At a glance
Proposed speculative development

• 1 million+ square feet
• South of West County Road 600N, east of Mt. Comfort Road
• $60.2 million
• Annexation into McCordsville proposed
• Developer: Cincinnati-based Al. Neyer
McCORDSVILLE — Officials are torn over a proposal for a big building in their small but quickly growing town.

A developer is asking them to annex land eyed for a structure spanning more than 1 million square feet. The development would be speculative, meaning no occupants or tenants have yet been identified.

Leaders share concerns over the site being across a road from a McCordsville neighborhood, where residents don’t want to live so close to such a large structure.

But the developer plans to pursue the project regardless of whether the property is annexed, meaning the town stands to lose out on a boost to its taxes on top of the subdivision getting its unwanted new neighbor. Not only that, but the developer promises to build part of a road that would keep truck traffic away from the neighborhood and create other benefits if the annexation is granted. In exchange, the firm wants a deal on the first 10 years of its taxes that’s sweeter than the one it’d likely get from Hancock County, were the property not to be annexed.

Al. Neyer, whose headquarters is in Cincinnati, is proposing the project estimated at $60.2 million south of West County Road 600N and east of Mt. Comfort Road. McCordsville’s Woodhaven neighborhood is to the north across 600N, and land to the west and south of the site is part of town as well.

If the annexation is approved, Al. Neyer will agree to help develop Aurora Way, a planned road extending east off Mt. Comfort Road between 500N and 600N. Town officials devised the road during last year’s talks over Southwark Metal Manufacturing Co.’s new building (southwest of the Al. Neyer site) to keep its truck traffic off 600N and away from Woodhaven. Officials say the road will also allow McCordsville to entice more annexation eastward, giving the town a say where land is already industrially zoned in the county and where future industrial developments are expected.

Alexis Sowder, a project manager with Indianapolis-based KSM Location Advisors working with Al. Neyer on the project, said at a recent McCordsville Town Council meeting that the developer’s costs associated with annexing and helping build out Aurora Way total an estimated $1 million.

When developers get real estate property tax abatements for projects, they often last 10 years and consist of a full tax break in the first year before diminishing 10 percentage points over the years that follow until the tax liability is fully phased in. Developers say they pass those benefits on as an incentive to secure tenants.

Al. Neyer, however, is proposing an abatement that would be 100% in its first year, 95% in years two through three, 90% in year four, 85% in year five and 50% in year six before dropping 10 points over the years left in the decade.

Sowder said the alternate abatement schedule would create an incentive of about $620,000 to help offset its costs associated with Aurora Way and annexing.

“We’re trying to work with the town,” said John Bumgarner, a senior vice president with Al. Neyer. “We want to be a good partner. We want the development of Aurora Way. We’re all for it. … We want to keep trucks off of 600(N).”

Should McCordsville reject the annexation, the developer would pursue the project through the county, which would likely approve the standard, less attractive abatement schedule. That’s fine with Al. Neyer, but it would also leave the developer without any incentive to help McCordsville with Aurora Way.

“If the answer is no, we cannot annex into town, we will go to the county, we will get the standard abatement schedule, and unfortunately our trucks will be on 600(N),” Bumgarner said, adding the firm would work with the town on improvements to 600N.

It leaves council members feeling like they have little choice in the matter.

“If it wasn’t already zoned industrial and part of the county, I mean that scares the jeepers out of me — that they can go to the county and then we got no control, and we’re not getting any revenue out of it,” said council president Barry Wood.

In light of the project’s inevitability, it may be most prudent to annex and focus diligently on influencing the aesthetics of the property for Woodhaven’s sake, he added.

Tom Strayer, a council member, shared a similar sentiment.

“I have concerns about this also,” he said. “But if we refuse this, we’re shutting off any access to the east of here, not only for our annexation, but also for Aurora Way.”

Which would mean not only more traffic spurred from Al. Neyer’s development on 600N passing by Woodhaven, but from future developments to the east as well.

“And that’s a whole lot worse,” Strayer added.

Council member Greg Brewer likes Al. Neyer’s offer to help with Aurora Way and agrees McCordsville would benefit from diversifying its tax base, but he also lives in and represents residents of Woodhaven, where opposition is strong.

“Sometimes there’s some things in life that are more important than money,” Brewer said.

Seven Woodhaven residents spoke in opposition to the project, and one letter of opposition was read into the record. Opponents’ concerns included the aesthetics of the development, noise, light, a negative impact to their and neighbors’ property values, and an increase in traffic, particularly truck traffic, especially if it occurs all hours of the day.

“All-night truck traffic is going to be a nightmare for me,” said Woodhaven resident Toni Castulik. “And that kills me, because this is supposed to be my forever home.”

Kelly Sterk has lived in Woodhaven for almost a decade.

“I just don’t want to wake up and see a monstrosity on the other side of the road,” he said.

Micah Clark, who moved to Woodhaven three years ago, said he’d move if the project moves forward.

Marie Ledford, a Woodhaven resident of 14 years, echoed her council president.

“We can’t stop it probably, but we can help to make it a little more appealing than to sit there and have to look at these manufacturing places,” she said.

Cory Shields moved to Woodhaven in 2017.

“It’s difficult to see this, because I want to stay here, and I can’t if this goes through; I can’t,” he said.

Laura Sommerville has a 16-year-old son who’s about to start driving.

“And it terrifies me to think of the ton of semi traffic coming through there,” she said.

The council tabled the annexation ordinance until next month’s meeting, which is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8 at McCordsville Town Hall, 6280 W. 800N. The town posts its meeting agendas on its website, mccordsville.org.

“This is a crossroads for us,” Wood said. “This is kind of going to be our identity moving forward, certainly at least at that side of town. I think it’s imperative that we take time to really think about what we have in front of us and try to get it right.”
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