General
11/01/2007
City now can eliminate community eyesore; create new economic development opportunity
11/01/2007
New tool added to City’s crime fighting arsenal with use of innovative DNA collection device
10/18/2007
Alleyways to be repaved between 2nd and Emerson;
portion of Park Grove to receive street improvements
portion of Park Grove to receive street improvements
11/09/2006
10/27/2006
10/23/2006
04/25/2006
“Tear Down This Wall”
10/29/2005
First Two of Eight Projects To Draw Businesses, Residents Would Enhance Roadways
Emerson Avenue
09/21/2006
Officials, residents remember history, start preparing for centennial observation.
09/18/2006
City officials unveiled this "new front door" to the city.
09/16/2006
08/31/2006
04/25/2006
04/25/2006
04/25/2006
Emerson Avenue Project
04/23/2006
04/19/2006
New Gateway Entrance Generates Excitement for Downtown Beech Grove
03/27/2006
$7 Million Project Will Include Demolition of Barrier Often Blamed for Commercial Decline
Greenway
03/02/2010
Greenway. Has been delayed a bit because of new plan to relocate Lick Creek. If we get approval (permit) to relocate the creek, this will be the preferred plan.
11/29/2007
Transportation Enhancement Grant will help fund Phase 1 of the four-mile trail
10/26/2006
Hornets' Net
01/05/2009
Beech Grove, IN – December 3, 2008 – Kicking off the first (mesh) wireless program of its kind offered by a Hoosier community, the City of Beech Grove launched Hornets’ Net today, providing Beech Grove residents, businesses, and visitors with the ability to be connected anywhere within City limits.
07/23/2007
Beech Grove selects Federal Signal
broadband wireless network for its Digital City initiative
broadband wireless network for its Digital City initiative
02/23/2007
Instant Connectivity, Broadband Speeds to Be Available Throughout Growing City
05/04/2006
Main Street
10/30/2006
Beech Grove firm's 3-D animation lets clients show off the ins and outs of products on the Web
10/26/2006
09/06/2006
Mayor Outlines City Plans
10/29/2005
In his first 22 months in office, Beech Grove Mayor Joe Wright has envisioned significant development to boost the economy of the city of 15,000.
The Republican wants to attract new businesses and residents.
He outlined an eight-point plan Thursday night to at least 200 residents at his second annual State of the City speech.
"I am proud to tell you about eight specific redevelopment projects that will contribute to the growth of our economy, an increase in jobs and a boost to property values throughout our city," he said.
But it wasn't all talk. Visuals that sometimes moved in animation, displaying how a development project would transform a site, were projected behind the mayor on the stage of Beech Grove High School's auditorium.
Two of the mayor's visions -- beautification and remodeling stretches of Emerson Avenue and Main Street, making them not only eye-appealing but motorist- and pedestrian-friendly -- could become reality within a year. The result, the mayor said, would be more shoppers to support current businesses and to be a magnet for new businesses, creating job growth and an economic benefit to the city.
The Emerson Avenue project between Albany Street and I-465 will include adding green space, landscaping, lighting, sidewalks to create a pedestrian corridor and removing a concrete wall to make it easier to turn onto Main. This project, Wright said, has the funding package it needs to proceed. It includes tax-increment financing bonds, federal dollars and matching money from the city of Indianapolis.
He wants the Main Street project, between Emerson and 13th avenues, to be coordinated with that project as soon as possible, particularly to provide an enticing gateway entry onto Main from Emerson. The Main Street project would incorporate design features to highlight architecturally significant buildings and increase parking spaces, he said.
After his talk, the mayor elaborated that it's his wish to have both projects completed before the end of next year. Beech Grove will celebrate its 100th anniversary as an incorporated community in 2006, he said. Remodeling the two corridors in the heart of the city would make them ideal sites for special anniversary activities, he added.
The administration's theme is "A Better, Brighter Beech Grove," and the six other development visions to attract residents and businesses are:
• Redevelop a 64-acre site at the I-465 and Emerson interchange into a retail complex that would attract motorists on the interstate onto Emerson, Beech Grove's main north-south thoroughfare.
• Annex 36 acres in Indianapolis at the northwest corner of Emerson and Subway Street and transform the former landfill into a sports and recreation park.
• Expand and beautify open spaces and nature areas under the parks master plan.
• Create more than 4 miles of greenway and improve more than 10 miles of sidewalks to enable people to walk or bike among key city sites.
• Prepare to redevelop railroad property used by Amtrak into business, residential and other uses should the federal government and Amtrak decide to vacate the property.
• Offer high-speed Internet access to everyone in the city at a nominal charge.
"I'm really excited," said Valerie Chaney, 46, a lifelong resident who lives just south of Main. "I hope it will go through like that," she said, particularly citing the greenway plan. She said this was her first time at a State of the City address, and she felt it was worth the visit. "I feel better tonight about him," she said, referring to the mayor.
Jim Hensley, 60, a Beech Grove School Board member and lifelong resident, said the mayor's address was "very impressive. A lot of things were put out there tonight -- a lot of vision."
"I'm hoping it will revitalize us tremendously," Hensley added.
"It's an exciting vision for the city," said Brian Bosma, who grew up along Main Street. Bosma, a Republican state lawmaker who is speaker of the Indiana House, is city attorney for Beech Grove, where his father made an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 1959.
Aaron Gilbertie, president of Beech Grove's five-member redevelopment commission created earlier this year, said its mission is to accomplish the economic development visions.
"We will move as rapidly and as effectively as we possibly can.''
Copyright (c) The Indianapolis Star. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
The Republican wants to attract new businesses and residents.
He outlined an eight-point plan Thursday night to at least 200 residents at his second annual State of the City speech.
"I am proud to tell you about eight specific redevelopment projects that will contribute to the growth of our economy, an increase in jobs and a boost to property values throughout our city," he said.
But it wasn't all talk. Visuals that sometimes moved in animation, displaying how a development project would transform a site, were projected behind the mayor on the stage of Beech Grove High School's auditorium.
Two of the mayor's visions -- beautification and remodeling stretches of Emerson Avenue and Main Street, making them not only eye-appealing but motorist- and pedestrian-friendly -- could become reality within a year. The result, the mayor said, would be more shoppers to support current businesses and to be a magnet for new businesses, creating job growth and an economic benefit to the city.
The Emerson Avenue project between Albany Street and I-465 will include adding green space, landscaping, lighting, sidewalks to create a pedestrian corridor and removing a concrete wall to make it easier to turn onto Main. This project, Wright said, has the funding package it needs to proceed. It includes tax-increment financing bonds, federal dollars and matching money from the city of Indianapolis.
He wants the Main Street project, between Emerson and 13th avenues, to be coordinated with that project as soon as possible, particularly to provide an enticing gateway entry onto Main from Emerson. The Main Street project would incorporate design features to highlight architecturally significant buildings and increase parking spaces, he said.
After his talk, the mayor elaborated that it's his wish to have both projects completed before the end of next year. Beech Grove will celebrate its 100th anniversary as an incorporated community in 2006, he said. Remodeling the two corridors in the heart of the city would make them ideal sites for special anniversary activities, he added.
The administration's theme is "A Better, Brighter Beech Grove," and the six other development visions to attract residents and businesses are:
• Redevelop a 64-acre site at the I-465 and Emerson interchange into a retail complex that would attract motorists on the interstate onto Emerson, Beech Grove's main north-south thoroughfare.
• Annex 36 acres in Indianapolis at the northwest corner of Emerson and Subway Street and transform the former landfill into a sports and recreation park.
• Expand and beautify open spaces and nature areas under the parks master plan.
• Create more than 4 miles of greenway and improve more than 10 miles of sidewalks to enable people to walk or bike among key city sites.
• Prepare to redevelop railroad property used by Amtrak into business, residential and other uses should the federal government and Amtrak decide to vacate the property.
• Offer high-speed Internet access to everyone in the city at a nominal charge.
"I'm really excited," said Valerie Chaney, 46, a lifelong resident who lives just south of Main. "I hope it will go through like that," she said, particularly citing the greenway plan. She said this was her first time at a State of the City address, and she felt it was worth the visit. "I feel better tonight about him," she said, referring to the mayor.
Jim Hensley, 60, a Beech Grove School Board member and lifelong resident, said the mayor's address was "very impressive. A lot of things were put out there tonight -- a lot of vision."
"I'm hoping it will revitalize us tremendously," Hensley added.
"It's an exciting vision for the city," said Brian Bosma, who grew up along Main Street. Bosma, a Republican state lawmaker who is speaker of the Indiana House, is city attorney for Beech Grove, where his father made an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 1959.
Aaron Gilbertie, president of Beech Grove's five-member redevelopment commission created earlier this year, said its mission is to accomplish the economic development visions.
"We will move as rapidly and as effectively as we possibly can.''
Copyright (c) The Indianapolis Star. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
William J. Booher
WILLIAM.BOOHER@INDYSTAR.COM
(317) 444-2706