Real estate developer joins Bargersville Town Council

A caucus chose a local attorney and real estate developer from among four candidates vying for an open seat on the Bargersville Town Council.

Andrew Greenwood was sworn in directly after the caucus voted Tuesday night, with Johnson County Superior Court 3 Judge Lance Hamner performing the ceremony and Greenwood’s son, Jack, holding the Bible as he took the oath of office.

Greenwood replaces Larry Gates, who served on the council for 18 months before resigning June 9 for health reasons. Gates has since passed away and was thanked for his service to the town and the Republican Party at the start of the caucus.

When his resignation was announced, fellow town council members said Gates was humble and witty, and his dedication to the town was inspiring. Each said it was a pleasure to serve with him.

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Greenwood will serve the remainder of Gates’ term, which ends Dec. 31, 2023.

Greenwood won the votes of five of the eight Republican precinct committeemen who represent the town. The caucus gave Greenwood the simple majority needed to win the caucus on the first round of voting. 

Other candidates running were: Gayle Allard, a former town council member and clerk-treasurer; Andrew Barnhart, chief deputy at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; and Roger Hitz, an Indiana Department of Transportation retiree.

Each of the candidates focused on how they would like to see the town grow and prepare for the looming Interstate 69 expansion through the county. The town must be proactive, they said, to set the town up for growth when State Road 144, a major east-west corridor through town, becomes an interchange on the new highway, which will follow the path of State Road 37 from Evansville to Indianapolis. 

Greenwood’s campaign speech to caucus voters focused on his experience in real estate development and his role on the steering committee for the Bargersville Vision 2040 plan. Serving on the steering committee was his first go at serving the town, and his time on the committee prompted him to pursue the office, he said.

Greenwood and his business partners at Old Town Development and Patch Development have developed properties in Marion and Hamilton counties.

Greenwood nor his companies have any current property interest in Johnson County, he said, adding that the only thing he owns in Bargersville is his home, where he has lived for 12 years.

As a developer, he believes he is qualified to help the town grow, Greenwood said. The town’s Vision 2040 plan includes commercial, retail and medical office spaces at the future I-69 interchange, and mixed-use developments near downtown, the plan says.

“This is a skill set that Bargersville and this town council needs,” Greenwood said. “I’ve spent a lot of time in town halls just like this talking to mayors, council members, business leaders, planners and residents, trying to listen and know what it takes to get these difficult projects done. Difficult TIF financing, difficult real estate deals; this is what I’ve done my entire career.”

The election, he told caucus voters, was not just about who has lived in town the longest, but who has the skills to grow the town.

“Bargersville is at a pivotal point in my opinion. We have a lot of tough and complicated choices to make in the next few years. We need to grow responsibly and thoughtfully while not losing sight of our agricultural history,” Greenwood said.

He grew up near Washington D.C. and has lived in Bargersville for 12 years.

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Name: Andrew Greenwood

Party: Republican

Residence: Bargersville

Family: Wife, Kelly; three children

Occupation: Attorney and real estate developer with Old Town and Patch Development, Hamilton County

Educational background: Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University; law degree from Hofstra University

Political experience: None

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