New Riverside Promenade will transform the park and connect to other trails

A new pedestrian trail in the middle of the city is wrapping a lot into its 1.5 miles. It will pay homage to the history and culture of the surrounding land. Its mini-plazas will be gathering spots. And it will connect to other popular trails — helping those without cars travel more quickly and safely across the city.

The Riverside Promenade now runs along the east side of Riverside Regional Park from 16th Street to White River Parkway near the 29th Street bridge. Indy Parks and Recreation unveiled the trail Thursday, complete with new signage and painted patterns on the ground that represent the cultures that have help shaped the area.

"It's great for biking and ... running and walking, but really making it a place where the community can come together as well was a key part of this," said Alex Cortwright, chief communications officer for Indy Parks and Recreation.

The new corridor cost about $5.2 million, according to Cortwright. It was funded by Indianapolis' Circle City Forward initiative, which has been directed toward improving parks, infrastructure and community-revitalization projects, among others.

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The promenade is key to the larger Riverside Park Master Plan to develop the area into a must-see destination that offers more amenities. Its high-profile projects include Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre, which opened in 2021, and the in-development adventure park just north of 30th Street. The latter is planned to be finished by the end of 2024, Cortwright said.

The new trail will help people find their way throughout the expanse of Riverside Park, which has been tough for visitors to navigate, Indy Parks officials have said. Recently introduced signage points to Taggart and the Family Center, among other spots.

As people make their way along the promenade, they'll learn something as well. The mini-plazas, called nodes, will have panels that are devoted to subjects including sports, arts, faith, neighborhood resilience in the face of injustice, and the cultures of those who have lived in and around the area.

They're broken down into stunning stories. For example, before Hank Aaron became a baseball icon, he played for the Indianapolis Clowns at Bush Stadium and later, so did Marcenia Lyle “Toni” Stone — the first woman to play in the Negro Leagues.

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Another node will explore tribes that lived in the area, including the Miami. And yet another will tell stories about the park's place in the system designed by George Kessler.

The panels weren't installed for the unveiling but will be soon, Cortwright said. Already on the trail are areas painted with patterns inspired by West African, Native American and Celtic cultures, among others.

The new corridor will also offer several new travel options for pedestrians and cyclists. It has quick links to the Central Canal Towpath, the White River Trail and the new extension to the Fall Creek Trail — which goes south through Graham Edward Martin Park and ends up by the Cultural Trail's Indiana Avenue and 10th Street extension.

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy's Riverside Promenade will transform park, connect to more paths