Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of the Cummins building adjacent to the Irwin Conference Center in Columbus, Ind., Monday, February. 26, 2024.
COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Redevelopment Commission agreed to offer a number of parking spaces in the Jackson Street garage to Toyota Material Handling (TMH), who city officials said is on the verge of acquiring the Irwin Office Building and Conference Center from Cummins Inc.
A unanimous vote on Monday allows the Columbus Redevelopment Commission to enter into negotiations with TMH to execute a contract for a graduated rate on 75 parking spaces in the Jackson Street garage. The contract is set to have four five-year renewals, according to Director of Redevelopment Heather Pope.
Toyota’s potential purchase of the building at 525 Jackson St. would bring around 200 TMH employees downtown, according to Pope.
“(Cummins and TMH are) in the process of finalizing things, dotting I’s, crossing Ts, and making sure that they would be good stewards of the building moving forward,” Pope said. “Part of that stewardship is ensuring that their employees have a place to park and they have requested to have what I’m going to call unreserved parking spaces in our garage.”
TMH’s Jill Mishler, who attended the meeting, said the negotiations with Cummins “are contingent upon parking.”
For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
