Civil and Municipal - Mar 2023

77 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 These investments will happen all throughout the town but are largely focused on the west and downtown areas of Auburn. On the west side, Auburn has attracted a well-connected commercial developer from Indianapolis who will be developing a 23-acre parcel of land to include a series of big-chain commercial enterprises. That includes a Texas Roadhouse, Chipotle, McAlister’s Deli, Salsa Grill, and more, including a few opportunities in the works that will be announced in the coming months. “There’s so much major commercial development happening on the west side of town that we need to expand the city limits,” Ley says. “We’re working on that right now to annex another 220 acres into the city.” Those extra acres will incorporate a major medical and higher education building, as well as a professional class-A business park, and a 55-acre setup for multi-family housing and mixed-use. Downtown, Auburn has already seen expansive growth and it’s gearing up for even more. Most recently, the city’s core has seen new heated sidewalks, new lighting, refurbished streets and parking, and the expansion of many amenities. It’s AUBURN, INDIANA been a huge boon, according to Brandon Anderson, who is the executive director of the city’s Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. “As a resident, and also from my position, too – because we’re able to be successful when you live in a successful town and people want to be here – the investment that’s been put into Auburn and been put into downtown is incredible,” Anderson says. “People come here and they’re like ‘everything just looks great! It’s taken care of.’ People come here and they see that there’s a lot of investment in this town and a lot of pride in it and that makes people want to be here, too.” While Mayor Ley must remain hush-hush on further investment coming to Auburn’s downtown, he promises it’s going to be well worth the wait. “It’s a challenge for a mayor because we know what’s being talked about, but we can’t talk about it. It’s all confidential stuff,” he says. “But I can tell you that what’s going to happen in downtown Auburn in the next couple of years is going to be great. We’ve got a lot of major things that are being planned and moving forward. Downtown is going to get another huge shot in the arm here in terms of development and commercial