Current News from ROW

ROW convenes community partners to enhance the quality of life through innovation, analysis, cultural advancement and investment along Indy waterways and in neighborhoods.

Indianapolis' Riverside Regional Park is undergoing some major changes this year, inspired by nearby community members working tirelessly to bring ideas and enthusiasm to convert these natural spaces from the former 860-acre site once serving as golf courses and other underutilized spaces into a an outdoor oasis for neighbors and visitors alike to enjoy.

Transformation began when Indy Parks completed the Riverside Park Regional Master Plan in 2017, which included significant community engagement and detailed technical analysis. This month, the Riverside Adventure Park Open House gave residents a closer look at what's to come and an opportunity to provide feedback on park designs and amenities (Photo: March 3 open house). For the next two months, the design team will review the feedback with Indy Parks and further refine the design. Here are a few of the projects being developed in Indy's second largest regional park with stunning views of the city and our White River:

Riverside Adventure Park
Sitting atop the former Riverside Golf Course, the concept for the Riverside Adventure Park complements the land's varied natural conditions. Last year, the City dedicated $11 million to Riverside Regional Park which is being used to implement the first phase of improvements at the Riverside Adventure Park including enhancing connectivity across the park, entry plazas, outdoor fitness trail, expanded parking facilities, nature playground, and shelters for picnicking and gathering with family and friends. The community is keeping engaged with Phase 2 as plans for a zip-line route, cart-racing, ice-skating rink, and more are poised to bring some real adventure into the park. The Riverside Adventure Park 5K offer the community the opportunity to walk or run the grounds on Saturday, March 26. Near Northwest neighbors receive 50% off registration fees.

Riverside Promenade
Exciting plans are afoot to bring an art, history, and cultural corridor along White River in the Riverside Promenade. This unique pedestrian corridor would run the length of Riverside Park and offer a wide pedestrian trail including amenities like lighting, seating, a tree canopy, and historic, cultural, and educational signage highlighting Riverside's rich history and influential residents. Part of the $11 million investment will develop the trail, though additional funding is needed for art and amenities.

Thomas Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre

A $9.2 million renovation of the historic Taggart Memorial converted a beautiful park asset into a hub for entertainment and family fun. Serving as a host to local drama company Indy Shakes and programmed by creative firm GANG GANG, the amphitheatre offers free entertainment for all to enjoy from live music to poetry readings to dance performances and movie nights. Enjoy a free screening of Indiana Humanities six short documentary films about Indiana's waterways on Thursday, April 7.

White River Rock Ramp
When the 130-year old Emerichsville Dam collapsed four years ago, Citizens Energy Group needed to secure water intake from the White River necessary to supply Indy's drinking water. Working with the community to identify a new rock ramp location, Citizens identified a site about 500 feet south of the Riverside Regional Park public access ramp at Lake Indy, and includes construction of a portage for safer canoeing and kayaking around the ramp.

Photos above: Left, White River at sunset in Riverside Regional Park; Right, newly reonnovated Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre aglow during performance last summer.

Since 2011 Indianapolis neighbors, community groups, and partners have gathered to recognize and celebrate the grassroots accomplishments that strengthen our neighborhoods through the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center's Neighbor Power Indy Awards.

On March 12, Neighbor Power Indy 2022 recognized Twin Aire Neighborhood Coalition (TANC) as the 'Connecting Community' award winner for their Memory Keepers Project. This project is an exhibit, online collection, and community conversation to record, elevate, and archive histories of TANC neighbors. These include Pleasant Run neighborhoods of Christian Park, Prospect Falls, Norwood, SouthEast Community Organization, and Twin Aire. The project was stewarded by artist Kaila Austin and Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND) and made possible thanks to a generous grant from LISC.

While the Project has concluded its in-person exhibition, you can view the online gallery and listen to the interviews here. This project builds off of a community desire to preserve and share the neighborhood's history. If you'd like to hear more history from our waterways, visit the 2014 'Voices from our Waterways: An Oral History Project' here. Congratulations to TANC, Kaila Austin, and SEND for your commitment to celebrating and preserving community voices.

Indiana Humanities is hosting a 9-city film tour featuring six short documentary films about Indiana's waterways. The collection is part of Indiana Humanities' Unearthed initiative, a multiyear thematic initiative that encourages Hoosiers to discover and discuss their relationships with the natural world.

Explore Hoosier's diverse relationship with our waterways through the camera lens. Arts and culture, conservation, ecology, and history collide to reveal the unique mosaic of Indiana's waterways. One short film, Cast Out explores Indianapolis' own White River in black-and-white including the conservational and consumptive fishing of our watershed.

The tour kicks off with a red-carpet treatment by Visit Indy at the Kan-Kan Cinema & Brasserie on March 22. This VIP screening is a fundraiser for the Joseph and Carol Trimmer Indiana Film Fund and will offer attendants an opportunity to meet the filmmakers as well as complimentary hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

If you can't make it to the screening along Pogue's Run in March, the tour will return to Indianapolis near White River and Central Canal with a free screening at the Taggart Amphitheatre in Riverside Regional Park on Thursday, April 7 from 8-10:00 PM.

Apr 12 : Central Canal Meeting and Pogue's Run Meeting
Apr 13: Little Eagle Creek Meeting
Apr TBA: New Pleasant Run Meeting
Apr 27 : White River Meeting

One great way to get involved with ROW is to participate in a Waterway or Element Committee! Find details on the ROW events page or contact info@ourwaterways.org to get connected.

The weather is shifting, flowers are blooming, and before you know it, summer will be here! In preparation for the season, some of ROW's partners are offering seasonal employment for Indianapolis Youth. Check out 2022 opportunities below.

Groundwork Indy, Inc.

The Groundwork Indy Green Team program is intended to promote awareness and understanding of the natural environment, local food systems, and the protection and restoration of critical ecological systems and natural resources in the community through hands on improvement programs. The Green Team program offers part-time paid positions for middle school and high school students, ages 14-18. Applications for the 2022 Season open soon for the June start with the Team. The GroundCorp also offers part-time positions for out-of-school youth, ages 16-24, and accepts applications year-round.

Indy Parks and Recreation
Indy Parks is hiring more than 400 positions for the summer season, including assistant program coordinators, lifeguards, and pool managers. Get trained in a skill and gain hands-on-experience on how our park system operates. This year, new and returning seasonal employees can cash in on "Early Bird" referral and sign-on bonuses if they apply and submit all hiring paperwork by April 9.

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Youth Tree Team (YTT) helps our city's trees grow! YTT is a seven-week summer job for high school students and college-age leaders who are interested in improving their community through tree care and gaining leadership experience. YTT Leaders applications close March 18 and YTT Members applications close April 1.

Adventure in the Making at Riverside Park

Summer Youth Employment Opportunities

Take Action to Improve Our Waterways