Lawrenceburg Accepts Bid For 2021 Comprehensive Plan; Teases Riverfront Pergola Swing Corridor

Monday, January 25, 2021 at 1:37 PM

Improvements to the City's riverfront appear to be a priority in 2021.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – There are some exciting things in the works in the City of Lawrenceburg.

Last Tuesday’s council meeting featured discussions on the City’s 2021 Comprehensive Plan, an update on the Old State Road 48 and Arch Street Park projects, and a potential plan to make upgrades on the riverfront levee.

Every 10 years, the City is required by state mandate to have a comprehensive plan going forward. The plan includes things like public involvement, parks and recreation, economic development, land use, housing and more. City engineer Mario Todd says one of the key points of the new comprehensive plan should focus on the city’s riverfront.

The timeline to get a comprehensive plan done is between nine months to a mutually agreed upon time. After comparing multiple bids for the 2021 Comprehensive Plan, a recommendation was made to use HWC Engineering Group.

According to Communications Director Guinevere Emery, HWC Engineering Group has the most comprehensive planning experience in the state of Indiana, including the New Albany Riverfront Development, and Franklin, Indiana’s gateway project that resulted in $21 million investment.

The 2021 Comprehensive Plan was awarded to HWC Engineering for the lump sum of $55,000, and nine months of work time.

With the riverfront being one of the focal points of the 2021 Comprehensive Plan, the City is wasting no time with potential upgrades on the riverfront levee.

Plans are being made for the Lawrenceburg Riverfront Pergola Swing Corridor. The City is pursuing a matching grant to make the plan come to fruition.

Three different sites have been identified to place nine pergola swings in front of Partners in Health, Ivy Tech, and the Dearborn County Trailhead. The project would cost approximately $120,000. The City is hoping to receive a $60,000 matching grant, then use $60,000 from the rainy-day fund to complete the project.

If the City can approve the project and the pergola swings are in place, sponsorship opportunities would come available. Families and corporations would be eligible to buy a sponsorship for $3,000 each, resulting in about $32,000 in revenue for the City – which would be used for maintenance and long-term care of the pergola swings.

In addition, Demolition at Arch Street Park is expected to start soon. Crews from the City of Aurora will be dismantling the playground equipment and repurposing it for their own parks. Demolition is expected to take two to three weeks.

The City is also considering three bids for the Old State Road 48 slip repair between Heiner Heights and Riveria Drive.

Last week’s full city council meeting can be viewed in the video player below. City council meetings will continue to be closed to the public until the county gets out of red status for COVID-19 spread.