Every spring, a certain hustle and bustle returns to Noblesville’s downtown square, filling it with people holding shopping bags, picking up coffee and ice cream, or attending festivals hosted on the square. But this year, the bustle isn’t from the constant stream of people, it’s from the construction equipment that seems to have overtaken downtown. The streets are full of orange and white barriers, beige bulldozers, and fluorescent street closure signs.
All of these changes are the result of the city government’s “Embrace Downtown” project. Aaron Head, the Noblesville Mayor’s Office Community Engagement Manager, describes the project as a promise to bring major changes to downtown, both above and below ground.
“This project is upgrading all of our downtown infrastructure from the underground infrastructure to the road and sidewalks, but also beautifying it in a way that matches the beautiful historic nature of our downtown square,” Head said.
The project has been years in the making. According to Head, it had originally been introduced in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 put the construction on hold. This pause allowed time for the city to make more plans with businesses, something that junior Kylee Lysiuk, an employee at the Courthouse Club, says has been appreciated by downtown store owners.
“We received a map of basically what was going to happen, and then we received routes that would be helpful to get to our places, then an estimate of when it was going to be over, which they said around November,” Lysiuk said. “They did warn us every time they were moving [construction to different] streets.”
While some businesses may be equipped with this knowledge, travel can be harder to access for people who aren’t working downtown. For senior Peyton Kauzlick, just getting downtown has become harder with the road closures.
“The thing is, [the signs] don’t tell you there’s construction this way until, boom, you’re already right there. And then you’re just like, ‘Well, what am I supposed to do now?’ So you have to do a 17-point turn in your car,” Kauzlick said.
The construction isn’t just making downtown harder to navigate with a car, either. It blocks off the streets in front of popular establishments, sitting right in front of Noble Coffee and Tea, Rosie’s Place, and Alexander’s.
“It can just be difficult to meet up with your friends to even just go grab a cup of coffee. So it’s almost not worth it to walk so far out of your way,” Kauzlick said.
The tradeoff, according to Head, is a downtown that will be more accessible. Along with widening the sidewalks, the construction will move the street and sidewalks to the same level, cutting out the curb entirely, making the square easier for everybody to enjoy, said Head.
“When the project’s complete they will have an even more walkable and inviting space to come to,” Head said. “One of the reasons that they live downtown is because they get to enjoy being in a great place like that.”
Head says the city has also done their best to keep businesses up and running all around the plaza, despite the difficulties presented by the construction.
“We worked really close with our engineering department to put in place measures that allowed all businesses to stay open,” Head said. “Really, the only thing you can’t do right now is park in front of that business.”
According to Head, the construction is only in its first phase and is scheduled to end in time for holiday shopping. The city views it as a necessary price to pay for the benefits of a more walkable downtown and the stores and restaurants many residents love are sticking around, even if they have to make adjustments.
“Honestly, I thought it was gonna be a lot worse, but it hasn’t deterred people and I always see people walking outside,” Lysiuk said. “People struggle to get to our restaurant a lot more, but since we’re prepared and we can give directions, it’s not that big of a deal.”
