Posted by Chris Corr in Neighborhoods
on Jul 16th, 2015 | 16 comments
By almost any measure, the redevelopment of Fall Creek Place has been a resounding success. Building upon a $4M Homeownership Zone Award from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and leveraged through $20M from a Tax Increment Financing district that upgraded neighborhood infrastructure, the plan quickly found footing in the early 2000s and transformed “Dodge City” into the beautiful, walkable neighborhood we see today. Homes are still being built on Broadway St. on some of the last remaining parcels available in Phase 4, a section not originally planned but added after...
Posted by Chris Corr in Neighborhoods
on Aug 5th, 2014 | 25 comments
Last summer, the City began work on a year-long project to replace the structurally deficient Illinois Street Bridge Over Fall Creek.  A similarly-long project took  place in 2012 to replace the eastern side of the Meridian Bridge and restore the limestone facade.  When it reopened, Urban Indy immediately reported on the woefully inadequate sidewalk replacement that was part of the project.  A $2.5M bridge replacement project was the perfect opportunity to correct the Meridian Bridge sidewalk width, but the Department of Public Works (DPW) totally whiffed on it and kept the original,...
Posted by Chris Corr in Neighborhoods
on Mar 25th, 2013 | 13 comments
Now that the snow has finally stopped falling, does your neighborhood sidewalk look like this?
If not, consider this a friendly reminder from all of us here at Urban Indy that it’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure that we keep our streets passable for all users after a snowstorm. Our friendly, walkable neighborhoods aren’t so friendly when you have to trudge through 7 or 8″ of...
Posted by Chris Corr in Neighborhoods
on Jun 12th, 2012 | 22 comments
If you are not familiar with the saga of the Di Rimini, I suggest that you first catch up by reading here, here, here, here and here. Needless to say, this is a story that should serve as an example to designers and developers that they must consider the City’s Regional Center Design Guidelines and follow through with them.
Now that you’re caught up, I present to you a pictorial history of the Di Rimini from the originally approved design through to the proposed redesign that will be reviewed by the Regional Center Hearing Examiner July 12th,...
Posted by Chris Corr in Bicycling, Neighborhoods, Pedestrian
on Apr 11th, 2012 | 14 comments
A long-awaited extension of the Fall Creek Trail is set for construction later this year. This 1.4 mile segment will connect the current southern terminus at the Monon Trail to the orphaned spur of trail between Meridian St. and Central Ave.
While comprehensive planning for the Fall Creek Trail route from the White River in downtown to Skiles Test Nature Park in the northeast was completed in 1999, this segment has languished without funding as other easier-to-construct segments were built first. At long last, in July 2011, Indianapolis received a $1M Federal Transportation Enhancement grant for...