The weekly Fishers road construction update has some new features this week.  You will find the latest on the Clear Path project at I-69 & I-465 in Marion County, as well as more on the Nickel Plate Trail.  Also, the usual road construction project listing is getting longer.

Here is the full report, as provided by the City of Fishers, for the work week starting April 3rd:

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To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com. 

STATE ROAD 37 AND 141ST STREET
A pre-construction phase at SR 37 & 141st Street is currently in place. During this phase, 141st Street will be a Right-In-Right-Out (RIRO) traffic configuration. 
This is not the permanent configuration. This will allow for traffic to flow more freely along SR 37 until the next phases of construction can be activated. This will eliminate backups along SR 37 that have caused dangerous stops to the free flow traffic and backups on the 146th Street interchange. Again, this is not the permanent configuration for 141st Street. The full timeline for the 141st Street interchange will be provided after project bids are accepted in the Summer of 2023. View detour routes here.

To learn more about the Clear Path Improvement Project and sign up to receive text and email updates, visit clearpath465.com 

I-465 & I-69
Drivers will see an increase in construction along the I-69 corridor in the coming months. This work will focus on reconfiguring the interchange at I-465 and I-69. New ramps will provide direct movements from eastbound I-465 and northbound I-465 to northbound I-69. Binford Blvd. will also be reconstructed to separate local traffic from traffic entering and exiting I-69 and I-465. Access to I-69 from Binford Blvd. will remain open. Drivers can expect to see significant activity on I-69 at the 82nd Street interchange.

To learn more about the Nickel Plate Trail, view the Capital Project Dashboard here.

NICKEL PLATE TRAIL
The City of Fishers is working on the completion of the Fishers portion of the Nickel Plate Trail. The remaining paving work from 96th Street to 106th Street is underway, and construction crews are currently working to clear and prep the area for paving. In the coming weeks, construction crews will begin the paving process.

ADA ramp and curb reconstruction is currently taking place in Rolling Knoll and will then begin in Spyglass Hills as part of the 2023 Resurfacing Project. Homeowners will be notified via door hangers prior to any curb restoration near their home. After ADA ramp and curb reconstruction is completed, those areas will be restored with topsoil and seed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to water the seed for the seed to germinate. Prior to road resurfacing, residents will be notified via street signage for street parking restrictions. For additional project information, view the Capital Project Dashboard here. 

CUMBERLAND ROAD
There are daily lane closures currently on Cumberland Road, just south of 126th Street for sanitary and water line work. The northbound right turn lane and the southbound passing blister will be closed.

Fishers is known to be a busy place, and the spring of 2023 is no exception.  The city has released a long list of activities.  Take special note of the May 27th opening for Geist Waterfront Park.

Here is the entire list, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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Be part of Fishers’ next chapter and sign your name on a beam for the new Fishers City Hall & Arts Center, opening next year! The beam will be available to sign beginning today after 1 p.m., just north of the construction site at 1 Municipal Drive. Stop by anytime to sign the beam, but it will only be out for a week or so before it will need to be installed, so act fast and don’t miss your chance to be part of Fishers’ next chapter!

Ongoing | Citywide
The City continues its 150^th birthday celebration this spring with a self-guided tour of Fishers’ history, culture, and community favorites on the Fishers Sesquicentennial Trail. During your Spring Break staycation, pick up a trail passport from various locations around the city and begin checking off destinations as you explore. Enjoy the spring flowers at Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve, soak up the sunshine with a stroll along the Nickel Plate Trail, and cap off your adventure with a sweet treat at Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream. The first 150 finishers receive a gift card to a local business and a trail finisher t-shirt. Learn more at thisisfishers.com/Fishers150Trail.

Join the community during Mental Health Awareness Month in creating a Stigma Free Fishers through events, community stories, and educational opportunities all month long. The City of Fishers and Fishers Health Department will host the annual Hope for Happiness event at the Fishers Farmers Market on Saturday, May 13 from 8 a.m. to noon in partnership with Fishers High School and Hamilton Southeastern High School’s Bring Change to Mind student clubs to raise awareness about mental health and the city’s Stigma Free initiative. The Forgiving Sea Project, a nonprofit multi-media collaboration from Indianapolis artist Carolyn Springer and composer Joseph Lamm funded by the Fishers Arts & Culture Commission, will provide an interactive art installation at Hamilton County Community Foundation Collaboration Hub and four public events throughout the month. Learn more about Mental Health Awareness Month at thisisfishers.com/MentalHealthMonth.

Opening Day: Saturday, May 27
Open Daily | 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
The free splash pads at Holland Park (1 Park Drive) and Billericay Park (12690 Promise Road) and the fountain at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater Pavilion (10 Municipal Drive) will open daily beginning Saturday, May 27 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (weather permitting) through Labor Day. Learn more at playfishers.com/WaterAmenities.

The Nickel Plate District Amphitheater’s annual Free Tuesdays series, presented by IU Health, offers free, weekly shows every Tuesday evening in June and July. The Free Tuesdays lineup is as follows:

• June 6 – Six Foot Blonde
• June 13 – DUDE!
• June 20 – Jukebox Luke
• June 27 – My Yellow Rickshaw
• July 4 – Karma (Show begins at 8 p.m. with fireworks following at 10 p.m.
• July 11 – Street Pennies
• July 18 – GrooveSmash
• July 25 – Hank Ruff

Get Involved
Looking for ways to make an impact in the community? Whether you’re volunteering solo or as a group, there are ways to get involved for all ages, interests, and abilities. See current volunteer opportunities for Spark!Fishers, the Geist Half Marathon & 5K, Fishers Farmers Market, Fishers AgriPark and more at volunteerfishers.com .

The Neighborhood Vibrancy Grants have been a long standing City of Fishers program, dating back to 2000, when Fishers was a town.  Since its inception, it has paid-out over $1 million.

The matching grant program provides funding for creative and innovative ideas , sprucing-up local neighborhoods.

$87,519 in grants have been announced for 2023.  Recipients of the 2023 Neighborhood Vibrancy Grant Program include:

• Avalon ($2,632.54) to install park benches along a walking trail.
• Berkley Grove ($5,000) for conversion of lawn space into a community rain garden and outdoor art gallery.
• Britton Ridge ($1,662.50) to enhance the appearance of wall signs at the entrance of the community.
• Brookston Place ($4,028.52) to enhance the entrance landscaping.
• Charleston Crossing ($5,000) to replace and upgrade two pond fountains.
• Cottonwood Creek at Gray Eagle ($5,000) to repair neighborhood tennis courts and fill in cracks and tripping hazards.
• Covington Estates ($3,444.19) to add trees along 96th Street for beauty and privacy.
• Cumberland Place ($3,000) to convert a large piece of common area from turf grass to native grasses and plants.
• Eller Commons ($5,000) to landscape in front of the neighborhood entrance and replace lighting with LEDs.
• Fox Hollow at Geist ($5,000) to replace and repair custom street signs and stop signs.
• Geist Overlook ($5,000) to construct an additional wall adjacent to the main entrance wall.
• Heritage Meadows ($3,014) to add landscaping around neighborhood signage.
• Prescott ($5,000) to extend the irrigation system to help keep the trees and grass watered.
• Ravinia ($4,986.32) to add a flower bed and entrance sign to the rear entrance and place a park bench near the walking path.
• Rolling Knoll ($5,000) to remove and replace invasive Bradford pear street trees with native species.
• Sail Place ($5,000) to replace the wood fence on the perimeter of the Sail Place property line.
• Sand Creek Woods ($5,000) to improve walking paths within the neighborhood.
• Sutton Place ($4,986) to remove willow trees around the pond and replace them with new, healthy trees.
• Sweet Briar ($5,000) to improve walking paths within the neighborhood.
• Timberstone ($3,210) to retrofit five streetlights to LED and replace five Acorn Globe fixtures that have discolored and make repairs on the entrance monuments.
• Timberstone Villas ($5,000) to improve trails in the existing common area.

“We are thrilled that this year’s Neighborhood Vibrancy Grant program marks over $1 million in funds invested back into the beautification of the Fishers community,” said Megan Vukusich, Director of Planning & Zoning for the City of Fishers, in a city news release. “Over the past 23 years, we have seen this program grow and offer neighborhoods the opportunity to add new, innovative, and sustainable projects where they live and play.”

2024 Neighborhood Vibrancy Grant applications will open November 1. Residents can watch a pre-recorded webinar to learn more about the application process and find additional information at fishers.in.us/grants.

In the area around Promise Road, 141st Street is the border between Noblesville and Fishers.  A major new development is planned on the Noblesville side that has some Fishers residents concerned, but a story posted Wednesday on the IndyStar Web site indicates the Bastian Solutions project is on track to be approved by the Noblesville City Council.

According to the story written by Star reporter John Tuohy, people living in the Fishers neighborhoods of Sedona Woods, Westminster of Fishers and Canyon Ridge have voiced their concerns about the Bastian plans.  However, reporter Tuohy writes the Noblesville Plan Commission approved the zoning changes.

The Bastian campus will be a large one, spanning 162 acres.

Read the entire IndyStar story at this link.

I do my best to attend every Fishers event tied to military veterans, but missed one this week due to family events.  March 29 is designated as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.  Fishers, as a Commemorative Partner of the Vietnam War Commemoration, had what is now an annual observance in honor of those that served in Vietnam March 29th.

The Fishers Armed Services Commission, under the leadership of El Ahlwardt, planned the event at the Knowledge Services auditorium.  The featured speaker was Retired Lieutenant General Richard Y. Newton III.  He talked about how Vietnam returning prisoners of war were treated with respect upon their return, but most returning from the war were not treated with such respect.  Newton believes America has many challenges ahead, but the military veterans allowed those coming next to make their own decisions about the path forward.

Mayor Scott Fadness cited a recent poll showing a decline in patriotism over the past 25 years but expressed his belief that patriotism is alive and well in places like Fishers.

The ceremony ended with the presentation of lapel pins to Vietnam veterans in attendance.

I was not drafted into the military during Vietnam, but knew a number of Vietnam veterans.  I worked with many in the broadcasting business that had served, and a number of my college classmates had just returned from Southeast Asia and were using the GI Bill to advance their education.

Like most Americans, they had varying views of their time in the war.  But none of them had anything to do with decisions about waging the war, they were soldiers following orders, doing the best job they could.  They were all good people and did not deserve the treatment most received when returning from military service during the Vietnam era.

There are 6 million Vietnam veterans now, making up about 30% of the entire American veteran population.

America has only started coming to terms with the treatment of our Vietnam Vets.  The Fishers annual event is a step in the right direction.

When Mayor Scott Fadness was asked what people in Fishers told him they wanted the most, he said the most common request was creation of a “restaurant culture.”  When Thompson Thrift developed the Fishers District, it made a large leap toward creating that local restaurant culture.

Thompson Thrift developed the original Fishers District, and is embarking on expanding the concept further south, in conjunction with the city’s new Events Center, now under construction.

The expanded Fishers District has a new name.  Thompson Thrift announced Wednesday that the expanded Fishers District will be given the moniker of – “The Crossing at Fishers District.”

“Anytime there’s a name for a development, it helps build energy and creates a buzz for the community,” said Ashlee Boyd, managing partner, Thompson Thrift Commercial, in a company news release. “The Crossing at Fishers District has the added benefit of being a name that pays homage to Fishers history as a railroad community.”

Located near Interstate 69 and 116^th Street, The Crossing at Fishers District is within walking distance from Fishers Depot, the historic Fishers train station that opened in 1849.

Once completed, the $750 million development will span 123 acres and will be comprised of five distinct developments offering a mix of multifamily, townhome, hotel, dining, shopping and entertainment options. The developments will be connected by walking paths.

The Senior Showcase exhibit is back, with the Fishers Arts Council bring the work of local high school seniors on display.

For more details, see the news release below from the Arts Council:

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Visual Arts teachers from both high HSE & Fishers schools–Jasmine Osborne, Danielle Ontiveros Goodwin, Lisa Brown, and Erin Warner (Fishers) along with Angela Fritz, Julie Strawhacker, Daniel Moosbrugger, Craig Helming and Lauren Reed (Hamilton Southeastern)–have been working with their students all year to help them hone their skills, create new projects, and learn and appreciate more about the arts.

The exhibit is open to the public from Thursday, March 30 through Thursday, April 27, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays by appointment. To make an appointment, contact Fishers Arts Council directly. The exhibit includes 110 pieces of artwork which include photography, drawing, painting, digital art, mixed media, ceramic, textiles, and more!

A free public reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 14, which includes the Scholarship Awards Ceremony at 6:45 p.m. Both events will take place at the Collaboration Hub at the Hamilton County Community Foundation, 11810 Technology Drive in Fishers.

These Hamilton Southeastern School District visual arts teachers are proud of the work of their students. Angela Fritz, the Visual Arts Department Chair at Hamilton Southeastern says the following about the student artists: “I am constantly impressed by my students. Every year I think the work the next year won’t be as strong, and every year the students rise to the challenge. The work we are seeing at the top level in our high schools isn’t just college level–it is strong advanced college level work. These kids are invested; they are engaged; they are interesting, and they are focused. Some of them have been accepted at top art schools around the country, and some won’t pursue art professionally–but what we all can be sure of is that they are patient, they are detail oriented, and they think outside of the box. These are the creative leaders of our future, and I couldn’t be more pleased!”

The Corporate Sponsor for the 14th annual Senior Showcase is STAR Financial Bank.

For a number of years, the City of Fishers has been struggling with how to keep private roads maintained, largely in commercial areas.  The city is attempting to use the “Barrett Law” to have these streets brought up to minimum standards with the businesses owning the roadway paying the cost over time and the city taking over the maintenance of the road once brought up to a minimum standard.

The Fishers Board of Works and Safety, consisting of Mayor Scott Fadness and his two appointees, called for a brief delay to the first use of the Barrett Law in Fishers for areas east and west of State Road 37 on the north end of the city.  Mayor Fadness described this as a delay, “but not a long delay.”

The mayor made clear the City of Fishers approaches the private road issues with a sense of urgency.  “The city does want to solve this problem,” Fadness said. “It doesn’t bode well for our residents or your business or your customers to have to deal with this issue.  These roads have been in neglect for a long time and it doesn’t bode well for our community.”

During a public hearing on the Barrett Law for those two commercial areas of Fishers, it was unclear who spoke for the business community.  An attorney from the Taft Law firm says she represented property owners in those areas, but several business owners in the same areas say they had nothing to do with hiring a law firm.  The Taft attorney told the board her clients are not opposed to this plan, but there is concern about the cost.

Fadness said the cost estimates cited by engineers reflect a “worst case scenario” number and could come in much less, but there is no certainty until bids are received.  Cost estimates are for $2.7 million for one project and $1.8 million for the other.

City staff plans to “sharpen our pencil,” according to the mayor, and provide the best, most realistic cost estimate for both projects.  Fadness also urged the property owners and businesses in the area to get together and attempt to reach a consensus on their views concerning fixing the roads in their respective commercial areas utilizing the Barrett Law.  He wants the businesses impacted to end the confusion about exactly who represents them.

The mayor expects to have the latest cost numbers in about two weeks.

The old Fishers City Hall has been demolished, the new City Hall & Arts Center is under construction on the site of the old structure and you can be a part of Fishers history just by signing your name!

City officials announced Monday that starting March 29, at 1pm, for about one week, you have a chance to sign a steel beam that is part of the new building.  The beam will be located just north of the construction site at 1 Municipal Drive.

Once complete, the three-story Fishers City Hall & Art Center will dedicate its first floor to the Fishers Art Center, a dynamic arts education facility and theatre in partnership with the Indianapolis Art Center. The second and third floors of the building will hold municipal offices.  It is expected to be complete in 2024.

For more on the plans for the new City Hall and Arts Center, use this link.

It was May, 1991.  Jane and I were newly married and I moved to Fishers, a town of 7,500, based on the 1990 census.

I remember asking Jane, why did you build your home in Fishers?  Her answer was simple and direct – it may be a small town now, but it will grow and you will like what you see.

As usual, my wife was right.  The town of Fishers grew and the city that followed continued that growth.  The Hamilton Southeastern Schools  provided my twin daughters with a first class education,  They are 29, college graduates and first-class adults.  They have done their parents proud and Fishers was a perfect place for them to grow-up.

I will admit that the commutes from downtown Indianapolis during my work years were not always pleasant, but in the end worth it to have my family live in a first-class community.  We have all made life-long friends here and Jane & I continue to reside in Fishers.

I began to think about all this while attending the ground-breaking ceremony for what is now being called the “Events Center.”  I presume that is a place-holder until a naming sponsor is found for the building.

It is part of an expansion of Fishers District, a retail center near Ikea and I-69 with a heavy dose of culinary choices.  Mayor Scott Fadness told me years ago the one thing local residents told him the city needed was a  “restaurant culture.”  The first Fishers District did that.  Now expect more of the same in the expanded District, adjacent to the new Events Center.

Fishers attempted something like this many years ago but, like many big plans, just could not make it to the finish line.  This time, the construction has started.  The Indy Fuel minor league hockey team cannot wait to have their 39 regular season home games in the new Events Center.  It is expected many other big bookings will come the way of the new structure.

The two local high schools will now have a local place to host graduation ceremonies.  The Mudsock basketball games, with HSE and Fishers High Schools playing each other (boys & girls) will likely be at the new Center.  Expect HSE Schools to apply with the IHSAA to at least host the Sectional tournaments for boys & girls at this new facility.

I just could not imagine all this happening when first moving to the Fishers of 1991.  It took visionary thinking and much action by public and private leaders to fashion the Fishers of today.

Now, I must confess, this growth has not come without some pain and opposition.  Many people I know long for the small town feel of the old Fishers.

I once asked Mayor Fadness how he responds to comments like that.  He was clear  – in his view, a city is either moving forward or backward – there is no choice of staying the same.  In other words, the world around us is changing whether we like it our not, and a city must adapt to that change or fall behind.

Nothing exemplified that debate more than the decision by Fishers and other local government entities to abandon the Nickel Plate Rail Line and convert it into a trail.  In the end, the trail won out.  That trail opened in a large part of Fishers and it is very popular.

The local HSE School District has been a major driver of the population explosion.  Young families have flocked to Fishers and some of the surrounding area because of the reputation HSE Schools has built over the years.  Keeping that reputation will be a challenge moving forward.

As someone that has lived in Fishers since 1991, written a local news blog for 11 years and produced local podcasts for over 7 years. I have had a perspective to share.  I do not pretend to be an expert, just someone with the life experience that brings.

For me, Fishers has been a special place to live because so many special people live here.  Don’t get me wrong, we are not perfect, just human.  But we do care about the community in which we live and all want to make it the best place for ourselves, our families and our neighbors.

That’s why Jane and I are in our third home in Fishers with no plans to live anywhere else.  Fishers continues to be a dynamic place to reside…not perfect, but a good place to live.  We should all appreciate that.

I cover lots of news stories that often highlight conflict and that is sadly the nature of news.  But every now and then, it is good to write about the place you cover as a blogger and podcaster and reflect on what is good about my local community.

So, there it is.  I like living in Fishers.  Thanks for reading this blog and listening to my podcasts.