INDIANAPOLIS — Community members who live in neighborhoods like Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Bates Hendricks and beyond have an opportunity to shape the future of one of Indy’s most transformative infrastructure projects.
Interstate-65 and Interstate-70 Inner Loop, which encircles Downtown Indianapolis, is aging.
“The interstates were built about 50 years ago, and now they’re at the end of their useful life and so that means they have to start being replaced," Rethink Coalition President and CEO Brenda Freije said.
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The Rethink Coalition envisions a restorative and transformative reconstruction of the Southeast Gateway, also known as the South Split.
The I-65/I-70 inner loop has created a massive barrier around downtown Indy.
Freije says the original highways divided communities, depreciated property values, created health risks, burdened communities and took acres of land from the heart of the city.
“Now people realize that wasn’t the best decision, to displace people, take homes and businesses. Now the attempt is to reconnect," Freije said.
Rethink Coalition’s vision is to transform acres of under-utilized space and bring this area back to life.
They have three proposed concepts that balance cost, practical feasibility, industry standards and community input.
“What we’re looking at is potentially building a cap over the interstate to reconnect the neighborhoods when the interstate came through. Basically, you build land over the interstate that could become parks, any structures, it helps the interstate disappear, though it continues to operate fully," she said.
On Wednesday, neighbors participated in an interactive session, where they reviewed designs, shared feedback, and helped refine a shared vision for the project.
The third and final workshop was the last community engagement event in the USDOT-funded Southeast Gateway Reconnecting Communities Study.
“It’s just something we feel will improve the quality of life in our neighborhood and really connect Fountain Square with the greater part of Indianapolis. This is going to have a big impact on people’s lives and property values and opportunities everywhere," Fletcher Place resident Julie Stachnik said. “Especially for urban dwellers, a lot of people don’t have yards. They live in apartments, they have kids, they have pets. Looking for places to gather with family and friends that they don’t have in their home or the building they live in.”
Rethink Coalition is accepting public feedback until the end of the month. You can submit yours here.
They have until the end of the year to finalize and submit their report to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Nico Pennisi is the In Your Community reporter for Downtown Indy. He joined WRTV in October 2022. His passion has always been telling the stories of people who often get overlooked. Share your story ideas and important issues with Nico by emailing him at nico.pennisi@wrtv.com.
