‘Let’s Make History’ with the Levinson in downtown Noblesville

Noblesville Deputy Mayor

New mixed-use project proposed by City to add apartments, parking . . .

At the meeting of the Noblesville Common Council on Aug. 28, I was proud to introduce the proposed mixed-use project on Maple Avenue known as the Levinson that would add new apartments, commercial retail and structured parking to downtown.

Mayor Ditslear and I appreciated the many residents who attended the meeting to learn more information, share their input and ask critical questions.

Cities throughout Indiana are leveraging the demand from people young and old who want to live and work in urban, walkable areas like ours that are accessible to attractive amenities such as restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, service providers, entertainment venues and other cultural hotspots.

Fortunately, Noblesville already has these amenities in addition to the small-town charm and historic architecture that other cities are trying to emulate. But while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we can’t rest on our laurels.

A major goal of the Mayor’s has been to attract more residents to downtown with a housing type that’s missing from our community. The Levinson’s 83 apartment units will create greater density with people who will support our businesses on the square and help jumpstart a nighttime culture that’s as vibrant as what we see in Noblesville during the day.

We certainly don’t need to look to other cities to figure out we also need greater parking capacity. Just ask the Downtown Parking Taskforce. Since 2015, volunteers have spent hours examining current conditions, conducting public outreach and discussing best practices in parking management and technology.

I’ve personally talked with downtown business owners who are considering leaving due to this single issue. They simply cannot grow without more parking. And I know of other businesses that we failed to attract for the same problem.

Let’s stop talking about the parking problem and do something about a parking solution.

That’s why, as proposed by Rebar Development, the Levinson will have 337 total parking spaces. Approximately 50 to 100 will be reserved for apartment residents, leaving at least 237 spaces for public use by permit holders and hourly visitors – a net gain of 167 spaces above the 70 spaces of the current surface lot.

By approving the Levinson, members of the 2018 Noblesville Common Council will have made history by effectively ending the parking debate once and for all.

Speaking of history, I know some residents are worried about the impact of this project on our downtown and the quaint charm that defines Noblesville. We believe the Levinson is the right project in the right location to strengthen our downtown and add to its vibrancy. However, we also have to achieve the right look.

While we remain excited about the initial rendering, we are confident in Rebar’s ability to gather public input and incorporate even more of the history and architecture of the existing downtown – without creating a Frankenstein of design that tries to please everyone.

As the Mayor has said, sometimes you need to make history as well as preserve it. And in the case of the Levinson, building the first new downtown apartments in 100 years that complement and strengthen the historic square, we can do both – while finally putting to rest the debate about parking.

Let’s make history.