FairOaks to rebrand to NexusPark

Mike Wolanin | The Republic A entrance to the FairOaks Mall in Columbus, Ind., pictured Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018.

The FairOaks Community Development Corp. Board is preparing to unveil a brand identity for the NexusPark project.

The board — which includes Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop and Columbus Regional Health President and CEO Jim Bickel — unanimously approved allocating funds to remove all FairOaks Mall signage from the mall property and develop a website for the project that is expected to launch later this month.

The board approved using no more than $26,229 to pay TD Advertising to provide public relations services and develop, host and maintain the website, which will include the yet-to-be-revealed NexusPark logo, as well as information about the project development and timeline, among other things. The website is expected to launch Jan. 27.

The board also approved using no more than $15,000 to remove FairOaks Mall signage from the mall property.

“This is just so that we start getting the community to think that this is Nexus Park, and it’s hard to do with Fair Oaks all over the outside of the building and on the property,” said Mary Ferdon, city executive director of administration and community development, during the meeting.

“…As we move forward, we know that we need to get the NexusPark branding up on the property.”

NexusPark is a joint venture between the city of Columbus and CRH to transform FairOaks Mall into a health, wellness and recreation center. The NexusPark campus is expected to include, among other things, an indoor sports fieldhouse, Columbus Parks administrative space and a CRH facility.

The city finalized the purchase of the 35.36-acre mall property at 25th Street and Central Avenue for $5.9 million in 2018. The city put up approximately $4 million, or 75% of the property’s appraised value.

CRH contributed $1.3 million, or 25% of the appraised value. Additionally, the Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County committed to providing $450,000, which is the difference between the selling price and the appraised value.

On Wednesday, Ferdon said the board is “very close” to revealing renderings for the fieldhouse and Parks Department offices.

“I know that everybody’s waiting to see renderings for both the fieldhouse in the parks space and the external part of the building, and we’re very close,” Ferdon said. “We have been tweaking the design for months now. …The fieldhouse, we hope to have ready to go out to bid in March. (For the) parks administrative space, it’ll be sometime early summer. So, we are close to having final designs.”