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City planners want to transform a three-block stretch of Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis into a “pedestrian-friendly”
area suited for hosting large groups of visitors to downtown events.
The Indianapolis Department of Public Works announced Tuesday morning plans for the $12.5 million project extending from
Capitol Avenue to Pennsylvania Street.
Work is scheduled to begin late this year and would be finished by the 2012 Super Bowl. Georgia Street will continue to serve
as a two-way street and will only be closed to traffic for special events.
“The Georgia Street improvements will convert a street which carries very little vehicular traffic into a pedestrian-friendly
public space,” Mayor Greg Ballard said in a written statement.
The project will mostly be funded by a federal grant and will include new sidewalks, pavement, lighting and other amenities.
In addition, the street will feature electrical, lighting and sound capabilities to accommodate events.
Once finished, the corridor would link the expanded Indiana Convention Center, set to be finished in January, to the west
with Conseco Fieldhouse to the east.
“We will have a convention and community event venue that extends beyond the doors of our new Convention Center space
for the meeting and entertainment needs of our customers,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Convention
and Visitors Association, in a prepared statement.
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