INDIANAPOLIS — Work was being done at 42nd Street and Evanston Avenue on Wednesday. It’s halfway through construction week seven of the Nickel Plate Trail in Marion County.
"This is a fairly large-scale project for us," Kyle Bloyd, with the Department of Public Works, said.
The multi-use trail connects with the Monon Trail at 42nd Street and goes north to 96th Street, where it will connect with the existing portion of the Nickel Plate Trail in Fishers.
"This should hopefully be a jewel for the community and all the neighborhoods in between," Bloyd said. "I think you’ll see a whole lot of development around the trail. You’re already seeing properties along the path of the future trail doing reinvestment into their properties."
A shopping center off 62nd Street and Allisonville Road is seeing that reinvestment.
"We bought it in 2021, really for a variety of reasons," Chris Block, Vice President of Paragon Realty, said.
Block says one of the reasons is the close proximity to the soon-to-be Nickel Plate Trail.
"I call it our backyard. It kind of runs parallel to the orientation of the center," Block said.
Block says they invested close to $2 million into renovations and are working with the city for easy access from the trail to the shopping center.
"On the southeast side just so pedestrians or trail users can access the center safely, but also so customers can hop right on the trail if they want to after," Block said.
Block says the easy access is drawing tenants in. A bakery and coffee shop have plans to move in and current tenants are looking forward to the foot traffic.
"I think for the tenants in our center, it was a big focus. How do we bring these trail users into our business? I think it will do well because of that," Block said.
DPW says the Nickel Plate Trail will be open for pedestrians at the end of the year. It should be fully done in mid-2025.
