Anyone traveling around downtown knows that almost everything is under construction. That’s great news for this blog, of course. This post, while not all-inclusive, is intended to give readers a photographic update on a number of recent projects.
Indy Bike Hub:
The most recent addition to downtown is an exciting one. Once a food court, the Indy Bike Hub now houses a YMCA, Bicycle Garage store, and the Indy Cog headquarters.
Market Street:
As part of the Rebuild Indy project, Market Street is undergoing some much-needed repairs, including ADA ramps across from the City County Building.
Cultural Trail:
The Cultural Trail is currently under construction along Washington Street. Included is a shot of a car parked along it in front of the Conrad. Lovely.
Glick Peace Walk
In conjunction with the Cultural Trail, the downtown portion of the Glick Peace Walk has been installed: 
New Businesses and other assorted improvements:
The Libertine, Neal Brown’s latest venture, is a cool spot for food, cocktails, and conversation:
The former H&H Mart and the McOuat building are still undergoing renovations:
We have our lady back!
The Hyatt added an outdoor patio area, which has helped decrease the moat effect:
Indianapolis Colts Grille has taken the place of the Off-Track Betting space in Embassy Suites:
The Convention Center isn’t particularly new, but I haven’t posted about it, so here it is:
Georgia Street:
Last, but certainly not least, is the Georgia Street project. I’m going to call it Georgia Street, regardless of whether or not it gets renamed to something lame.
There is so much going on around town that it is difficult to keep track of everything. If I missed anything big, please mention so in the comments.
Great Stuff and thanks for posting an update on so much activity all in one place.
The ground floor of the former HH Mart looks odd. Why are the windows recessed so much from the face of the building? I’ll be curious to see the finishing touches because the way it is now, the bold Art Deco columns are just hanging out there.
I didn’t realize Georgia already had landscaping going in. This project is very exciting and I can’t wait to cruise down “GEORGIA STREET” in the future.
I guess city officials are so bored they feel the renaming of a historic street is in order, LOL! I hear mayor Ballard is in Disneyland getting ideas.
It is my understaning that the “the Hyatt … outdoor patio area” is, in part, a green roof over below-grade parking.
The Shelby St work is progressing, albeit at a much-slowed pace. The striping is down, the sidewalk has a neat concrete patch where the utility pole once sprouted. However, now crushed glass is really filling the gutter. So sad. Obviously people are deliberately targetting the cycle track. There never has been as much glass along there as I saw today.
What I really don’t understand is why they marked the ‘sharrow’ in the left (center) lane rather in the curb lane. Are they telling us bicycles are suppose to be sharing that lane with cars? It’s like that from Pleasant Run down to Raymond, where the bike lane resumes.
That just seems really peculiar to me. On East St, they put the markings in the curb lane so it suggests a ‘virtual bike lane’ shared with cars. Not so on Shelby.
Great photo set. Love seeing all the pedestrian and bike infrastructure improvements! Indy has come a long way in a very short time. Everyone in the community can/should be proud of the progress. Can’t wait to ride the entire Cultural Trail when completed!
Thanks for update Kevin. Yes indeed, there is much going on in Indianapolis at the moment. Georgia Street, Cultural Trail, The Avenue Apartments, NCAA Expansion, The Hinge Apartments, Trailside Apartments , City Market, IU Health Neuroscience Center,1201 Indiana, as well as CitySide. Georgia Street is my favorite project at the moment though there are many wonderful ones. I am with you and will refer to Georgia Street as the city founding fathers so named it.
Thanks for the update!
Additionally, the Cultural Trail at IUPUI is still coming together, albeit what feels like at a slower pace now. However, the new (I think?) lane striping along Michigan has been doing a good job of keeping cars out of the bike lane on the right side of the street.
I don’t head back to campus until Monday, but I’ll make sure to bring my camera and snap up some pics of the progress there.
Yes — thanks Kevin! One other very huge project downtown that hasn’t been mentioned yet is the new $750 million Wishard Hospital. Also — the new name for the former “North of South” project definitely isn’t catching on too quickly. I’ve seen it referred to as “CitySide”, “CityView” and by its actual, equally bad name: “City Way”. Its a great project – just has a dumb name. One other new infill project is the new office building on Vermont and Indiana – next to the Bourbon Street Distillery. I like the new brick they are just now putting on it. Signs are up for “Lockerbie North” at the NW corner of College and Michigan – saying it is to be completed by 2013. The new Hardware store around 14th and Meridian is about to open too.
I’m tired of the “historic preservationists” and their hypocrisy. They now claim that somehow “Georgia Street” is sacred and should not be changed. Where were they when Walnut Street was annexed for the Cultural Trail?
The connection eludes me — Walnut St still exists in function and name even when the ROW is shared with the Cultural Trail.
Not to denouce the hypocrisy, but Walnut Street was not part of the orginal Mile Square, since North Street is one block to the south and North was the orginial boundary of the Mile Square, ergo Walnut Street was not in the Ralston Plan, whereas Georgia Street was. There is a reason that West Street wasn’t renamed MLK Jr. St., its because of its position in the Mile Square.
Rhonda, I am confused by your comment, too.
Walnut Street IS STILL Walnut Street, the Cultural Trail simply runs over it, as it does several other streets. (Moreover, Walnut Street has never had the historic importance of Georgia Street). Also, I am not sure why you are using quotes around historic preservationists (by the way, many people, not just those with a career or special interest in history have objected to the Georgia Street name change). In addition, no one is objecting to the physical street portion of Georgia Street being altered (though some people, especially fiscal conservatives, have objected to the use of federal and local funding for the promenade project); instead, they are objecting to the name change. I am not sure how that is evidence of hypocrisy.
They fenced off the area where the new BR garage will be built. It seems like they will start working soon. Also it seems like the old abandoned church on College (close to Mass) will get a face lift by the end of the year.
What ever happened with the new Arts Garden spoke connect Circle Center Mall to the Hyatt Hotel?
I would think they would be near completion by now if they want to have it in place for the Superbowl.
I noticed that there is an orange sign planted next to the BR garage lot. I suspect there will be something in the regulatory filings soon regarding the final design of the place. Im looking forward to seeing the lot revamped.
Can’t believe no one else mentioned the IU Health Neuroscience Center at 16th & I-65! It moves the visual “gateway to Downtown” north 5 blocks from the Lab building, and it’s on the opposite side of the freeway. Probably more people will see that every day than any other building or project discussed here. (Traffic count on that leg of I-65 is over 100,000.)
You’re right…that’s just huge for DT…$120M huge. It will probably trigger additional redevelopment around the site.
I think I can speak for many who work in the area…we hope it leads to more non-fast-food lunch and dinner choices.
So, a little update on IUPUI’s portion of the Cultural Trail. It seems as though they’ve neglected to do any landscaping whatsoever other than laying down boring old grass. The rest of the trail has awesome flowers, bushes, grasses, etc. and yet this strip looks like a plain jane sidewalk.
Image (from a friend/classmate, so I take no credit)
http://yfrog.com/ntrivej
Rhonda Lee: I’m just curious way certain people find it important to change Georgia Street’s name? It will sound nothing but pretentious if they change the name, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE IDEAS LEAKED OUT BY the uppers in office. Talk about an unnecessary identity crisis for Downtown Indy? Why can’t we just look at this as a good example of better civic, urban design for Downtown? Do you want Indianapolis to grow naturally…or become Disneyfied? Given that fact that THE SUPERBOWL IS A ONE WEEK EVENT…do you not believe there are better things to worry about?
Jon, when I started reading your comment, I assumed it would be delayed until next spring or something, but it is aweful relative to the rest of the project. Maybe they spent too much money accomodating the Conrad?
Blackford Street is being realigned; thus the reason that the Cultural Trail does not ride along side the road. I’m sure improvements will come over time.
So much of this effort is Super Bowl driven. We are rapidly approaching a point where weather will have a large influence on the pace of the work. I fear that important parts of it will not be completed on schedule.
@Joe
I was thinking the same thing, that they would plant things in the Spring. I sent an email via the Cultural Trail website hoping for at least an explanation. Hopefully the grass is just a temporary band-aid until post-Super Bowl, although I’m having my doubts.
As to the grass, I read where there was a temporary ‘linear park’ intstalled as an ‘art’ piece, just don’t recall exactly where they said it was. Could that be it?
The IUPUI portion of the Cultural Trail is one somewhat of a break. I think this is due to the amount of traffic during the Fall semester. The Spring semester traffic is never as bad. I read some meeting minutes from IUPUI (don’t recall where exactly) and it said landscaping was going to happen Spring of 2012.