Success Stories

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Prime Battery (former Lynch Foundry)

Anderson Mayor Kevin S. Smith and Governor Mitch Daniels gave the signal to begin demolition of the former Lynch Manufacturing/Prime Battery Plant at 300 N. Jackson Street, Friday morning, December 16, 2005.

The event brings to a resolution 10 months of aggressive effort by the city. The result will improve neighborhood health and property values, as well as the city’s corridor appeal. The property covers 2.86 acres and is a northern gateway to Anderson’s downtown. It has been crumbling and vacant for many years. The site was subject to a U.S. EPA emergency removal action in 2002-2003, which included acid vats with sulfuric acid, lead dust constituents and miscellaneous contamination. It has long been on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s list of troubled sites. Governor Mitch Daniels visited the site in 2004 to call attention to the detrimental impact of Brownfields on Indiana cities.

The property is now owned by a trust and property taxes in excess of $150,000 are owed. This project is being completed in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Other collaborative partners on this project are the Department of Housing & Urban Development, Midwest Hazardous Substance Research Center out of Purdue University, and Keramida Environmental.

F.C. Cline Building

Demolition was completed on another unsightly and abandoned commercial property adjacent to White River in Anderson. Anderson Mayor Kevin S. Smith signaled a track hoe to begin work, Monday, April 10, 2006 at 10 a.m. The property is located at 426 North Main Street.

The property served as a lumber mill from the 1880s until it was abandoned in the 1990s. The property owner deeded the property’s 3.4 acres to the city last November. Back taxes of $105,407.40 were owed as of June, 2006.

"In addition to the property’s proximity to White River, it is also a gateway to the downtown," said Mayor Smith. "The demolition will improve aesthetics between the Anderson University campus and the downtown, eliminate an unsafe structure and enhance the quality of life for seniors who live nearby."

Davis Excavating, an Anderson firm, won the demolition bid at a cost of $72,488. Costs are being paid by state and federal grants through the City Department of Community Development and Long Range Planning.

This project is being completed in conjunction with the Indiana Finance Authority, Department of Housing & Urban Development, and Bruce Carter Associates.

Tippy's

Within the last two years, the Community Development and Long Range Planning Department initiated a “Naturalizing the Urban Core” project that has specifically targeted abandoned and dilapidated structures along the MLK Boulevard. So far, six properties have been acquired and landscaped and additional sites are targeted for 2007. The former Tippy’s Fish Market that operated as a gas station for many years is a primary example of the success the City is achieving in the community through this program. By leveraging local funds, insurance recovery efforts and plenty of community support, the City removed seven underground storage tanks, cleaned and graded the site, and planted grass and trees for a common community green space. This one project has not only beautified this stretch along one of the City’s major corridors, it has restored community pride and has inspired additional community reinvestment in the neighborhood, including efforts by neighbors to plant flowers and shrubs to beautify their own properties. This project was completed in conjunction with Sesco, Department of Housing & Urban Development, and Rhino Demolition.