Appaloosa Crossing to Break Ground in 2021

November 2020

Along with the hopes for a better new year, the Kite Harris Property Group is looking to break ground on its mixed-use development at the southeast corner of County Road 300 South and U.S. 421 (aka 146th Street and North Michigan Road).

Appaloosa Crossing will soon offer 264,000 square feet of retail and office space, restaurants, a gas station and a single-family housing development for empty nesters. The architectural details and equestrian themes throughout the development have been carefully curated by the development group, Kite Harris Property Group, and the landowners, Harris Family Limited Partnership.

We spoke with Zionsville resident and developer/property manager Bob Harris about the details of the project and the benefits it will bring area residents as well as existing and new businesses who have committed to relocating to Appaloosa Crossing in 2021.

The Harris Family Limited Partnership

The Harrises are no strangers to the area and have been landowners in Zionsville since the 1960s. The Harris Family Limited Partnership owns commercial buildings in downtown Zionsville and developed the mixed-use project on South Main Street near 106th Street that houses Bub’s Burgers & Ice Cream and Alchemy Spirit House, among other tenants.

Introducing Appaloosa Crossing

The 55 acres of rural fields at the future site of Appaloosa Crossing will soon boast additional amenities for area residents, such as an early childhood development facility, a 10,000-square-foot medical office space and a 21st Amendment liquor store. Many of these businesses have inked deals with Harris and will begin construction in early 2021.

While the development has the space for a grocer, Harris confirmed that no deals are currently on the table, but he would like to see a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods type of grocer eventually become part of Appaloosa Crossing.

Harris shared, “We’re under contract for 22 of the 55 acres with an empty-nester developer that has submitted plans to the planning commission to build 75 to 80 high-end homes.”

The development will also have walking paths and trails throughout its interior.

“We have 21st Amendment on one of the [development’s] out lots, and we have a local dentist who is interested in relocating there and taking up 5,000 square feet of the 10,000-square-foot medical office building,” Harris added. “I’d like to see an orthodontist, chiropractor or some medical-related tenant take up the other 5,000 square feet in that building.”

When asked about the retail component of the project and how much interest Harris is getting from local area businesses, Harris replied, “We’ve got commitments for 50% of our 24,000-square-foot retail building. I’ve got to have 70% committed before we kick that off, and we’re getting closer to that percentage. I’m optimistic that we’ll be starting construction on that [retail building] in the spring also.”

Designed to Best Represent the Area and Provide What Residents Need

Harris emphasized that the forthcoming development will not look like traditional “strip centers” but will boast a theme that represents the area’s proud equestrian heritage and community.

“We’re going with a style that is similar to what you would see in Lexington, Kentucky, and around Keeneland,” Harris explained. “There are designated drive-thru areas in the plan, which have proven critical to many businesses in this pandemic. For instance, we will be bringing in a dry cleaner who will have one of those drive-thru window spaces.”

As far as restaurants go, Harris is in talks with an area restaurateur who is in the process of deciding if they will be bringing a higher-end steak or BBQ concept to the project. We will be sure to announce the final verdict and the owners once that piece of the project has been finalized.

“We are also looking at bringing in a specialty butcher/European market type of shop as well,” Harris said. “We have room for a grocery store and have been pinging Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Fresh Thyme, and though they’re starting to pay a little more attention to us, we’re not currently in any negotiations with any of them.”

It’s a Gas Station … Not a Truck Stop

The development has been cleared to bring in a filling station at the main entrance of Appaloosa Crossing. To squelch some of the rumors about this station, it is zoned and approved for a regular vehicle and truck fueling station and will not be, as Harris put it, “an eat-here-and-get-gas type of situation.”

“Unfortunately, Tesla hasn’t saturated the market, so we still need fossil fuels,” Harris quipped. “We’re working on that project with a local British Petroleum group. The gas station will have immediate access right off of U.S. 421 but will also be accessible from an interior road that will run the entire back side of the out lots and leads out to 146th Street.”

Harris concluded, “Appaloosa Crossing will have everything that everybody needs out there. You’ll have a place that you can easily drive to and hopefully get everything you need. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish out there.”

Writer:

Janelle Morrison

Photography:

Submitted