INDIANAPOLIS–If you go out on the White River on a raft or a boat in Indianapolis, you may not even realize after a few minutes, that you’re in the heart of the 14th largest city in America. Preserving some of the natural beauty and the wildlife around the river, and developing other parts of it for businesses, are some of the goals of the White River Plan.
The plan, which took more than a year to develop, was announced Monday. The group that has been working on it is made up of elected and appointed officials from Indianapolis and Hamilton County, consultants and more than 13,000 people who commented in public meetings and surveys.
“Indianapolis intended to be a river city, just like Cincinnati, St. Louis and Pittsburgh,” said Jeff Bennett, deputy mayor of Indianapolis. “But, it was only a few years after our founding when it became clear that flat boats couldn’t make it up from the Ohio, that we quickly turned our backs on the river.”
The White River provides drinking water and recreation for more than two million people, about a third of Indiana’s population. After a period where the river was polluted and neglected, it has become clear that it can serve as an economic development tool, to attract and keep talent. So, a plan has been formulated to revitalize it.
The plan is to redevelop 58 miles of the river, through both counties, a plan that will likely take 30 years to complete.
It is still unclear where the money will come from.
When asked if a new tax would be required to fund the land acquisition, the cleaning of the land around the river and the boardwalks, river walks and development in places like downtown Indy and Noblesville, Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman said she doesn’t think so. But, it wasn’t a definite no. So, who pays?
“The development that will naturally occur along this corridor once we work on trying to do a really solid plan that’s supported by governmental entities, that private investors will come in,” she said. “So, I don’t foresee a whole lot of need for additional revenue, other than what we can create with this synergy.
Altman said she believes the river should be available for everyone “and everyone should participate”.
The redevelopment will include areas for businesses, as well as recreation, at seven pints along the river: Strawtown Koteewi Park, downtown Noblesville, Allisonville, Oliver’s Crossing, Broad Ripple, downtown Indianapolis and Southwestway Park.
The plan includes recreation at Oliver’s Crossing, Conner Prairie, Strawtoen and Southwestway, and an emphasis on business and community at Broad Ripple, Noblesville and Downtown Indy.