What will happen with the Pittman Farms property?
By Sophie Pappas
The rising sun hits the big, red barn at exactly 7:04 a.m. in a way that makes passersby slow down for a brief moment to take in the beauty.
The speed limit is 45 mph, but coming up to the corner of Sycamore and Michigan Road, cars wind down to a pace of 25 mph. It’s just that breathtaking.
The Pittman Farms property is a 62-acre parcel that was rezoned last August when the Zionsville Town Council approved the space for a planned unit development, otherwise known as a PUD.
The PUD has allowed co-owner of the property, Steve Pittman, of Pittman Partners LLC, to move forward with a multi-use development facility.
However, according to Pittman, things are going slowly.
“We are being very, very careful,” Pittman said. “We’re very comfortable at the pace we are going and measuring everything four or five times.”
Pittman said he has received nothing but positive feedback from members of the community in regards to building up the multi-use area. He said that plans include having small retail stores, office spaces and residential spaces.
There has even been talk that Whole Foods, a specialty grocery store, will be moving in. Whole Foods would neither confirm nor deny this plan.
“Our plan is to own everything that goes in,” Pittman said. “We want that control. We will lease spaces but we are not selling the land.”
Big-box retails will not be allowed into the site, as the largest store Pittman can accommodate is 65,000 square-feet. This will eliminate much of the fear Zionsville residents may have over larger retailers bombarding downtown.
“People really want to have a place to bike or walk,” Pittman said. “And people are ready for a change on that corner.”
Big Old Barn
The barn that sits on the property is causing some anxiety amongst people who call the corner “the gateway into Zionsville.”
Megan Covert is a Zionsville resident, whose family has lived here for decades.
“I love this town but it’s so sad that no one wants to preserve history and our roots,” she said.
Pittman believes that development will only help, and not harm any of the Zionsville charm or land value.
“What I have heard is that [developing]this land has actually helped the resale value of homes nearby,” Pittman said. “And we aren’t opposed to repurposing the barn wood. We are open to letting someone else use that, or we have also thought of using it in the multi-family areas.”
Pittman said that the site will continue to be a positive entryway into the Village of Zionsville, with or without the red barn.
“Our hope is for an interconnectivity, from the Main Street to The Farm,” Pittman said.
For others, this idea breaks the rural imagery of Zionsville as a quaint, horse-loving town.
What will be at The Farm?
- Specialty grocery store. Whole Foods is one company talked about.
- Residential condos or apartments
- Office spaces for lease
- Sidewalks and a pedestrian crosswalk, to bridge the gap between Zionsville’s downtown and The Farm
- Park benches
- Microbrewery and/or restaurant
