Emerson Avenue Project

When will the Emerson Avenue Project be finished?

SHORT ANSWER:
The west side of the street (Main Street side) will be finished sometime in October 2006. The rest of the project, including the Amtrak wall, is scheduled to be finished by June 2007.

LONG ANSWER:
The west side of the street is closed right now. The wall has been torn down, and street demolition is currently underway. A lot of underground work is going on as well. In an effort to make the new Emerson Avenue as beautiful as possible, we are considering the relocation of overhead electrical wires. The two lighted towers that will welcome residents and visitors to Main Street will also be completed this summer. (Make plans to attend the scheduled ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Main Street Gateway on September 16, 2006!)

The road will be reopened for winter traffic. As weather breaks in the spring of 2007, the east side of the road will be closed down (Amtrak side). Resurfacing, median work, and other details will be completed. A new colonnade style façade will be added to enhance the current concrete Amtrak wall. New street lighting that will match the rest of the layout will be installed along the median and down the pedestrian corridor. After that, final landscaping will be done – including shrubbery, trees, flowers, and real grass planted along the median. The plan calls for a new Emerson Avenue, gateway to a Better, Brighter Beech Grove, to be completed by summer 2007.

 

Digital City Project

Will I be able to connect to the Beech Grove wireless broadband system?

SHORT ANSWER:
Yes! Provided your computer has a wireless networking card.

LONG ANSWER:
The plan calls for those living along Main Street and Emerson Avenue, both residences and businesses, to have the use of the wireless system sometime between August and December of THIS YEAR! This is the pilot area. This means that we will test it out and ensure that it works! We can then fix problems and get input on how to improve the system before we provide it to the whole city.
City-wide construction of the wireless broadband system is scheduled for completion by July 2007! At that time, we will be a Digital City and everyone in Beech Grove will be able to wirelessly connect to the Internet. Fiberoptic cables leading to the transmitters/receivers will be buried underneath Emerson Avenue, Main Street, and other areas. This will occur as these streets are being worked on, so there will be no unnecessary construction work or traffic problems.

 

Greenway Project

When will the trails be built?

SHORT ANSWER:
The construction of the greenway is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2007.

LONG ANSWER:
The Greenway is a 4.2 mile walking/biking/skating/recreational trail that will take our residents and visitors through all of our city parks and to Emerson Avenue and Main Street. Its aesthetic design will make it a great place to enjoy some fresh air and help create a happier, healthier, Beech Grove.

Funding for this project is in process. The city received a grant to hire a planner to generate a comprehensive plan to construct our greenway, and as a result of this grant, the Schneider Corporation was hired in May 2006. The final design plans are being created now and are due for completion in September 2006. Phase I of construction, the initial groundwork to get the trail ready, may begin as early as spring of 2007. The Schneider Corporation has been contracted to take our vision for the Greenway and create the plan that will make it a reality. The City of Beech Grove is preparing for the next round of grants to come through, and we are also currently exploring two additional sources of funding for this project. Check this site often for updates. If you haven’t already, sign up here for the BetterBrighterBeechGrove E-newsletter, and keep up with the progress!

 

Main Street Project

How will parking be changed on Main Street?

SHORT ANSWER:
We’re not sure. A study is going to begin on parking options in July of this year. We expect results by September.

LONG ANSWER:
Every city of distinguishable size has a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). They manage money provided by the federal government for projects in their individual community. An MPO Transportation Planning Grant was received by the City of Beech Grove.

Parking is just one of the many important elements of the Main Street Project. As every resident of Beech Grove will agree, we have great need for pedestrian safety and ease of transportation throughout our entire city. We are using our grant money to hire a consultant who will study transportation in our city - cars, buses, sidewalks, and other modes of getting from here to there. During this comprehensive study, the contracted consultant will also assess the current parking situation on Main Street, and then present options and recommendations to the Redevelopment Commission. Then the commission may choose an option presented by the consultant, or propose something new. Either way, be assured that the best possible parking situation for residents, visitors, and business owners will be created.

When will Main Street be done?

SHORT ANSWER:
Construction will begin following the completion of Emerson Avenue, and is scheduled to be completed by the close of 2008.

LONG ANSWER:
Concepts for Main Street redevelopment have been floating around since the Spring of 2005. A consultant was hired in May 2006 to begin work. After parking research and pedestrian studies are finished in September, our consultant will begin designing the best possible Main Street plan. Plenty of time will be allotted for the planning phases, and public will be encouraged to share their ideas. As the best ideas from across the board come in, we will design a 3D model, like that of Emerson Avenue. The target for construction is the year 2008.

 

General FAQ

What does the Redevelopment Commission do?

SHORT ANSWER:
They’re in charge of making sure all of the redevelopment projects get completed.

LONG ANSWER:
The members of the Redevelopment Commission (RDC) are all citizens of Beech Grove who have been appointed by the Mayor and City Council to oversee the completion of redevelopment projects. They have been chosen to carry out the vision of a Better, Brighter, Beech Grove set forth by the Mayor, but they are primarily an autonomous commission and are free to make their own decisions in the best interests of the people of Beech Grove The members of the commission hire consultants and construction companies, approve plans, set timelines, and have final word on what happens on each of the individual projects.

They meet regularly, about two or three times per month, at the Hornet Park Community Center. The meetings are open to the public are also televised on BGTV-28. Upcoming RDC meetings are always posted on the HOME PAGE of this site. Because meeting times may change or extra meetings can be scheduled, you are encouraged to SUBSCRIBE to the Better, Brighter Beech Grove E-newsletter. You will receive the most up-to-date information that way. Video copies of recorded meetings can be obtained by calling Community Relations Director Tim Showalter at 788-4984.

How can we pay for these projects without increasing taxes?

SHORT ANSWER:
TIF dollars.

LONG ANSWER:
Dramatic and substantial improvements to the city are not cheap. So, the question is, how can we improve our city without incurring debt or raising taxes. The answer is – TIF dollars (short for Tax Increment Financing - explained in the next question.) By redeveloping certain areas of our city, we take 100% of the new property tax dollars, and reinvest it into projects that will stimulate more economic growth. The area adjoining I-465 and Emerson, where Wal-Mart and Lowe’s are located, is a redevelopment area presently producing substantial new tax revenue. Their property taxes (approximately $500,000 annually) do not go to the general fund, but instead go to the TIF fund that pays for projects like Emerson Avenue and our new greenway. These funds are managed by the Beech Grove Redevelopment Commission.

What are TIF dollars?

SHORT ANSWER:
There is no short answer! But read on…there is a simple explanation that follows.

LONG ANSWER:
Once a redevelopment area is designated by the Redevelopment Commission, the current assessed value is “frozen”. That means, new development in the area is called “increment” or growth of assessed value above the “frozen” level. It is this increment that produces the real advantage, because the city gets 100% of the property tax dollars above the frozen value.

The South Emerson Avenue redevelopment area was designated in 1998 (and therefore the assessed value was frozen at that time). In 2004 when Wal-Mart and Lowe’s built new stores in this area, this new development allowed our city to classify the full assessed value of Wal-Mart and Lowe’s as “incremental growth of the redevelopment area”. These two retailers will pay approximately $500,000 per year in property taxes. Since these taxes are considered TIF, the city will receive 100% of the new tax dollars rather than the usual 26%.

The Beech Grove Redevelopment Commission, in its role as managers of the TIF dollars subsequently has the opportunity and authority to commit those new dollars to repay TIF bonds to yield substantial investment opportunity into our community. That’s the “financing” component that gives the citizens of Beech Grove the chance to pay for substantial improvement projects like Emerson Avenue, Main Street and the new Greenway trails without raising your taxes.