Noblesville aims to create pedestrian-focused downtown

Downtown Noblesville is no stranger to construction, as any resident or business owner in the area can attest. And one of the largest projects yet is expected to begin next year.

City leaders are developing plans for an infrastructure project focused on making downtown more pedestrian-friendly. Workers will replace and widen sidewalks, redesign streets, replace century-old sewer and water pipes, add green space, and perform other beautification efforts. It’s a project that Noblesville leaders have considered for several years, and now they’re preparing to put the plan into action.

“This is not new,” Mayor Chris Jensen said. “This is just a ‘put our foot on the gas and green-light this’ project that we’ve been talking about for years.”

Jensen said the first phase of the project, dubbed Embrace Downtown, will likely focus on Logan, Eighth and Ninth streets on the north, west and east sides of the historic courthouse square. Later phases of work could extend out another block north to Clinton Street, east to 10th Street and south to Maple Avenue.

One aim of the project would be to better connect pedestrians with Noblesville’s historic downtown and newer developments west of the White River, such as Federal Hill Commons.

Jensen said the city will determine a cost estimate this summer for the project’s first phase. Last December, the city agreed to a $594,700 contract with Beech Grove-based CrossRoad Engineers to design the project. CrossRoad Engineers previously worked on streetscape projects in Franklin and Lebanon, also both county seats.

Construction of the first phase will likely last throughout 2026. The project will begin after other major projects in Noblesville, such as the city’s $113 million Reimagine Pleasant Street project and the $44 million roundabout at East 146th Street and Allisonville Road undertaken by Hamilton County, are completed this year.

Jensen said city leaders will likely begin planning for the second phase during Embrace Downtown’s first phase of construction.

“That northern three-fourths of the square is where we’ll kind of focus first and then move on from there in phases,” Jensen said. “I think a lot of it’s going to be kind of one phase at a time—make sure we understand the funding for each, make sure we get through each and reassess ourselves. We realize that we want to get it right the first time and then execute from there.”

Conner Street, which was shut down for months last year on the south side of the courthouse square for resurfacing, is not on the immediate to-do list because the street is also State Road 32/38, which is managed by the Indiana Department of Transportation.

“It is a limitation because it is a state road. There aren’t as many pieces at play that we can work with,” said City Council member Aaron Smith, who represents parts of downtown. “I think if we can show what a plan looks like along Logan Street … my hope is that we can create a cohesive look long term throughout downtown.”

‘A long time overdue’

Smith noted Embrace Downtown will be the first major investment in downtown infrastructure in nearly 30 years.

He pointed to Franklin, the Johnson County seat, as an example of a central Indiana community that has accomplished what he wants to see in Noblesville, albeit on a larger footprint than Noblesville is considering.

Beginning in the mid-2000s, Franklin spent 16 years revamping its downtown by adding pedestrian-friendly features and green space and creating gateway roads leading from Interstate 65 to the courthouse square.

“I think just broadly, it’s a long time overdue,” Smith said. “I desire to create a 50-year project that is something that stands the test of time and creates an environment where building owners and business owners can reimagine the way that they can reach more customers because of the investment that we’ve made here.”

Noblesville is thinking about increasing pedestrian connectivity during a period of growth in the city’s downtown.

Since 2021, nearly 800 new apartment units have become available on both sides of the White River. Downtown also now has nearly 1,000 parking garage spaces spread between two new structures at the Levinson apartment building, south of the courthouse square and Federal Hill, west of the White River, and the Hamilton County Government & Judicial Center garage.

“Whatever spaces we’re losing, we’ve already gained and proven those [garages] can work, so I think the parking conversations got a lot easier,” said City Council member Darren Peterson, who also represents parts of downtown.

Many historic buildings surrounding the courthouse square have been refreshed in recent years as new businesses and restaurants have moved in. And last year, Noblesville became one of the first cities in central Indiana to approve a designated outdoor refreshment area, which allows people to stroll outside with a drink in hand.

“We have a downtown that is truly the bread and butter of our community,” Jensen said. “But it’s really designed heavily for vehicular traffic right now and parking, and we know we have now hundreds of new residents living, working, playing in downtown Noblesville. And we would like to see our downtown—and I think the merchants would like to see our downtown—be more pedestrian-friendly.”

‘More of a partnership’

Conversation about making downtown Noblesville more pedestrian-friendly has been ongoing for years. In 2018, the city began drafting the 315-page Downtown Cityscape Master Plan that included many of the same ideas city leaders are considering now.

But the plan faced resistance when it was introduced two years later from pandemic-weary business owners who worried about the impact of the proposal on their shops and restaurants.

Now, most business owners interviewed by IBJ said they have come around to the idea of improving downtown pedestrian access, and they said the city has done a better job communicating the plan this time.

“I think that they’re taking it slower, and I think they’re going to make sure that we have all the resources that we need, so that all of our questions are answered,” said Jill Dolak, who owns Noblesville Antiques on the Square at 20 N. Ninth St.

Dolak said business owners did not feel prepared five years ago when the city approached them with plans for a downtown makeover, and opposition was fierce.

“I don’t think they expected as much pushback as what they got,” she said. “I don’t think they were as prepared for that. I think the timing was bad.”

Now, while Dolak said her opinion has changed, she is still learning about the city’s plan. She agreed that downtown needs better pedestrian infrastructure given the number of residents and visitors. And she said new water and sewer pipes are needed to service her 145-year-old building. But her main concern is that the city protect downtown’s historic character.

“I just can’t emphasize enough: You have to keep the character of the downtown because that is what is drawing people down here,” she said. “It’s historic Noblesville. So, they need to make sure that we keep it historic at the same time as enhancing the walkability of our downtown area.”

The city is taking several steps to provide public outreach to residents and business owners. Community Engagement Manager Aaron Head hosts weekly office hours at downtown restaurants to sit and talk with people who have questions.

The city also paid $200,000 in January to the marketing arm of Indianapolis-based American Structurepoint to form a communications strategy for the project. A project website was launched in January.

“We did not do a good job of communicating a partnership the first time around,” Peterson said. “This time around, we’ve taken that feedback, the original feedback, a little more to heart, and have created more of a partnership on how this project is going to move forward.”

‘Going to be interesting’

Lance Cook, who operates The Velvet Plum Vintage & Consignments at 894 Logan St. with his wife, Kelly, said he worries about businesses that have only one entrance to their shops and what the impact will be when sidewalks are replaced. Jensen said his hope is that every business will remain open throughout the project, even when sidewalks are under construction.

The Cooks experienced last year’s State Road 32/38 construction at their second shop across the courthouse square at 939 Conner St.

“It’s going to be interesting,” he said. “If we can survive it, then it’s probably a good thing.”

Despite the potential challenges, some business owners said the promise of new pedestrian infrastructure was an enticement to open downtown.

Willie Neiberger, who opened The Courthouse Club restaurant and cocktail bar last June at 110 N. Ninth St., said Noblesville’s vision for downtown made it “an easy yes” for him to locate at the former KeyBank branch building.

One reason he selected downtown Noblesville was because he knew that a project to widen the sidewalks meant an opportunity for outdoor seating. He plans to open a patio along Ninth Street in May to give customers a taste of what’s to come.

“When you create a walkable destination where somebody can come enjoy an incredible outdoor experience, we want to be in that community,” Neiberger said.

He said he expects business to be a little slower next year during construction, but he sees Embrace Downtown as a key to long-term success.

“In the long run, we’re not [just] invested in that space for 2025 and 2026,” he said. “We want to stick around for a long time, and I think that the long-term investment is worth years of the area being more attractive.”•