--A new, 1.2 million-square-foot, 40-gate terminal building featuring outstanding architecture, the ability to accept international arrivals, enhanced retail and dining opportunities and the capacity to handle growth from the airport’s current 8.2 million annual passengers.

--A new, five-story parking garage that can accommodate 5,900 cars and 1,200 rental cars.

--More than 17,000 parking spaces, including the garage and surface lots.

--Direct access from Interstate 70 just west of Interstate 465.

--The FedEx expansion will increase package processing capacity more than 30 percent, from 75,000 packages per hour to 99,000 packages per hour, at the second-largest domestic FedEx Express hub behind Memphis.

--The additional capacity is needed to meet forecast long-term package-volume growth, particularly for international shipments. FedEx operates international flights from Indianapolis to Europe, Asia and Canada.

--The expansion includes a 400,000 square foot expansion to the hub's existing sort facility and construction of a 175,000 square foot secondary sort building.

--Two maintenance buildings — including a 40,000 square-foot facility for aircraft maintenance and an 8,000 square-foot facility for ground support equipment — will push total hub growth by more than 600,000 square feet.

From an economic development perspective, the new Indianapolis International Airport is obviously of great benefit to the Indianapolis Region and its business clusters such as advanced manufacturing and transportation logistics. But its also beneficial to the other business clusters, such as life sciences, technology and motorsports because of the expansion of the FedEx hub (which is already the second largest in the world) and the improved ease of both commercial transport and consumer travel.

A few photos of the new Indianapolis International Airport provided by Rob Banayote of Banayote Photography (www.banayote.com):


















































Visit http://www.indianapolisairport.com/ to learn more.

Inaugural Real Estate Trends in Indiana Report to be released at "Emerging Trends in Real Estate" event on Nov. 18

The ups and downs and areas of opportunity within the real estate industry have great impact on economic development here in the 10-county Indianapolis Region and across the nation. As critical as superb transportation, distribution and logistics infrastructure as well as world-class workforces are, real estate issues can make or break a business relocation or expansion project.

"It is the combination of our assets that gives the Indianapolis Region its competitive advantage over the coasts and neighboring states,” said Ron Gifford, president and CEO of the Indy Partnership. “Having better access to rail service and interstates wouldn’t do us much good if our real estate rental rates were three or four times higher like they are in California and Florida, for example.

“That’s why we are supporting the Urban Land Institute Indiana as a sponsor of its upcoming ‘Emerging Trends in Real Estate’ event and why we are particularly eager to see its Real Estate Trends in Indiana Report become a successful annual resource.”

According to Area Development magazine’s 2007 Annual Corporate Survey, real estate issues were said to be “important” and “very important” by between 79 percent and 89 percent of all respondents when ranking their expansion and relocation priorities. These issues range from availability of buildings and land, construction costs, “fast-track” permitting, energy considerations and residential housing availability and costs. In fact, real estate issues account for three of the top five site selection factors tracked by the survey.

According to Matt Waldo, director of research for the Indy Partnership, the Indianapolis metropolitan area ranks as the “second most affordable” among 46 major metro areas for industrial warehouse rental rates (based on 2008 Mid-Year Market Report data from Cushman&Wakefield) and is highly competitive in Class A and Class B office space.

“The Indy Partnership was directly involved in the decision making process for seven of the 10 largest real estate lease transactions in Indianapolis from the middle of 2007 through the middle of 2008, and I can tell you with the highest degree of certainty that understanding the real estate trends in the Indianapolis Region as they relate to the nation was critical to making the argument to create jobs and invest here. The Urban Land Institute Indiana’s report will enhance our ability to continue this track record of success for our region,” Waldo said.

Learn more about the "Emerging Trends in Real Estate" event .

The Indianapolis Region, a 10-county economic development area in Central Indiana which includes Bloomington, Ind., provides incredible value to its residents. A study released last week by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) shows that the quarterly composite cost of living index scores for the Indianapolis MSA and the City of Bloomington are just 90.7% and 91.5% of the national average, respectively.  The composite index score incorporates metrics for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare and miscellaneous services. 

"These data are continued positive news for companies considering relocating or expanding in the Indianapolis Region," said Matt Waldo, director of research for the Indy Partnership. "The Indianapolis economic development region offers numerous advantages for advanced manufacturing and logistics, life sciences, technology and motorsports industries among others, and the ability to extend a low cost of living to employees is critical."

The scores for each of the cost categories for Indianapolis and Bloomington, may be found on The Indy Partnership web site at

http://www.iredp.com/reportInterface/iw_p1.aspx?fsheet=qol&county=indianapolis%20region

EnerDel Batteries will Power Hybrid, Electric Cars:

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 21, 2008) - Governor Mitch Daniels joined executives from lithium-ion battery developer EnerDel today to announce plans to locate the company's new global manufacturing and development operations here, a move that is expected to create more than 850 new jobs across the state through 2012.

The developer of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid, plug-in electric and electric vehicles will expand its Indianapolis research and cell production center, build and equip a battery pack assembly center in nearby Noblesville, and locate a full-scale manufacturing operation at a still to be selected location in the Hoosier state.

"Eight hundred fifty jobs of any kind is great news. When those jobs are in a technology of tomorrow, like electric cars, it offers the prospect of even bigger news to follow. Indiana has what it takes to lead this automotive revolution and today is step one," said Daniels.

Part of Ener1, Inc., (AMEX: HEV), EnerDel currently operates a 92-person production facility on the northeast side of Indianapolis and plans to begin hiring additional engineers, production associates and administrative staff later this year.

EnerDel, founded in 2004, develops lithium-ion batteries for automotive manufacturers that are lighter, occupy less space, provide more power and have a longer life than the nickel metal hydride batteries found in today's hybrid vehicles.

"Indiana is the heart of America's manufacturing might, and a linchpin in the automotive industry. There is no better place to invest in the clean, green, energy efficient technology we need to power today's global economy," said Ulrik Grape, president and chief executive officer of EnerDel. "Indiana's educated, experienced workforce is second to none, and the enthusiastic commitment we have received from Governor Daniels and other leaders is absolutely unparalleled. We couldn't be happier to call this our home."

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered EnerDel up to $7.125 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $58,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. The cities of Indianapolis and Noblesville will consider property tax abatement at the request of the Indy Partnership. The company will also seek local incentive offers from Indiana communities for the third manufacturing location.

"There is no doubt that EnerDel is a leader in advanced manufacturing, and we are fortunate that their new global manufacturing and development operations will be located here in Marion County," said Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. "They are not only bringing great jobs and investment to our county, but they are serving as a sign that Marion County is a great home for the future of manufacturing."

"We are honored and excited that a growing and innovative company like EnerDel has chosen to expand its operations to the city of Noblesville," said Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear. "What a fine testament to the talented, hard-working people of this city and the business-friendly environment our economic development team has worked so hard to create. We look forward to working with EnerDel and to potential future development with them," said Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear.

"The lithium-ion battery will revolutionize the hybrid and electric car industry and will make it a reality for the mass market in the very near term," Grape said. "EnerDel has a unique lithium-ion chemistry and advanced battery system that provides the safest and most economical energy solution for automotive applications."

EnerDel is presently the only manufacturer producing lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. for the automotive market. The company recently received the prestigious R&D 100 award for excellence in its technology and uniquely innovative design. The award is shared by EnerDel and its partners at the Argonne National Laboratory.

EnerDel is a participant in U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, a collaborative research effort between the U.S. Department of Energy, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, aimed at developing hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle batteries that will enable mass production for electric drive vehicles.

Money Magazine and CNNMoney.com released its "Best Places to Live 2008" issue this week and Hamilton County's Fishers, Ind., ranked 10th out of 100 on the list of "America's Best Small Cities."

"It's quite a climb from being ranked 33rd last year to breaking into the top 10 of America's best places to live among small cities," said Jeff Burt, president of the Hamilton County Alliance, a member of The Indy partnership.

Burt explained that rankings such as Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live" are valuable to Fishers because it helps bring national acclaim to an exceptional community, and it helps local employers recruit personnel from all over the U.S. It also eliminates any barriers that employers considering relocating to Fishers and the Indianapolis Region might have about being able to develop a world-class workforce.



WINNER
Top 100 rank: 10
Population: 61,800

Fishers is growing fast, attracting residents who are young (median age: 30) and smart (over 60% have a bachelor's degree or more). It has the range of pluses common among our top 10, including a strong economy (lots of life-science companies are moving in), low home prices ($149,700 for the typical house) and good schools (they get high rankings in the state).

Though a walkable downtown is still in the planning stages, transportation is already here: Fishers started a commuter bus service to downtown Indianapolis and plans rapid transit via rail in the next two to five years.

When it comes to smart planning and sheer livability, other places could learn a lot from this little city in the Midwest.