I see the 65% income tax increas being repealed! I also see Chocolate covered streets and fluffy cotton candy clouds raining skittles!

The MSA site will finally be developed.

if the next proposed development on the old MSA site is going to be condos, it will be a while until the demand for condos downtown will be great enough to build them. The last proposal that won approval from the city tried both somewhat affordable condos, and a redesign for more luxury condos, and neither option received very many deposits. They needed to book at least 50% to build, and didn't come close.

Ballard had mentioned expanding the City County building or a new building... and that's right next door, but I doubt that would win approval.

Although I doubt it will transform into a bustling, high-traffic destination overnight (or even over-year), I think Fountain Square will make yet another baby step toward becoming what it's destined to (some distant day) become: The city's premiere locale for art, culture and music.

Anyone else?

Fountain Square has plenty of potential, and the immediate "fountain" area is certainly coming along. But to be a premier locale for anything, the surrounding residential area will need considerable help. And gentrification brings its own challenges. More restaurants and galleries sound great, but Fountain Square needs more nice stuff for the people who live there, not just good restaurants for people who drive to a destination. Parks, popular schools, nice neighborhood amenities like supermarkets. Look how long it took for the Lockerbie area, for example, to get a supermarket and a hardware store and a great public school that people want to send their kids to, things that developing neighborhoods really need to make people willing to live there. Plus, Fountain Square needs a quick connection to downtown -- it seems more separate, farther away, than it really is.
I hope the city continues to focus on rebuilding city neighborhoods, like the Mapleton-Fallcreek redevelopment.

The cultural trail will help with the "quick connection" FS is only about a mile from the center of the city.. The real issue with pedestrian traffic is all the dead space between. Not enough businesses/attraction in between.

All good points. I've been waiting for Fountain Square to become something for a long time. And with every new business, I get a little more excited for its potential, so I hate to say this, but will 2008 be just another 2007 for FS ... and for other parts of the city waiting for a boost? Will the businesses moving in find there's not enough traffic still to warrant their staying? Maybe. As Jolene pointed out, there's a lot more to making neighborhoods thrive. Other predictions for the new year?

Jamba Juice will open it's first location in Indianapolis!

Jamba Juice... dang... I was sorta hoping for papaya king

Fountain Square won't "happen" in 2008. It will continue to evolve, succeed for some, burn money for others, be a safe home for some, and a little hell for others. For Fountain Square to "happen" will require a long term vision and persistance in developing the neighborhoods as safe, self-sustaining places. Creating that and the destination businesses is a lengthy process: this same vision for Massachusetts Avenue took about 30 years to get it to where it is today. Go back to 1997 and it was a small association of business people and near residents working on a plan for revival.

Expect the same lack of imagination to come out of the Mayors office that we saw during the Goldsmith administration. Say what you want about Bart, Indianapolis is a much better city because of his leadership on the arts and cultural efforts over the last 8 years.

I remember the 80's, they were not good times for arts and entertainment. Downtown was dead, nobody would go to Fountain Square. I don't want to see the city go back to that. And I don't want to see Carmel become the leader in arts and entertainment for the region, I won't go!

I see Mayor Ballard taking back the police department to the Mayor's office first and foremost. I see community policing coming back to Indianapolis. I see in the very near future that spending will be under control and major pork spending coming to a end. Arts will be included in this cut. If the public wants "arts" then it is up to them that want it to pay for it. I also see more money will be spent outside the downtown areas which have been way overdue. Taxes come from all over Marion country, not just those who live in the downtown area. I can see no more tax abatements for those who want to buy a condo in the downtown area; this only takes taxes that we must all pay in the end. If you want a greener Indianapolis, why don't you get out and plant a tree or two instead of waiting for the government to do it for you?

David M wrote:

"I see Mayor Ballard taking back the police department to the Mayor's office first and foremost."

The new mayor is going to "take back" the police department? This reminds me of the "Take Back The Night" marches that Feminists For Action would do when I was in college. It's emotionally charged language that sounds good and riles people up, but doesn't really mean anything at all.

Oooh, I love this argument. Let's expand David's logic further:

add snark

Need roads to drive on? Build your own! If the public wants it then let the public pay for it, not the government.

House on fire? Build your own fire station! Stop waiting for government to do it for you.

Terrorists sniffing around your doghouse? Pay for your own mercenaries. I hear Blackwater is looking for new contracts.

Self=good. Other=bad. Rugged individualism all the way, baby! Doing something for the greater good just makes you one step closer to a socialist, right?

end snark

Taxes are collected to protect and improve an entire community. The arts are proven to have a positive impact on a community's intellectual, psychological and aesthetic well-being. The greatest cities in the world have a thriving arts community.

Will the new city government take exception to me planting a tree on public property?

Let's see if the Ballard administration has David's self-reliant attitude when it comes to corporate welfare.

A greener Indianapolis is good for all the residents. Support of the arts is good for all residents, as is support for central city neighborhoods and public schools. These aren't luxuries and extravagances. They are vital to the continued growth of Indianapolis. We should not have to sacrifice the Cultural Trail for better streets and more police patrols.

We will be drowning in Dunkin Doughnuts.

and Indianapolis will annex Carmel.

Drowning in Dunkin Doughnuts? One can only hope!

I think that Ballard is going to try to cut taxes as much as he can get away with. This means he will most likely be cutting funding for many things, art included.

I don't think Ballard will do much to make Indy greener. However, I do think overall there will be more energy efficiency from individuals (hybrid cars, compact flourescent lightbulbs, etc).

And I do agree about Dunkin Doughnuts, ;)

It's emotionally charged but accurate. Peterson ceded control of IMPD to Sheriff Anderson because that's what it took to get Anderson's support. Now that Ballard has Republican numbers on the city council he'll likely try to return control of the city's police to the Mayor's office.