NATIONAL HONOR
Monon Boulevard and Midtown Plaza Project earns national recognition for ‘excellence in development’ from Urban Land Institute
CARMEL, IN – The Monon Boulevard and Midtown Plaza project was among 12 developments in cities across America to earn national honors by the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2022 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence. The Carmel project received Honorable Mention.
After being named a finalist earlier this year, ULI judges visited Carmel to see the development in person and to meet with Carmel Redevelopment officials. The judges noted: “Monon Boulevard and Midtown Plaza is a bold example of strategic investment in visionary public space as a catalyst for economic development, public engagement, civic pride, celebrations, artistic expression and personal and environmental wellbeing.”
Under the vision and guidance of Mayor Jim Brainard, the Carmel Redevelopment Commission began working on plans for Midtown in 2011, transforming a former struggling industrial area into one of the City of Carmel’s biggest attractions. Construction of the project, led by City Engineer Jeremy Kashman, included widening the Monon Greenway from 12 feet to 140 feet, adding new dedicated lanes for cycling, buffer zones, sidewalks, green spaces, one-way streets with additional parking on either side of the trail and the new Midtown Plaza urban park. The City's investment in public infrastructure and redevelopment efforts have led to more than $850 million of new private investment around Midtown.
"We are honored to achieve this prestigious national honor,” said Mayor Brainard. “The expanded Monon Boulevard is now a major epicenter of activity in Midtown, which connects the Arts & Design District and our new downtown at City Center. Residents and visitors have found the area to be a great place to visit, dine, shop or simply gather with friends and neighbors over a cup of coffee or an adult beverage. We have also programmed many events including live music, special events and a variety of entertainment on our big screen television that overlooks the Plaza.”
Midtown has previously been awarded the 2018 Congress for New Urbanism Charter Award as well as the 2021 International Making Cities Livable Award.
"This has been a lengthy effort that goes back to my predecessors, Les Olds and Corrie Meyer," said Director of Redevelopment, Henry Mestetsky. "They've given me the opportunity to continue growing this transformative district. Growth that includes two new projects approved by City Council - the $133 million AT&T site redevelopment and the partial-workforce housing Concourse project."
The ULI Americas Awards for Excellence program evaluates projects across a number of factors, including achievements in marketplace acceptance, design, planning, technology, amenities, economic impact, management, community engagement, innovation and sustainability. The program is open to projects in the ULI Americas region that are substantially complete, financially viable and in operation.
This year, 68 projects and programs from across the Americas region were submitted for the competition. From this impressive field, the 11-member jury composed of development, finance, planning, urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture experts selected 21 finalists. After speaking with the teams behind these projects and visiting all of them, the jury chose 10 winners and two honorable mentions.
The public can view the winners, finalists, and submissions at the 2022 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence gallery.
The 2022 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence winners are:
Two additional projects received special mentions:
The Awards for Excellence program is the centerpiece of ULI’s efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of real estate development. For more information about the ULI Americas Awards for Excellence, visit uli.org/aae. For more information about the ULI Global Awards for Excellence, visit uli.org/gae.
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