to stride ahead of the curve, building innovative housing concepts in Fishers. One of its newest properties, Ritchey Reserve, is designed for growing group of seniors.

With the retirement age rising and pensions decreasing, many seniors are unable to simply retire and live in a high-priced condo. Yet based on their income, they are unable to qualify for affordable housing options.

RealAmerica owner and President Ronda Shrewsbury Weybright, calls this the “Missing Middle”—and aims to fill the gap.

Expected to debut this summer, Ritchey Reserve provides 55 apartment homes for seniors ages 62 and older, offering all of the desirable luxury amenities at attainable price points.

Another innovative concept is RealAmerica’s independent senior services model. Why charge seniors a flat fee for all-inclusive services when most don’t even utilize all services offered? At Ritchey Reserve, there is no added cost for services that may not be used. Allowing residents to choose the services they want based on individual needs and preferences and then helping connect them with those services is the goal of Ritchey’s concierge service component.  

Services include helping residents connect with local providers, continue their rehabilitation or physical therapy, receive regular health checks and on-site quarterly health and wellness screenings, schedule beauty services at the on-site salon, ride a shuttle to local shopping centers and events, request local grocery and prescription delivery, and coordinating food delivery services.

Located in the heart of Fishers on the Nickel Plate Trail at 106th Street and Hague Road, Ritchey Reserve is surrounded by a woodland preserve and includes two miles of wooded trails, encouraging seniors to stay active. All RealAmerica properties are pet friendly, and Ritchey’s amenities include a dog park and pet wash station.

The on-site library and hair salon make it easy for seniors who prefer not to leave the facility. For visiting families from out of town, a guest suite is available for rent. For seniors that have a green thumb, raised bed community gardens are included to encourage residents to grow their own food and stay active.  

Ritchey Reserve’s grand opening is tentatively scheduled for August 2021 with move-in dates as early as July. The waitlist is filling fast, and applications are now being accepted. For more information and to get on the list, visit HomeAtRitcheyReserve.com or call (317) 842-5512.

To learn more about Ronda’s vision for serving seniors in Fishers, please watch this video: https://youtu.be/OkKSVFEqUbo 

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RealAmerica is supporting HAND as a Partner-level sponsor for 2021-2023.

Fishers City Council OKs HAND rezoning request

Current News,

The Fishers City Council voted 5-4 on Feb. 15 to approve HAND Inc.’s request to rezone 1.8 acres of mostly vacant land that could be the site of 11 affordable rental cottages.

Their decision allows HAND to proceed with planning for its proposed Cumberland Cottages development at the southwest corner of 141st Street and Cumberland Road.

An application for project funding through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program is due in May, with a decision expected in August.

Cumberland Cottages would be HAND’s first rental property in Fishers. As designed, it would include 11 two- and three-bedroom rental cottages clustered around shared green space.

City approval was far from certain after members of the Fishers Plan Commission voted 8-1 against the rezone request, citing the planned density, the property’s location near a roundabout, and traffic concerns.

“We are used to getting push-back whenever we propose a new development,” HAND Executive Director Andrea Davis said. “Once construction is done and residents move in, though, most critics realize our properties are actually a community asset.”

Staff at Fishers’ Planning and Zoning Department recommended the City Council approve the rezoning, and HAND worked to address members’ concerns about Cumberland Cottages.

Although several members of the Plan Commission and City Council suggested another site might be more appropriate for the development, Davis explained the the Cumberland Road property is ideal because of its proximity to a wide range of services as well as jobs.

Adding 11 units to an area that already has hundreds of homes—including clusters of attached housing that are far more dense than Cumberland Cottages would be—will not significantly effect traffic, Davis said.

The proposed Cumberland Cottages, shown just southwest of the roundabout at 141st Street and Cumberland Road, would add 11 rental cottages to an area that has hundreds of homes.

A letter from the city’s traffic consultant, prepared at the request of the Fishers Engineering Department, confirmed that 11 cottages would have “no negative effect on the surrounding street system” or on the nearby roundabout.

HAND and its development team will continue to work with the city to fine-tune the Cumberland Cottages proposal. One priority will be to identify funding to upgrade the planned carports to garages.

HAND also plans to form a task force to explore future housing opportunities in Fishers, including homeownership options.

Davis said the Noblesville-based nonprofit already has heard from several Fishers residents interested in renting a unit in Fishers. If the project is funded, the waiting list for Cumberland Cottages will open in 2022.

The Cumberland Cottages development team includes architect David Rausch Studio, Weihe Engineers, and Meyer Najem Construction.

Given the shortage of affordable housing options in the suburbs, local media outlets have been covering HAND’s proposal: