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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThis week’s IBJ includes stories about two important recreational projects—one funded largely by the city and one primarily by the state—that are the kinds of amenities communities need to compete for residents, businesses, workers, tourists and more.
On page 1A, Mickey Shuey offers the first glimpse at plans for an expanded White River State Park, a project that will extend the urban recreation area across Washington Street to the former GM stamping plant site.
The $65 million project—to be paid for with state funds and a grant from the Lilly Endowment—will provide Indianapolis residents with better access to the White River, more walking trails and a new pavilion for weddings, markets and other events.
The park will also complement work underway by Elanco Animal Health, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and Purdue University to develop what they’re calling the OneHealth Innovation District on another part of the former industrial site. The district, which will be home to Elanco’s new headquarters, is meant to attract additional life sciences companies and researchers to the area with the goal of developing what Elanco CEO Jeff Simmons calls an “epicenter of animal health.”
Meanwhile, the city of Indianapolis is working on its portion of the Nickel Plate Trail, which—when completed—will stretch across portions of Marion and Hamilton counties. As reporter Taylor Wooten writes on page 3A, Fishers already has its portion of the trail largely completed, and Noblesville has sections under construction.
The city of Indianapolis broke ground on its portion of the project late last year and plans to spend $14.9 million on construction, including $5 million from a state Next Level Trails grant and the rest from city funds.
If the project is anything like the Monon Trail or the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, the Nickel Plate will improve neighborhoods and boost residential and commercial development. It will offer recreation to residents of northeast Indianapolis, a car-centric section of the city that could use a little walkability, and it could increase property values along its path.
These are the kinds of projects that can lead to a more attractive city and more vibrant neighborhoods. And while they can seem untethered to economic development and jobs, we think they are quite closely related.
If the White River State Park expansion looks anything like the renderings in this week’s issue, we’re confident the project will help the IEDC sell the GM stamping plant as a great place to locate a business. The space to enjoy the riverfront with a view of the downtown skyline and trails leading to the Indianapolis Zoo, Victory Field, the Everwise Amphitheater and more is sure to be a selling point.
Indianapolis and the metro area need more cultural and recreational amenities like these to be competitive. The trails and the state park expansion—along with other regional projects, some funded by the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative program—or READI grants—have provided a great start. Let’s look for even more ways to expand these opportunities.•
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