Noblesville’s aggressive 10-part capital improvement plan, called Noblesville NOW, is going to cost a lot of money. Financing is in place for a part of the recently announced road building portion of the overall plans. But, the method of financing major items such as a new police headquarters and a downtown parking garage are still being considered.
The city does not have cash on hand to undertake most of these projects. Bond issues and Tax Increment Financing appear to be the most likely methods of financing major construction. Studies are only now underway to determine the costs which likely means actual construction is still some time off.
City spokesman Robert Herrington says funds are secured for a new pedestrian trail along South 10th Street to the Wellington neighborhood, a pedestrian bridge at Little Chicago Road over Morse Lake and a roundabout at 19th and Pleasant streets.
He says talks are underway with county officials on a new White River bridge (a county responsibility) and widening of Pleasant Street to the bridge site (a city responsibility). The project is listed as one of the capital improvements.
The cooperative project has been under consideration for several years to provide a bypass of the downtown business district. The city has been buying properties as they become available to provide the needed right-of-way for the new roadway that will eventually link Ind. 32 on the west side to Ind. 37 on the south.
Another of the major plans in the Noblesville NOW announcement is a projected downtown redevelopment that is to include a “public-private partnership” to offer a mixed use building or buildings where housing, commercial and perhaps parking will be found.
Negotiations with developers, if any, have not been revealed. Presumably construction will be undertaken by a private corporation. The present city administration headed by Major John Ditslear will be leaving office at the end of 2019 and is not likely to see a good portion of the Noblesville NOW improvements underway. New city officials will have to either continue the plans or alter them as they see fit.
Mayoral candidate Chris Jensen is on board with the new plans. Other candidates, whoever they may be, could also agree or have other ideas depending on costs and other factors.