Map page 16
The Broad Ripple Gazette
Vol. 16 No. 07
Including the Cultural Districts and Midtown: Meridian-Kessler, Butler-Tarkington, and Meridian St.
Crossword page 13
Mar 29 - Apr 11, 2019
Broad Ripple Park Master Plan - family center By Mario Morone
mario@broadripplegazette.com Indy Parks & Recreation has issued a master plan (20 to 25 year) project for Broad Ripple Park regarding its future upgrading of various areas. This will include a new community center and aquatics area. It also expands an existing woodland area, engages with nature and incorporates environmental education. Broad Ripple Park has over 300,000 annual visitors and is a vibrant part of Indianapolis. Tom McCain is President of Friends of Broad Ripple Park, which is a non-profit 501(c) (3) group. “We support and endorse the 2018 Broad Ripple Park Master Plan, which was developed with input from hundreds of citizens both online and in multiple community meetings over several months,” he explained. “Among our favorite features are the greatly-improved, and much needed, Family Center, the event plaza to support the many public gatherings that take place in the park, enhanced access and engagement with White River, a new dog park, and greater opportunity for environmental education,” McCain mentioned. “It will take time to create all the planned improvements, of course, but the end result will provide multiple activities for a diverse population for years into the future.” Colleen Fanning, Broad Ripple Village Association Executive Director and District 2 City-County Councilor, said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to improve Broad Ripple Park and transform the park’s Family Center in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Indianapolis is facing significant budget challenges with limited funds for parks and public recreation, let alone other urgent needs such as crime prevention and infrastructure. This requires communities to be innovative, and structuring this project as a public-private partnership provides numerous benefits. Community members voiced strong support for this option during the planning and public input process. My role is to now advocate for the best partnership structure, and we are making great progress. Broad Ripple Park will soon be more accessible, appealing and relevant to the current needs of our community.” Some questions that Ms. Fanning has recently answered include: Q: What’s happening at Broad Ripple Park? A: The parcel that currently houses the Family Center and its parking lot is being redeveloped via a public-private partnership. The Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development is managing the process and recently issued a Request for Proposals (Broad Ripple Park Request For Proposals). Potential development partners are currently being evaluated, and a final decision is expected in the near future. Q: Why would we sell land or privatize our park? A: The land is not being sold. The land will always remain owned by the City and retain its current PK-1 (Primary Parks) zoning classification. Q: Who will build and own the family center? A: While the City will continue to own the land, it will enter into a long-term ground lease with a selected development team. That development team would then construct the new Broad Ripple Park Family Center. Q: Will the facility always be owned by the selected development team? A: No, the City intends to acquire the building in 3-5 years. At that time, the ground lease would cease to exist with the selected development team, and the City would own any structures and assume all leases with existing tenants (i.e., health care partner). Q: Who would lease the space in the Broad Ripple Family Center? A: Once constructed, the development team will lease a portion to Indy Parks for parks programming and activation. The remaining space will be leased to an ancillary, subordinate health care partner. The health care partner would only run any nonpark/public recreation services, such as wellness or healthcare services. Q: Who is choosing the developer? What’s the timeline? A: The City of Indianapolis has convened a selection committee comprised of staff from Indy Parks, Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD), and Mayor’s Office staff, as well as community leadership/stakeholders. A recommendation will be made by the Selection Committee to either accept a bid or not accept any bids. In February 2018, Indy Parks released a Request for Information (RFI) to request
Elizabeth Shikany explains the details of the new Third Thursday event at Marigold.
Third Thursday Art Walk begins in May By Alan Hague
alan@broadripplegazette.com There is a new event for Broad Ripple in the works. The bi-annual Broad Ripple Art Walk is becoming Broad Ripple Third Thursday. The new event is planned for the third Thursday of each month, May through November. Businesses that want to participate by staying open that night and offering some form of art (painting, photography, jewelry, music, etc.) can email the Broad Ripple Village Association (BRVA) to let them know (BRVAArtWalk@gmail.com). There were about 25 Broad Ripple businesses represented at the first Third Thursday organizational meeting held at Marigold, 6512 Cornell Avenue. Elizabeth Shikany led the discussion, explaining how businesses can participate in the new monthly Art Walk. While the participation fees from the bi-annual Art Walks have been eliminated, a business must be a member of the BRVA to be included in the promotional materials for Third Thursday. Full details are at www.broadrippleartwalk.org
Installment Six
Chapter Five
From your editor: I have received several requests for a reprint of the 1968 publication “A History of Broad Ripple” by The Junior Historical Society and The Riparian Newspaper, both of Broad Ripple High School. We haven’t published this information since 2004 and many new residents are now in Broad Ripple and have never read it. Where we come from is important. It has some errors. I will try to correct them as they appear. I will attempt to reprint the entire booklet. I will include each section as space permits. -AH
Religious life grows As the villages of Broad Ripple and Wellington grew, so did the religious life. The first ministers in the area were comparable to circuit judges, traveling from settlement to settlement. Often these ministers had to be handy with their fists as well as with their Bibles. For example, in 1836, Reverend James Havens’ camp meeting was attended by some of John Burke’s canal workmen with the intention of breaking up the organized efforts against sin. When Reverend Havens objected to their plans, he was challenged to a fight. However, he administered such a sound thrashing to the ringleader, Mr. Burke, that the workmen retreated with new respect for the preacher and religion. One of the first churches in the area was Union Church, built in Wellington in 1851 by popular subscription. Wilson Whitesell and Richard Miller built the frame structure on land donated by Jacob C. Coil, the son of Broad Ripple’s founder, Jacob Coil. Besides the regular congregational meetings, club meetings and socials were also held at the church. Many of the members of the Union Church were Methodists; however, the first minister, Henry Coe, was a Presbyterian. Jacob C. Coil and
INDEX
See PARK pg. 3
See HISTORY pg. 4
1 BR Park Family Center
4 Random Rippling camping
8 Buzzing Around Town
1 History of BR part 6
5 Random Rippling photos
8 Random Rippling Macaron 11 Poetic Thoughts
14 Random Rippling pets
1 Third Thursday kickoff
5 BR Brewpub Quiz
8 Errata
12 Random Rippling Co/Lab
15 Directory / Maps
9 BR Farmers Market
12 Where in the Village?
19 Right in my Own Backyard
12 Hidden History / Sudoku
19 Random Rippling artist
13 Crossword/Historic Ad
20 100 Years - Legion
2 Random Rippling Pinewood 5 Indiana Statehouse 3 Random Rippling Pi Day
6 Classified Ads/Public Notices
3 Calendar
7 Local Contacts/Mistakes winner 11 Frog’s Random Rippling
10 ACR history part 1
11 Random Rippling dog park 14 Wine Scene Jill A. Ditmire