By Karen Kennedy
With plans recently unveiled for six new buildings to be added to the City Center, 2014 will be a big year in terms of fulfilling Pedcor’s vision for the heart of Carmel.
“Pedcor Companies is proud to continue to be a part of creating a vibrant Carmel City Center,” said CEO Bruce Cordingley. “Our vision is very clear, and our goal is to have a livable, walkable downtown with great public spaces where our community can gather to dine, shop, live and do business.”
Cordingley said he feels that Carmel is not lacking much in terms of types of businesses downtown, but believes Carmel could always use more independently-owned retail shops and restaurants.
“We are not actively courting large, national retailers, but we would welcome them,” he said. “It’s the local, hands-on owners who make our shopping scene unique. And we think of the restaurants as the anchors of the City Center and Main Street.”
Cordingley still has his sights set on the redevelopment of the midtown area, and he said he wants to work at removing some of the old warehouses and business buildings.
And looking past 2014 to the future?
“Right now, Carmel has really gained a competitive edge over a lot of other towns its size,” Cordingley said. “We have a great plan, safe streets, good schools, beautiful housing and excellent shopping. But it’s important that we don’t rest on our laurels. Today’s competitive advantage, if not used, is lost tomorrow.”
What drives Cordingley to keep pushing forward?
“We don’t have the option of standing still,” he said. “I am looking to the future, because I want Carmel to be the place our kids want to stay and raise families of their own. In this global economy, our kids can go anywhere in the world they want to go. I want to make sure that Carmel is a place our kids will want to come back to after college.”
