Join the conversation Tues., Oct. 19

Northeast Corridor ribbon-cutting Nov. 5

Come celebrate the completion of the Northeast Corridor!
The Northeast Corridor connects North and Alabama streets to 10th St. and the Monon Trail.

When:  First Friday - November 5, 5 p.m.

Where: Intersection of Massachusetts Ave. and Park Ave. 

What: At 5 p.m., the following speakers will make brief remarks:

• Congressman André Carson
• Mayor Gregory Ballard, City of Indianapolis
• Brian Payne, President, Central Indiana Community Foundation, founder/co-lead partner with the City of Indianapolis
• Mindy Taylor Ross, Public Art Coordinator for the Cultural Trail, Art Strategies
• Lori Efroymson-Aguilera and the Efroymson family will be honored for their $2 million contribution to the Cultural Trail with the official dedication of the Efroymson Family Corridor. This corridor connects North and Alabama streets to the newly named Efroymson Alley and ends at College and Massachusetts avenues.

From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.  
Visit the three new public art installations along this section of the Cultural Trail and meet the artists:  

• "Prairie Modules 1 & 2" by M12. M12 member and local artist Stuart Hyatt will be on hand at the sculpture, located at North and Alabama streets. 
• "Chatham Passage" by Sean Derry. Sean is unable to attend. Meet Mindy Ross in the alley off Mass Ave to learn more.
• "Care, Don't Care" by Jamie Pawlus. Jamie will be at her sculpture located just outside the Art Bank on Mass Ave northeast of College Ave.

Enjoy a fall evening on the Cultural Trail and the monthly First Friday art gallery openings in the Mass Ave Cultural District.

Poem dedicated at Poet's Place

Poet's Place, located on Alabama St., just south of Vermont St., near Marsh the Marketplace, is dedicated to Jim Shackelford, a retired civil engineer and planner with the City's Department of Public Works and early Cultural Trail leader and champion. The name "Poet's Place" was derived from Shackelford's designation as the Cultural Trail's unofficial poet as he early and often referred to the trail as "the canvas on which the community can contribute its character and creativity."

In 2009, as part of the Moving Forward bus shelter project by Donna Sink, a call for poetry was released. Sink and the Cultural Trail management team were so impressed with the submissions that they selected a special poem, "City Generation" by Elizabeth Weber, to display at Poet's Place.

Photo: Elizabeth and Cultural Trail team members gathered last Friday to officially dedicated the poem and its permanent installation at Poet's Place.  Read the full poem on our Web site or take a moment to read it on the Trail.

Construction update

Northeast Corridor
(North and Alabama streets to 10th St. and the Monon Trail)

• New traffic signals will be turned on. This includes 10th St. and Park and Massachusetts avenues.
• Colorful duratherm intersection treatments and other street striping will be installed. We've requested that this start on the northeast end of Mass Ave first to allow this area to return to two-way traffic as soon as possible.
• Any remaining items will be installed such as benches, bike racks, signage and other trail amenities.

Alabama St. and Capitol Ave. Corridor
(One block on Alabama St. from Market St. to Washington St. and one block on Capitol Ave. from Washington St. to Maryland St.) 

• Installing concrete curbs and gutters
• Install storm drains and structures
• Installing colorful duratherm intersection treatments
• Utilities relocating

Scheduled completion date: By December 31, 2010

Remaining construction in 2011-2012
Central & Southeast Corridors
(Central = Washington St. from Alabama St. to West St.; Southeast = Virginia Ave. from Pennsylvania and Washington streets to the Fountain at Shelby and Prospect streets)
Both contracts bids through Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Dec. 8, 2010; construction may begin 30-45 days later. Southeast Corridor construction will begin at Washington St./Pennsylvania St./Virginia Ave. to South St.*

West Corridor
(Blackford St. from Indiana Ave. to White River State Park) – Contract bids through INDOT February 2011; construction may begin 30-45 days later.*

*Contractor determines where and when construction actually begins unless other conditions have been included in the contract.