Local dignitaries and officials of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail convened on the corner of South and Meridian streets on Nov. 4 to break ground on the trail’s expansion.
As reported in the March 2020 edition of Urban Times, the project involves two new legs of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick:
* An Indiana Avenue expansion to connect directly to the Madam Walker Legacy Center on Indiana Avenue and continue north to 10th Street. That leg will then head west on 10th Street to the planned bridge leading to the 16 Tech Innovation District.
* A South Street expansion which will bring the Indianapolis Cultural Trail from New Jersey Street to Capitol Avenue, improving access in a thriving stretch of Downtown that includes Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indiana Convention Center and a growing residential hub.
The Nov. 4 ceremony featured Mayor Joe Hogsett, City-County Councilor Kristen Jones, leadership from Ransom Place Neighborhood Association and Stadium Village Business Association, the Glick Family, and artist Manón Voice.
“Indianapolis has long distinguished itself as one of the most walkable downtowns in America,” Hogsett said. “Since 2013, a big reason has been the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick, and today we are expanding the reach of this beloved resource.”
The project will add about two miles of the internationally recognized linear park. Construction will take approximately 20 months to complete. Cultural Trail officials, in coordination with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, will provide regular construction updates at www.IndyCulturalTrail.org/Expansion and encourage people to sign up for the regular updates.
The expansion project includes funding for Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc’s, endowment to sustainably maintain the Cultural Trail for years to come and investment in the Trail’s art collection and public art program. Lead investors include Lilly Endowment Inc, Anthem Foundation, Lilly Foundation and the City of Indianapolis. To date Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has raised $28.5 million for the estimated $30 million project.
ILLUSTRATION ABOVE: An extension of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail will connect the Madam Walker Legacy Center to the original trail at Indiana Avenue and St. Clair Street, then continue north to 10th Street. For more information, go to the March 2020 edition of Urban Times at https://www.digitalindy.org/digital/collection/utn/id/8909/rec/20. That report begins on page 8.
