New greenway coming to city of Beech Grove
BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WISH) — There are big changes ahead for the city.
In the years to come, a multimillion-dollar greenway will be added.
The 2.5-mile trail will run through the city and the parks system. It will feature four bridges and five trailheads. One of those trailheads will be on Albany Street at the site of what was once Franciscan Hospital.
Beech Grove Mayor Dennis Buckley said the greenway will make the city better for everyone who lives in the area.
“I’ve always considered it a quality-of-life issue. We’re one of the very few cities in central Indiana that doesn’t have a greenway system so we need to catch up with the times,” Buckley said.
The greenway, costing more than $3 million, will start behind Little & Sons Funeral Home, wind through the park, go behind South Grove Intermediate School, go over the creek, onto Emerson Avenue and stop in front of the Taco Bell.
The project will be primarily funded through INDOT and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization.
“It just makes everything better for everybody that lives around here. We’re looking forward to it. I think it changes almost everything in the city,” Buckley added.
Construction is set to begin sometime after July 1, 2020. The mayor said that planning is on schedule and during the 2019 paving season, there will be work done on 15th Street to prepare for the new trail.
The city is seeking input from the community on what the final trail should look like so those with good ideas are encouraged to reach out.