Since the days of being a small railway town, Carmel has grown considerably, with it’s sprawling commercial and residential developments and world-renowned facilities, the city is recognized globally and, despite economic hardships, is attracting several new businesses.
Throughout Carmel Mayor James Brainard’s five-term tenure, the focus of his career has been on the redevelopment of downtown Carmel, known today as the Arts & Design District. Located in downtown “Old Town,” the Arts District is home to a variety of unique and specialty retail shops, galleries and restaurants.
While there are no regulations on the types of businesses and hours of operation in the Arts District, the property owners and City have an informal agreement about how they want the district to look and feel to its visitors.
“This area is under our C-2 district which deals with architecture, heights, etc. but does not dictate what the market believes would work. Most uses are approved under this type of zoning,” Brainard said. “There are no formal restrictions on chains in our downtown areas, although the building owners and the city recognize that much of the attraction of these areas is uniqueness, and we focus on attracting small independent businesses.”
Marketing the Arts District is an ongoing initiative in which the City, along with it’s partners including the Carmel Chamber of Commerce and Hamilton County
Visitor’s Bureau, works to promote in many ways.
“We use a variety of media to talk about the district both within and outside Indiana,” Brainard said. “We try and get earned (free) media whenever we can, we maintain good websites and work to bring meetings and groups to Carmel as well as support public art and many festivals and events.”
While the City plays a significant role in the revitalization of downtown Carmel, it is the business and property owners working in unison to promote and maintain the uniqueness that makes the district successful.