5 minute read
The Pittman Family Preserves Its Legacy in Boone and Hamilton Counties
Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Submitted
As many local residents have read, the yearslong feud that began after the death of the patriarch in 2014 and between the Pittman family siblings has recently concluded and a settlement has been reached among the children of the late John and Euna Pittman. As a result, two major development projects are now moving forward, pending final approval from local officials in Carmel and Zionsville where the two projects are located: The Bridges in Carmel and The Farm at Zionsville.
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THE “INDIANA PITTMANS”
We spoke with Carmel resident Steve Pittman—one of the three Indiana-based Pittmans, or “Indiana Pittmans” as dubbed by Steve.
Steve is a local real estate developer. His brother Chad Pittman is a Zionsville resident, war veteran, lawyer and business owner of 9/12 Advisors, and brother Scott Pittman is a doctor.
Some time after John Pittman’s death, the West Coast Pittmans filed multiple lawsuits against the Indiana Pittmans and the companies that John and Euna Pittman established. Those lawsuits were settled on Oct. 26, 2020.
“The death of my dad, John Pittman, caused an unraveling of my family that I could never have imagined,” Pittman expressed. “While it is an unfortunate event in our lives, the Indiana Pittmans remain extremely close and aligned. Scott, Chad and I have great memories working on our farms, bailing hay and feeding animals and have enjoyed being involved in the planning, development and transformation of these family properties.”
THE BRIDGES OF CARMEL
JEC Partnership, LLC is the controlling developer of The Bridges of Carmel and
is owned by Steve, Scott and Chad Pittman. A submitted site plan for The Bridges shows the layout and surrounding property uses. The Bridges of Carmel PUD was approved in 2011, and the retail portion of the development was sold in March of 2017.
“The Zotec portion of the site is built out, and their new headquarters is now in place,” Steve Pittman said. “You can see the remaining 21.8 acres on the south end. When we got the planned unit development (PUD) approved 10 years ago, we thought The Bridges would become a $100 million dollar project. Now we anticipate it will become over $200 million in value.”
Pittman continued, “Some of the milestones of our development is it was the first mixeduse PUD approved in West Carmel. Prior to this development, Carmel did not want any commercial development west of Illinois Street. Second, I was able to convince Market District/Giant Eagle/Get Go to open their first Indiana store at The Bridges. I went to Pittsburgh to meet with their CEO and was not able to get a meeting. They eventually told me the CEO had a meeting at their store in Dublin, Ohio, and would have a conversation with me if I went to that store. I went there, had the meeting and the rest is history!
Third, The Bridges development was the linchpin to the completion of Illinois Street, which has attracted the corporate headquarters of Zotec, KAR and the new orthopedic hospital just south of our property.”
Pittman shared that not everyone was convinced that The Bridges would be as successful as it appears to be in current day.
“While there were many surrounding neighbors that were convinced that The Bridges development would bring crime and congestion to the area and lower property values, the exact opposite has occurred. The Bridges has been transformative to the west side of Carmel. Heritage at Spring Mill and Jacksons Grant have been extremely successful in large part due to their proximity to the retail at The Bridges and the walkability that has been provided.”
According to Steve Pittman, he and his brothers, Scott and Chad, are hopeful that before the end of 2021 they will be moving forward with the last phase of The Bridges that may include a luxury multifamily community and a hospitality and/or office development.
THE FARM AT ZIONSVILLE
As many residents of Zionsville know, the Pittman Farm has long since been an unofficial entry into Zionsville along North Michigan Road (U.S. 421) and Sycamore Street. The property that hosts the tired but welcoming landmark—the red barn—which bears the Pittman name above its dilapidated door frame, is well on its way to becoming a modern and robust entryway into the historic town. The Farm at Zionsville will boast a mixed-use PUD upon the 62-acre site.
Pittman shared that his late father’s vision is shared by the Indiana Pittmans, who remain committed to making sure this property is developed with the vision that they shared with their father, John Pittman.
The Farm at Zionsville PUD was approved in 2013 and was the first private mixed-use PUD approved in Zionsville. The property is owned by Pittman Investors, LLC, which is currently owned by Steve, Scott and Chad Pittman.
Pittman added, “As envisioned by the PUD, The Farm will be a world-class mixed-use development that will have multifamily residential, retail and office development. While we no longer have Fresh Fare by Kroger as a tenant, we are hopeful that we will get another grocery store. We look at our site as the gateway to Zionsville. We are slow and deliberate in our decision making to ensure that we will have a world-class development that provides a place for people to live, work and play.”
According to the approved PUD for The Farm at Zionsville, the development plan calls for 225,0000 square feet of office and retail space and up to 400 high-end multifamily units. All structures within the approved development will be subject to specific architectural requirements and building standards set by Pitman Investors, LLC, which is also the controlling developer.
According to Steve Pittman, Pittman Investors, LLC will be working with the town of Zionsville and anticipates this being the last season that The Farm at Zionsville will function as a farm, as the Indiana Pittmans are planning on proceeding with the development of the land, pending approval from the town of Zionsville, beginning in 2022.
