Profile

In the late 1950's, Leonard L. Larman took a job with the Albert L. Frankel Company, a local commercial real estate development firm in Indianapolis, Indiana. He replaced an employee by the name of Melvin Simon who had just left the Frankel Company to start his own firm. Larman became a partner in the Frankel Company after working as a leasing agent for a period of years with the firm. The Frankel Company developed many of the early centers in and around the state including; Eastgate Plaza, Greenbriar, Hawthorne Plaza, part of Nora Plaza to name a few in the Indianapolis area.

As a part of Larman's involvement in the real estate industry he served as President of the Indiana State Chapter of ICSC and graduated in the first class of CSM's in the United States. In 1970 Larman left the Frankel Company and formed the Leonard L. Larman Company. The main focus of the new venture was to develop a piece of ground that he took with him that had been acquired to develop a regional mall. When the potential for the mall fell through, Larman proceeded to develop a large mixed use development known as Keystone At The Crossing. After completion of the original Fashion Mall, the Bazaar, several restaurants and the 9000 Keystone Crossing Office Tower, his partner, (the Indiana National Bank) was no longer able to continue developing the project due to a change in federal regulations so they were forced to divest themselves of the project. Part of what was taken by the Leonard L. Larman Company was the River Crossing site.

Other projects that Leonard Larman worked on during this period of time was the land assemblage and infrastructure development for the main downtown post office for the city of Indianapolis as well as the acquisition and restoration of the Inland Building and a 14 story office building located on Market Street.

In 1981, Philip N. Larman joined the firm after graduating from Tulane University in New Orleans with a Bachelors degree in economics. Philip worked for the company in leasing and property management positions until 1987 when he left the company for a period of four years to start his own custom home construction company. In late 1989, Leonard Larman became terminally ill and Philip returned on a part time basis to help manage the company. As 1990 was the beginning of a very difficult real estate recession, the company needed more than a part time manager and so the custom home building business was closed in 1990 and Philip took over the operation of the Company on a full time basis

After spending several years stabilizing the existing properties owned by the company, efforts were turned towards the development of the 85 acre River Crossing site. In two previous attempts over an eight year period, Leonard Larman was not able to achieve satisfactory zoning on the parcel but by November, 1993, Philip Larman got the site zoned as a mixed use development. The portions of the development that are now complete consist of a 314 unit apartment complex, 252,262 square feet of office space, 110,000 of retail, Champps Americana Restaurant, and a 314 room full service Marriott hotel.