The Indianapolis greenways system will get a little longer by July 2015 if all goes according to plan. The long-awaited second phase of the Pennsy Trail on the east side will be discussed at the next Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission (IHPC) meeting August 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St. (Public Assembly Room, Second Floor). The public is invited to the meeting.
The first phase of the Pennsy stretched from Arlington Ave. to Shortridge Rd. and was completed in 2009. The 1.2 miles of paved greenway has proven to be popular with dog walkers, bike riders, and people on a leisurely stroll. The next phase, according to Jason Koch from the Department of Public Works, will connect the existing Pleasant Run Trail on the south side of Ellenberger Park with the completed part of the Pennsy via Ritter south to Bonna Ave., where it will head east to Arlington. The cost of Phase II is $1.15 million, which is funded with federal dollars. Construction will likely begin in September or October of this year, and will be finished by June or July 2015.
“This is a major change to the neighborhood,” he noted, as the greenway runs through the protected Irvington historic district and eliminates the parking on the west side of Ritter. The hearing with IHPC is to review the construction plans to ensure the unique features of the historic district are preserved as much as possible.
Andre Denmen, the Manager of Indianapolis greenways, said that the Pennsy public meetings have always been well attended, and the most common question he gets is “When is it going to be finished?” Denmen said that neighbors have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the Pennsy connecting the east side with the rest of the city.
According to the plan, the project will include widening and paving the existing path on the south side of Ellenberger Park, the construction of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curbs where side streets meet the trail, pedestrian crossing signs, 6 1/2’ wide concrete replacement sidewalks on the west side of Ritter, and informational signs along the way. On Bonna Ave., the trail will follow the original corridor used by the Penn Central Railroad, except for a slight detour around a house at Audubon and Bonna. During construction, traffic in the area will not be affected for the first phase, but during the Ritter Ave. construction, southbound Ritter would be closed and detours put into place. The historic street tiles and brick pavement on Bonna will not affected by the construction.
The Coal Factory development in Irvington along Bonna Ave. will face the trail. The developers of the Coal Factory were also scheduled for a hearing in front of IHPC in August, but have rescheduled the hearing until September.
With Phase II ready to start, they are already looking at plans for Phase III, which will take the Pennsy from Shortridge to German Church Road, hooking up with the part that is already completed in Cumberland. Funding is available for that part of the project, Denmen noted. Projected fund dates for the first part of Phase III, from Shortridge to Post, is expected in 2017 and from Post to German Church in 2018.
Denmen said that the upcoming trail construction is something neighbors have been looking forward to for a while. “This is going to spur more positive development in the area,” he explained. “It’s going to be a good thing.”
