You're Invited: Celebrate North Corridor Opening

Join us Friday, June 18, to cut the ribbon on another mile of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick. 

What: North Corridor news conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony
When: Friday, June 18, 10 a.m.
Where: east side entrance to Canal at Walnut St., just west of Senate Ave.
Who: Mayor Gregory Ballard, CICF President Brian Payne, Frank and Katrina Basile, Madame Walker Theatre Board Chair Christopher Barney, Health and Hospital Corporation President and CEO Matt Gutwein and Dr. Lisa Harris, CEO and Medical Director of Wishard Hospital. 

What else:  Free pedometers from Wishard Hospital. Free food from Creation Cafe. (while supplies last!)

The North Corridor connects the existing completed trail on Alabama St. from North St. to American Legion Mall, Walnut St., the Canal, and St. Clair St. to Indiana Ave.

June 30: Glick Peace Walk Unveiling and Illumination

In addition to Gene and Marilyn's $15 million gift to the Cultural Trail, they also gave $2 million to honor 14 Americans who dedicated their lives to peaceful pursuits and forever changed the world. The Glick Peace Walk runs along side the Cultural Trail on Walnut St. where 10 sculpture or luminary gardens have been installed. Each garden tells that person's story artistically through intricate images laid in granite terrazo, their lifetime highlighted with points of light, and a magnificent portrait etched in glass framed by a custom-made stainless steel sculpture.

Photo:  This portrait of Benjamin Franklin will be located at Meridian and Walnut St. It was carved in glass by Greg Thompson, GRT Glass Design.

Professional actors Priscilla Lindsay and Rob Johansen will lead the ceremony to honor each person as the gardens are unveiled and illuminated with music from the Ronen Chamber Ensemble. To conclude the ceremony, the Indianapolis Children's Choir will lead us in "Let There Be Peace On Earth" by candlelight.

What: Glick Peace Walk Unveiling and Illumination Ceremony
When: Wed., June 30
8 p.m. cash bar open from the AutoVault, 710 N. Illinois St.
(beer provided by Sun King and wine provided by National Wine and Spirits)
8:45 p.m. ceremony will begin from Meridian and Walnut streets
Where:  Walnut St. from Meridian St. to Capitol Ave.
(Walnut St. will be closed to traffic from 7 to 11 p.m. In this area only.)

Two additional gardens will be located on Washington St. as ambassadors to the Glick Peace Walk: Abraham Lincoln (Capitol Ave.) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Pennsylvania St.).

Download this flyer and distribute to friends or post in your office or at home.

Tell us: If you could honor or memoralize someone, who would you choose and why?  Post your photos and comments from June 30 on our Facebook page. 

Construction update

Northeast Corridor
(from North and Alabama streets winding through Mass Ave to 10th St. and the Monon Trail)
Photo: Pavers are being installed on Bellefontaine St.

• Construction is progressing nicely along Mass Ave from College Ave to 10th St. Pavers are being installed on Bellefontaine St. Concrete will be poured, followed by asphalt and pavers through June, July and August. The hardscape in this area is expected to be complete in September.  Landscaping will follow in October.  Mass Ave. will convert back to two-way following landscaping installation.
• Landscaping installation will begin soon on North St. and on Walnut St. from New Jersey St. to Park Ave. 
• The corners at New Jersey and Walnut streets and Walnut and East streets will be completed in June. 
• The Chatham Arch intersection construction will begin in July and be completed in September.  The project will start at the four corners in front of the Metro, Yats, Dean Johnson and Mass Appeal. 
• Since the Chatham Arch area is an historic district, the State Historic Preservation Office asked us to place signage in this area about its history.  Click here to see the panels that will be installed in this historic intersection as well as on East and Walnut streets and at Bellefontaine and Mass Ave as visitors enter the district.  Thanks to Leah Orr and the Riley Area Development Corporation for their help in writing and researching photos for this project.

Northeast Corridor construction update meeting:
Monday, July 26, 5:30 p.m. at R'Bistro, 888 Mass Ave.

Capitol Ave. and Alabama St. construction begins soon

The contract to build the next phase of the Cultural Trail was awarded to Linkel Company for $1.8 million. By July, it will begin construction on Alabama St., from Market St. to Washington St., and on Capitol Ave., from Washington St. to Maryland St.  Since this project is paid from federal transportation funding, the Indiana Department of Transportation manages the bid process and selects the most qualified, lowest bidder.  From Batesville, Indiana, Linkel Company's most recent Indianapolis project was the fountain in Fountain Square.

It is anticipated that hardscape will be completed by December and landscaping installed in the spring of 2011.

June & July Brown Bags Cancelled

The brown bag lunches scheduled for June 15 and July 20 have been cancelled. Please check www.IndyCulturalTrail.org/events for upcoming meetings and events.