INDIANAPOLIS — We’re taking a closer look at local leaders’ tourist trips to Singapore.
What they saw and learned abroad could help develop the White River into a central gathering place here in Indianapolis.
Indy has already proven successful in drawing tourists downtown.
But when developing long-term tourism plans, particularly for the White River, a largely undeveloped natural asset, local leaders sought inspiration from around the world.
They visited San Antonio, Chicago, Nashville, Austin, and Boise to survey the waterfronts of these communities.
And most recently, I traveled halfway around the world in November.
“We’ve put Singapore on the map,” said Visit Indy executive vice president Chris Gaal. “It’s a destination that has grown tourism, enhanced quality of life and revitalized the waterfront in very meaningful ways.”
Credit: Chris Gahl
Twenty-five city and state leaders made the four-day visit. This is Indy’s first international mission to get ideas for the Midwest waterfront.
“In five, six, seven years, we’ll look back and say, ‘Remember what we saw in Singapore and how it changed the flow of our downtown, especially along the White River?'” said Mr. Garl.
Gall said the $85,000 trip was paid for without taxpayer money.
This was a combination of a $35,000 grant from IEDC, a $30,000 grant from CICF, and a $20,000 investment from Visit Indy that came from the organization’s private funds.
The main reason they chose Singapore was the Gardens by the Bay development. It is a top tourist destination in Singapore and is visited by millions of tourists. The country has invested $1 billion to clean the river and build tourist attractions around it.
Credit: Chris Gahl
Local leaders wanted to learn from Singapore’s success and perhaps replicate it.
“We went on a riverboat cruise to see what was going on while the sun was setting. We went kayaking. We went canoeing,” Gaal said. “We’ve talked to businesses that have moved to the waterfront for projects like Gardens by the Bay.”
Garr said that could happen here as well.
Credit: WTHR
They are considering adding development in the area where White River State Park would be expanded, Elanco would build a new headquarters and Indy Eleven’s stadium would be built.
“How you can kayak underwater, how you can stand-up surf underwater, and how you can fish the White River,” Gaal said. “It’s also how they look at the use of light, public art, water activation, and the meaning of architecture.”
In Singapore, each day was dedicated to specific goals, including water quality, tourism, economic development, and lessons learned during debriefings.
A day learning about water quality and how to keep rivers clean and safe is especially important, Gaal said.
Credit: Chris Gahl
Citizens Energy, whose representatives were on the trip, is currently cleaning up the White River through its Dig Indy project. This is the first step towards further recreation, and the project is scheduled to be completed by 2026-2027.
Another thing the team got that Gaal was really impressed with was the lighting.
Singapore has a comprehensive lighting strategy.
Think of the “Shining A Light” display at Monument Circle or the enhanced lighting of signage at large sporting events at the JW Marriott, taking it to a whole new level.
“At night, Singapore comes alive with lights and is eye-catching,” Mr Garr said. “The whole destination is like a light show.”
Credit: Chris Gahl
As our waterfront changes, Indy may soon see some of that innovation.
13News also reached out to IEDC about their visit to Singapore.
We received the following statement from IEDC Chief of Staff Vincent Ash.
“In recent years, Indiana has increasingly focused on improving the quality of life for our communities and Hoosiers. A visit to Singapore led by Visit Indy provided central Indiana leaders with the opportunity to learn about the nation’s best practices. We were able to envision a future for Indianapolis that goes far beyond this. This visionary element is key to the asset development that allows Indianapolis to compete for talent and investment, and accelerates the state’s regional economy. Directly aligned with the goals of the Development Initiative (READI), central Indiana has visionary concepts such as the expansion of White River State Park, Eleven Park, the redevelopment of Circle Center Mall, and the former GM Stamping Plant. We have an opportunity to make it a reality. IEDC is collaborating with communities in central Indiana and in every corner of the state to boldly consider what is possible for Indiana’s short- and long-term quality places strategy. Masu.”