Noblesville resident Jim Hines said it was hard to wrap his head around the scale of the Pleasant Street project, called Reimagine Pleasant Street, by simply driving or walking past the construction area. But when he stepped onto the job site, he said it “blows your mind.”
Hines and his wife, Kathy Hines, won a behind-the-scenes tour of the Reimagine Pleasant Street project site Aug. 30. They won the opportunity through a Noblesville Chamber of Commerce Taste of Business raffle.
The tour was led by construction managers from USI Consultants and CHA Consulting. Kathy Hines said she and her husband enjoyed the tour and were impressed by the project.
“We just think (the project is) such a great addition to the town,” Kathy said. “I know it’s hard. Change is difficult for all of us, but we need it. Our town is growing like crazy. We need it.”
Reimagine Pleasant Street is designed to provide an east-west connector and increase trail connectivity to downtown Noblesville, according to city officials. The project is expected to alleviate traffic on Ind. 32 through the city’s core and provide an alternate route to access downtown Noblesville from Ind. 37 and Ind. 32.
“We’re more attracted to the long-term kind of benefit of this,” said Jim Hines, adding that the construction disruptions are challenging but the long-term benefits will be worth the inconvenience.
Kathy Hines said the city has done the best it can to mitigate inconveniences during construction.
In June, Mayor Chris Jensen gave an update on the Reimagine Pleasant Street project. He said utility relocation was largely complete as crews installed storm sewers. The foundation for the new White River bridge had been set after developing a plan to remove and disassemble the bridge, keeping in mind historic preservation, and crews were installing retaining walls. Two new roundabouts were under construction on Eighth Street.
The project is still in Phase 1, which will last until 2024, according to Reimagine Pleasant Street’s website. For more, visit https://www.reimaginepleasantst.com.
