INDIANAPOLIS — Part of Georgia Street, downtown Indianapolis' link between Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Indiana Convention Center, could soon shut down for a very long time.
The street could close west of Illinois Street as soon as the first week of February for utility work related to Signia Hotel construction. It is not expected to reopen until 2026 as the city completely remodels the road for it to look more natural.
"The public utility work will start next week and then when it's done, we'll take it over the conversion from a road to a park," said Bill Sewall, the vice president of construction management company AECOM Hunt. "That work will likely go until the Final Four in 2026."
The remodel would add greenery and eliminate car traffic completely between Illinois Street and Capitol Street.
"Taking what is now a pedestrian-focused segment of Georgia Street and actually converting it into entirely pedestrian is going to help support the existing development and the new development," said Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development Director Megan Vukusich.
Vukusich said the city will officially break ground on its reconstruction this spring and that there is a chance that section of Georgia Street temporarily reopens when utility work is complete.
The remodel is exciting for Jenelle Bickel, who manages the Helium Comedy Club on the corner of Georgia Street and Meridian Street.
"I've worked on this half-block radius of Georgia Street for the past 12 years," Bickel said. "I love seeing it thrive, especially with the amount of tourists and conventions that we are getting into the city the past couple of years."
The existing Georgia Street layout opened in 2011, shortly before Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl XLVI. The renovation plan will eventually cover the entire street, but the immediate construction work is only between Illinois Street and Capitol Avenue.
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