Working Groups Proposed for Main Streetscape Plan


(posted May 6)

Two working groups from the Old Speedway City Neighborhood Association have been proposed for the development of the Main streetscape in 2009-2010, one group for the streetscape and the second for public art. The wall of fame proposed for Main Street will include the history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Speedway Redevelopment Commission Executive Director Scott Harris updated the Old Speedway City Neighborhood Association at its May 5 meeting about the two groups that will give input to professional architects and artists.

The overlay zoning design standards for the Speed Zone will remain in the original Speed Zone District, and will not be implemented in the new expansion area along 10 Street from Main to Lynhurst Drive, nor the mobile home parks on Georgetown Road.

The overlay zoning design standards are at the Department of Metropolitan Development for review. A City County Council vote will be required to pass the zoning ordinance.

Harris said that the USAC site will be prime real estate due its location next to the future three legged roundabout. The 16th Street realignment and roundabout final design should be done by next week that will open the door for appraisals on parcels in the right-of-way acquisition list. He expects road construction to start the by late 2008 or early 2009.

Harris said "it is prohibitively expensive to move the pipelines," referring to the Texas Eastern and Marathon pipeline under the abandoned Conrail line. He said a road over the pipeline would require the pipes to be enclosed in concrete casing if they are five feet or less below the surface.

Various types of petroleum products can travel through pipes by a switching valve. Harris explained that oil might be traveling through the pipes at night, and by morning it could be diesel fuel.

Harris could not answer why then the proposed 16th Street realignment crosses over the pipes twice, other than an engineering specification.

He also announced that homes on Tenth Street and Cord Street are safe from acquisition. The manufactured homes are excluded from the list. He emphasized the Rosner building at 1564 Main Street is expected to be spared from demolition. The OSCNA members were concerned about the building's fate as well as other Main Street buildings since they are part of the designated historic district.

Jeff Kingsbury of Green Street, one of the joint master developers to oversee the project, will attract private and public investors. His goal is to attract more private investment dollars to the project than relying on public funds. Mansur Real Estate Services is the other joint partner.

Harris did not inform the group of the special SRC meeting scheduled May 7 at 6:30 pm in the Speedway public library.