11/13/07 Update! The first phase of this project, from I70 to 21st Street has been awarded funding! Please join us for an Open House on 12/10/07 to celebrate!

The Emerson Avenue Corridor Gateway Project will improve the appearance of Emerson Avenue and create a sense of entry to the eastside of Indianapolis. The project is a collaborative, grassroots effort of neighborhoods along the project length, from the I-70/Emerson Avenue Interchange and south to Washington Street and on to the proposed Pennsy Trail.

This effort will emphasize connectivity—through modes of transportation—pedestrian, bike, bus, and automobiles, as well as access and linkages to parks, trails and other cultural amenities, providing a sense of continuity and place along this corridor.

In all, this project will restore, rehabilitate and promote the community assets of the neighborhoods along the Emerson Avenue corridor, adding further momentum to the revitalization efforts currently underway on the eastside of Indianapolis. It provides a foundation for, and complements, other revitalization projects such as the Irvington National Road Streetscape Project, the Eastside Residential TIF District, the Eastside Redevelopment Zone and the Great Indy Neighborhoods Initiative.

The design team is headed by the landscape architecture firm of CBA, Inc. CBA has considerable experience with Transportation Enhancement projects and is also the consulting firm working on the Irvington National Road Streetscape. Two of the members of the project team live in Irvington, near the Emerson Avenue corridor. Other members of the design team include the engineering firm of Butler, Fairman & Seufert (BF&S) and 2nd Globe Studios, all of Indianapolis.

The initial application for a Federal Transportation Enhancement Grant was submitted March, 2007. 4/13 Update: The application was forwarded from the MPO to INDOT for statewide competition for funds. We have made it past the first hurdle.

Thank you to all of the organizations that wrote letters of support for the project including:

-Anita J. Harden, President of Community Hospital East
-Community Health Network
-Indy Parks
-Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC)
-Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC)
-Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIBI)
-The Indiana National Road Association (INRA)
-The National Road Heritage Trail, Inc.
-Near East Side Community Organization (NESCO)
-Near Eastside Collaborative Taskforce
-The Eastside Community Organization
-Little Flower Community Organization
-E. 10th Street Civic Association
-Emerson Heights Community Organization
-The Historic Irvington Community Council
-Irvington Development Organization
-The Irvington Garden Club




For more information about this project—contact Rebecca Seifert, 356-9902 or at rseifert@indy.rr.com

The Gateway Toolbox was used in the initial conceptualizing of this project. More information about corridor gateways and the Rotary Gateways Partnership may be found on their site.

Public Meeting Schedule

Kick-off Meeting – 8/15/06
A Kick-off Meeting announcing the Emerson Avenue Corridor Gateway Project was held August 15th.

Representatives from neighborhood organizations, schools and businesses along Emerson Avenue from I-70 to Washington Street were invited to attend this kick-off meeting. People attending the meeting received an overview of the project, an outline of the process and background information on gateways. A copy of the presentation can be found here: Presentation from Kickoff Meeting 8/15/06.

Visioning Meeting – 9/19/06
The second of three public meetings—the Visioning Meeting – was held on September 19th. In this meeting, people representing neighborhoods all along Emerson Avenue were present to provide their input for what a future vision of the corridor could look like. Participating neighborhoods included Bosart-Brown Neighborhood, Eastside Community Neighborhood, Emerson Heights, Irvington, Little Flower Neighborhood and Otterbein Neighborhood. The participants did an excellent job and resulted in very high quality input with discernable themes. Results of the public input can be found here: Tabulated results from the Visioning Meeting


Community members at the Visioning Meeting


Presentation of Concept Meeting – 10/24/06
The final of this series of public input meetings, the Presentation of Concept Meeting, will be held on October 24th at 6:30 pm at The Shepherd Community Center (formerly Sahara Grotto) located at 4107 E. Washington Street. In this meeting, the concept for the project will be presented and the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed design. Residents from the neighborhoods, schools, and businesses bordering Emerson Avenue as well as other interested persons are encouraged to attend.

Printable Emerson Avenue Flyer