Georgia Street renovations to become more pedestrian-friendly

INDIANAPOLIS – As the City-County Council looks at this upcoming year’s budget, one item could transform a major road downtown.

Councilors are considering making Georgia Street more pedestrian-friendly.

Running from Capital to Illinois, the Department of Metropolitan Development hopes to take the existing block and convert it into a green space.

“We would like that to be an area where people can come downtown, and downtown just opens up, and you have easy access to all those spectacular venues,” said Lucas González, Chief Communications Officer with the department.

Georgia Street lies right between the Indiana Convention Center and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, just north of Lucas Oil Stadium.

The road has hosted activities for the NBA All-Star game and Olympic swim trials, but was first debuted for the 2012 Super Bowl.

“It’s been a good alternate space to use, instead of using Monument Circle all the time for those things,” said Paul Diebold, one Indianapolis resident.

“It kind of puts that kind of event closer to where there’s more entertainment going on anyway, so it was a good move on the city’s part.”

The city said they always focus their projects with the people who live here in mind.

With a heavy focus on becoming more walkable, early renderings feature seating, a walking path, and greenery.

“Some vehicular access is still going to be needed for first responders as well, right? So we know that we’re going to have to accommodate that,” said González.

This project is one of several that would be completed using a $50 million tax increment finance bond.

The final details are still being worked out right now, but the council will take a final vote on the budget at their next meeting on Sept. 9.

“I think as long as some of the nice improvements that were put there a dozen years ago remain, I think it would be a good thing,” said Diebold.

The changes to Georgia Street hope to be complete by fall 2026, lining up with when the Signia hotel is set to open.

The city added Meritt Chase as the lead architect on the project. They are also working with the engineering firm, DLZ.

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