COLUMBUS, Ind. — With just a couple of days left in the Columbus and Bartholomew County bicentennial year, local leaders broke ground what has been called the celebration’s “seminal” project.
City officials and community members celebrated the start of work on the 1821 Trail extension Tuesday morning, determined not to let a little rain stop them from marking the occasion. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at First and Jackson Street, shortly after the Columbus Board of Works voted to engage Dave O’Mara Contractors on the project for a little over $1.7 million.
“How appropriate that we are breaking ground for the 1821 Trail, which is a long-lasting legacy project, which is going to permanently mark this moment in time, as we are celebrating 200 years of ‘common ground,’” said Diane Doup, co-chair of the bicentennial committee.
After a few remarks about the project, Doup, co-chair Tobi Herron, Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop, and Columbus Redevelopment Commission President Al Roszczyk picked up shovels and dug out the first pieces of a small mound of dirt.
Herron and Doup then invited Samantha Sparks and An Cao — the secondary and adult winners, respectively, of the “Bartholomew County: Your Vision Our Future” essay contest — to join in. According to organizers, first place winners in each category will also have their names put on commemorative bricks along the trail. The first place winner in the elementary division was Valeria Cortes.
Lienhoop said the trail is a much-needed project.
“We’ve had a need for a trail connection for some time,” he said. “We have 26 miles of trail, People Trails, and they all sort of come down here, but they don’t meet.”
For the complete story and more photos, see Wednesday’s Republic.
