Developer plans office building for Plainfield, Ind.

By Scott Olson

Plainfield's sprawling industrial parks that have sprouted over the past 15 years elevated the town to a major Midwestern distribution hub.

Now a developer is banking on a new roadway and airport terminal to attract office tenants, although some brokers familiar with the area aren't sold on the idea.

The local office of Chicago-based Verus Partners LLC finished purchasing 200 acres along the east side of the Reagan Parkway and plans to build a 60,000-square-foot, two-story speculative office building.

Verus' mixed-use office and industrial park is called GreenParke at Airwest and could be ready for occupancy by next summer.

GreenParke would sit across from AirTech Park, a 4.7-million-square-foot industrial park developed by Browning Investments and ProLogis.

"What the [PlainfieldRIGHT_BRACKET market has not had is a Class A suburban office building," Theobald said. "With the relocation of the terminal, we feel like there will be a lot of demand for Class A office space."

The $ 1.1 billion midfield terminal at Indianapolis International Airport is set to open Nov. 11 and is southwest of the existing facility. Patrons will access the new terminal from Interstate 70 near the parkway interchange, which should spur office development in the area, Theobald said. Verus' office park is three to four miles from the midfield terminal.

The area surrounding the airport is somewhat of an anomaly, in that most metropolitan airports have a supporting office submarket nearby. The Indianapolis airport's proximity to downtown, nary a 10-minute drive, has dampened any demand for west-side office space, however.

In fact, the headquarters of Brightpoint Inc., built for the former Galyan's Trading Co., is one of the few office complexes in Plainfield, and that was designed for a single tenant. Yet, Theobald is confident the new terminal, farther from downtown than the existing one, will create demand for another office submarket. Verus has yet to line up any tenants.

A tough sell?

But is the west side and Plainfield ripe to become the next frontier for office development? Doubtful, say some brokers.

"It won't be in our lifetimes," said John Robinson, executive vice president of locally based Meridian Real Estate. "There's not the [residentialRIGHT_BRACKET rooftops."

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