Vero Beach is not Evansville, but lessons can be learned from Indiana city's downtown
It was tough not to think of Vero Beach on a recent visit to Evansville, Indiana.
The cities don’t have that much in common. Evansville has seven times the population of Vero Beach and, like the metropolitan statistical area it anchors (which is not quite twice the size of the Sebastian-Vero Beach MSA), Evansville is losing residents (21.5% since 1960).
There are some dramatic differences, from Evansville’s industrial heritage and capacity to its more than 200-year-old history. It’s home to two universities and several companies listed on stock exchanges.
But Indiana’s third-largest and southernmost city possesses enviable waterfront assets, historic charm, downtown character and transportation advantages Vero Beach and Indian River County could emulate.
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Lessons at the airport
I got interested stepping onto the tarmac at Evansville Regional Airport after landing on one of two weekly direct flights from Sanford. The airport, comparable to Melbourne’s, looked new.
Having read about Vero Beach airport potentially adding parking, I couldn’t help but notice about 500 parking spaces at Evansville airport covered by solar panels. When completed in 2020, the solar parking project was the largest in the Midwest and powered half the airport.
It was a 10-minute ride to my newer downtown hotel, with free parking two blocks from a promenade along the Ohio River.
Waterfronts I’ve visited the past several years always have yielded ideas for the three corners at 17th Street and Indian River Boulevard Vero Beach owns along the Indian River Lagoon.
While Vero Beach has a plan for the corners including a hotel, green space and restaurants (and will soon seek developers to execute it), there’s room for tweaking. Evansville had two neat features: a creative, colorful playground made from recycled milk cartons and built by volunteers; and the retired World War II-era Landing Ship-Tank 325 and museum.
But I was most impressed by ongoing revitalization downtown.
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Preserving buildings with character essential
It helps downtown Evansville has a history of preserving buildings, such as its 1891 courthouse and old jail (with tower) across the street, both in private hands. I ate at a neat burger joint in a renovated 1930s-era Greyhound station saved by Indiana Landmarks, which claims to be the nation’s largest private historical preservation association.
Within two blocks (and within two weeks of my stay), an old theater nearby had live shows; a charter school in renovated buildings held classes; a large convention center held events, and an 11,000-seat arena (with an indoor pedestrian bridge to a Doubletree Hotel) played host to the Ohio Valley Conference and NCAA Division II Elite Eight basketball tournaments and professional hockey games.
Next door, there are new medical facilities ― one owned by a local hospital for treatment and research; another to educate students at Evansville University (physical therapy, physician assistant), Indiana University (school of medicine, including a youth mental health center) and University of Southern Indiana (occupational therapy and nursing).
Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke told me the hotel and medical projects were results of a collaborative, multi-government and stakeholder process aligned with a strategy to keep the region staffed with health care professionals. He cited studies showing 70% of them stay where they are trained. Evansville tried to learn from the Medical Mile in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Outreach, residences among the keys
The Republican said significant outreach was required to get buy-in for subsidies and funding, leveraged with state and philanthropic dollars, to complete the project, which is expected to attract additional medical facilities.
The city also has found ways to entice developers to renovate buildings and build apartments downtown.
The 144-unit, $40 million Post House apartments, opened in 2020, received $9 million in state funds. Rents start at $1,299 for a one-bedroom. It includes unusual first-floor retail space with adjacent residences for proprietors.
Things are so exciting downtown even Winnecke, 62, and his wife moved there.
“I needed to put my money where my mouth was,” he said, noting he loves the walkability and entertainment options.
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How could Indian River County benefit?
Some takeaways, as they relate to our home:
Evansville has seemingly no traffic downtown, except on a four-lane “speedway” ― to use Vero Beach Twin Pairs opponents’ exaggerations ― that separates downtown from the riverfront promenade.
Downtown, also home to a casino, banks and corporate headquarters, has numerous parking garages, many of which are empty. I’m convinced the city’s plan to get people living, working and playing downtown has been effective.
Having interesting businesses and places to work ― something Vero Beach has done to a decent degree ― entices people to move into the neighborhood. Evansville businesses benefit from at least three hotels downtown.
Decades ago, the city closed its Main Street, adding pavers and making it pedestrian only. Before Winnecke took office in 2012, it opened to one-lane, one-way traffic with a parking lane. Another streetscape project, with no parking, is near the medical/entertainment area.
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Collaboration, focus essential
These are not on main roads comparable to Vero Beach’s Twin Pairs, which acts more like the roads east, west and far west of Evansville's downtown. Other main roads with moderate traffic go through the central city (but not downtown) and around the south and north city limits.
Collaboration among cities, the county and surrounding areas is essential, something Indian River County must improve on ― related to a host of issues, including planning ahead. Together, Lord only knows what ― other than cookie-cutter housing ― could be lured to thousands of acres of land annexed for development in Sebastian and Fellsmere.
Let’s determine what our needs are, plan for 15 or 25 years down the road and work together to reach that common goal.
Otherwise, we’ll leave our descendants with a mess.
This column reflects the opinion of Laurence Reisman. Contact him via email at larry.reisman@tcpalm.com, phone at 772-978-2223, Facebook.com/larryreisman or Twitter @LaurenceReisman.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero Beach, Indian River County, might learn from Evansville progress
