As we are now very well aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to impact nearly every facet of life as we know it. Because the nature of work and play has changed so much, Indianapolis is working hard to revitalize post-COVID.
The Indiana Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services and the Indiana Construction Roundtable hosted a panel discussion, which Cripe professionals attended, featuring some of the Indianapolis leaders who are working hard to bring Indianapolis back to life after a year of working from home and not being able to attend sporting events and eat in restaurants. Those are only two examples of how life has radically changed since March of 2020.
Fortunately, Indianapolis has still seen major developments over the past year and a half that have the potential to help boost the economy of our city once more.
Some of those projects that are helping enhance the economy and sociability of Indianapolis are the Infosys U.S. Education Center and 16 Tech. Cripe is very proud to have worked on both projects.
This state-of-the-art training campus and residential center for Infosys employees will prepare the American workforce for the technology jobs of the future, and also begin to revitalize a 70.5-acre site on the West Side of Indianapolis on the grounds of the old Indianapolis airport terminal, where we have also done work throughout the years. This investment in our local economy provides jobs to Hoosiers, but it will also entice others to live and work in our state. Cripe was the lead civil engineer for this project and worked with the architect, campus master planner, and the City of Indianapolis to revitalize this property on the West side.
16 Tech is another major development that has been essential in the revitalization of Indianapolis. This urban innovation district cultivates modernization and entrepreneurship. 16 Tech has worked hard to create a mixed-use development that includes spaces to live, work, shop and play. “16 Tech is a prime example of a space designed to support post-pandemic working models,” Portia Bailey-Bernard, Vice President of Economic Development at Develop Indy, said during a panel.
Bailey-Bernard touted 16 Tech as an excellent example of a post-pandemic hybrid working model, which she believes more employers will be turning to. Cripe has ample experience working on these types of mixed-used developments. Even before the pandemic, our community has benefited from spaces where you can do many different things in the same location. These spaces are extremely important when it comes to attracting more people to move to the Hoosier state. Especially post-pandemic, people may have more flexibility to work remotely so it is imperative that we provide innovative and attractive spaces where employees can work and play.
We are extremely proud to have been given the opportunity to work on these transformational projects. That was the case before the exceptionally unique year and a half we have had. It is truer now that we understand the impact projects like Infosys and 16 Tech can have on the lives of those who live and work in our communities.
