The IBJ Podcast

Spiffing up downtown Indy before March Madness comes to town

The city and several community organizations are launching clean-up efforts, street upgrades and art projects to beautify downtown and nearby areas in advance of the NCAA tournament in March.

Similar beautification efforts have accompanied other big events, including the Super Bowl and past NCAA Final Fours, but this year is different. Downtown still shows signs of the violence that spilled over from racial protests last May and the pandemic has left more storefronts and restaurant spaces empty.

So host Mason King talks with Downtown Indy Inc.'s Bob Schultz, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful's Jeremy Kranowitz and the Arts Council of Indianapolis' Julie Goodman about the projects and cleanups they have planned.

To learn more, read IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey's story about beautifying downtown and then read about the grant the Lilly Endowment is making fuel the efforts.

Turner Woodard talks saving the Stutz—and then selling the majority share

Twenty-eight years ago, developer Turner Woodard bought the historic Stutz factory complex, which was built in 1911-1912 by Harry Stutz, who founded the Stutz Motorcar Co.

The 400,000-square-foot factory at 10^th Street and Capitol Avenue produced cars until 1935, when the Great Depression forced the company to close. Eli Lilly and Co. then used the site for manufacturing.

When Woodard got his hands on it, the complex had been vacant for a decade—but he had a vision to bring it back to life, create a place for companies seeking a creative space and celebrate its auto industry history. And over the years, that vision has made the Stutz a home to artist studios, tech startups and even small manufacturers. 

Last week, Woodard announced he had sold majority interest in the complex to real estate investment firm SomeraRoad Inc., although Woodard and his son have retained a minority interest. 

Woodard talked to host Mason King about his adventure restoring the Stutz, about his decision to sell a majority share and what the new owners have in store for the building.

You can also read more about the sale in this story from IBJ's Susan Orr.

Should you talk to your adult kids about their inheritance?

In this week's podcast, Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn says parents aren't doing their adult kids any favors when they share details about their net worth or finances. In fact, doing so can cause far more problems than it solves.

Dunn explores these problems with podcast host Mason King and gives some advice about what money issues are appropriate to talk about with your adult kids. Hint: Stay away from the dollar signs!

You can read Dunn's column about the issue—and all of his other IBJ columns—by clicking here.

Indy startup CarSnoop aims to change the way you buy your next car

After decades working in car sales, Cole Keesling knows what buyers want and how dealerships work.

So he created a website an app called CarSnoop that helps connect buyers and sellers in a way that helps both.

Keesling talks with host Mason King about how he developed the idea, what it took to go from concept to product and the marketing push CarSnoop has underway.

Want to learn more? Read IBJ reporter Anthony Schoettle's story about CarSnoop at IBJ.com.

 

What must Indy do to be ready to host all of March Madness?

The NCAA made it official last week: Indianapolis will host the entire March Madness men's basketball tournament this spring.

That's every team. Every game. With the goal of creating a coronavirus-free zone for players, team staffs, officials and a few hundred family members who will be allowed to attend each game.

The logistics needed to pull this off are incredible. But Indianapolis officials tell IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey they are up to the task. So podcast host Mason King talks with Shuey about what he's learned and what's left to figure out.

To learn more, check out Mickey's story about the city's plans for the tournament here.

What we know about the COVID-19 vaccine in Indiana

COVID-19 vaccinations are underway, with tens of thousands of shots administered here in Indiana.

But how many doses are available and who is receiving them? And of course, the question on many people’s minds: When can I get a vaccine? Or when can my parents get one?

IBJ reporter John Russell has been looking for answers. So we invited him onto the podcast to tell us what he’s learned.

 

(Vaccine photo by Ricky Carioti, The Washington Post)

Can IU keep Tom Allen as elite schools come calling?

In a discombobulating year that has turned everything from the world economy to a simple trip to visit your relatives upside down, it’s not particularly important that many college football teams were able to eke out a full season—but it was an impressive feat nonetheless. And no team was more surprising than the Indiana University Hoosiers.

Although the team clearly was on an upward trajectory under fourth-year coach Tom Allen, its ascension to the nation’s top 10 with a 6-1 record in the Big Ten was almost surreal. The good news for IU: The team has booked the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2 with Ole Miss. The bad news: Allen is one of the hottest coaches in the nation and is being pursued by upper-echelon schools with plenty of resources.

This is an unusual position for a program that historically has been the Big Ten’s doormat, at least in part because it hasn’t made the necessary investments in football. In this week’s edition of The IBJ Podcast, host Mason King and longtime sports reporter Anthony Schoettle discuss IU’s prospects for keeping Allen, factoring in his contract buyout clause, his stated loyalty to the program and IU’s new philosophy on investing in gridiron success. Unfortunately, as Schoettle points out, IU needs Tom Allen right now a lot more than Tom Allen needs IU.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

 

Lawmakers in sticky situation making state's next budget

Lawmakers are required to do just two things in 2021—pass a budget to take effect on July 1 and redraw legislative and congressional district maps based on Census data that will be released later this year.

The former occurs every two years; the latter every 10. But it's the budget that is likely to give lawmakers the most fits. After all, the state took in $1.4 billion less in tax revenue than they expected during the fiscal year that ended June 30, the result of slowed economic activity and high unemployment due to the pandemic.

And they don't know yet what revenue will look like in 2021 and beyond.

To find out what to expect, host Mason King talks with IBJ Statehouse reporter Lindsey Erdody about what legislative leaders are saying about the budget, which state programs could be on the chopping block and what spending the Republican-majority will prioritize. 

Click here to follow Lindsey's coverage of the General Assembly and read her previews of the legislative session.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

 

Pete the Planner on how to develop a strategy for charitable giving

When not-for-profits started filling your inbox with requests for donations on Giving Tuesday last week, did you respond to any of them? If so, was your contribution part of a larger plan for giving? Or were you moved by a particular message and donated on the spot? And does it matter?

Giving — and how it fits into your larger financial planning — is the subject of this week's podcast with Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn.

Host Mason King peppers Pete with questions about whether it's better to give one or two big gifts a year, as opposed to a bunch of smaller ones; how much is the right amount to give overall (or even whether there is a "right" number); and how you choose what organizations to invest your dollars in.

And Pete explains what's changing about his giving strategy this year.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

 

Can Cook Medical help turn an Indy neighborhood around?

Bloomington-based Cook Medical announced last week that it will invest $7 million to help build a $15 million medical device manufacturing facility at 38^th Street and Sheridan Avenue that is expected to be transformational for the lower-income neighborhood on the northeast side of Indianapolis.

Cook has partnered with Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, The Indianapolis Foundation, Impact Central Indiana and the United Northeast Community Development Corp. to build the facility and hire 100 employees for jobs expected to pay an average hourly wage of $16 plus benefits.

Goodwill will operate the plant with the goal of hiring workers from the neighborhood—and will provide key wrap-around services to ensure those workers and their families have the food, housing and education they need to succeed.

Podcast host Mason King talked with Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Group and Cook Medical, and Ashley Gurvitz, executive director of United Northeast Community Development Corp., about the project and what it could mean for the neighborhood. And Yonkman explains why Cook is urging other companies to make similar moves.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.