KOKOMO – Each year, Kokomo’s trail system becomes a bit more expansive, stretching to previously untouched parts of the city.
This year is no different, with trail construction maintaining its place near the forefront of summer projects, specifically in a north-south corridor through the middle of Kokomo.
Recently, city officials acquired a home in the 900 block of North Buckeye Street, a decision that allows them, according to Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight, to extend Kokomo’s trail system in the most convenient way possible.
“The issue was, as we’re trying to do these last pieces of connecting the north side with the downtown to the south side, there was one home, one resident who lived on Buckeye,” he said. “So instead of having a mixed-use trail, we decided, let’s go out to the owner and see if they’re interested [in selling].”
The owner, in fact, was interested and sold the home to the city.
Now, officials are working to extend the trail on Buckeye Street from Monroe Street to Elm Street, complete with tree planting and other beautification efforts.
Construction currently is underway and the section is expected to be completed this summer, bringing the trail through a space that includes Moore’s Pie Shop and Tom Thumb Tavern.
And the home, which officials believe is a pre-1900 structure, could face one of three outcomes: a complete tear-down, rehabilitation and maintenance at its current site or relocation.
That decision will depend on the home’s condition, its historic value and what officials find when they begin “peeling it back,” said Goodnight.
At the north end of the new stretch, Elm Street, officials hope to eventually extend the trail north to the Northside Little League ball fields.
Eventually, the entire stretch from Monroe Street to the ball fields will include restricting vehicular access to some segments of Buckeye Street, installing islands and landscaping, new crosswalks and lighting.
“We’re working with the railroad right now, and even if we got the agreement signed today, the earliest for the construction part would be next year,” said Goodnight, describing the needed right-of-way acquisition for the stretch between Elm Street and Northside Park.
Mostly, though, Goodnight expressed his belief that a quality trail is more important than finishing it quickly.
“A trail is not just a slab of cement or a stretch of asphalt,” he said. “You need the amenities; you need trash receptacles and you need benches. Some areas need lighting, things like that, proper signage.
“We want to do it right as we do this, as opposed to hurrying up and doing it with just a bunch of painted stripes and causing confusion.”
Walking bridge
Another notable trail-related project taking place in Kokomo is the Nickel Plate pedestrian bridge over Indiana 931.
The project, a nearly 200-foot-long bridge, includes approaches and bridge structure over Indiana 931 to carry the Nickel Plate Trail. It will include a decorative, prefabricated bridge structure, lighting and landscaping.
It should be completed by the end of the year, local officials have said.
Overall, the bridge will cost $2 million, 80 percent of which will be covered with federal funds. The remaining 20 percent will be funded with $200,000 in state money and Indiana 22 relinquishment funds, according to Kokomo City Engineer Carey Stranahan.
Once the city completes such bridge and trail projects, residents will have the ability to ride from the Hampton Inn & Suites, 2920 S. Reed Road, all the way to Rochester on a protected trail, a distance of more than 40 miles.
In general, Goodnight said he wants Kokomo’s trail system to provide various settings, like a wooded stretch between Mehlig Park and UCT Park, areas near Foster Park and McKinley Alternative School that pass near Wildcat Creek, and parts of the Industrial Heritage Trail that have an “inner-city feel.”
“We want it to be contiguous and where you feel like you’re part of a longer trail, but we want it to have different pieces to it,” he said.
“We want an area where you have different dining options and outdoor seating and things, but we also want it to have that neighborhood feel like you’re visiting a different part of the city that you may not go visit very often.”
By summer's end
Another trail project underway is the Carter Street trail extension. The project, from Berkley Road to Dixon Road, includes the extension of the cycle track constructed last year from Mehlig Park to Berkley Road and new islands, handicap curb ramps, landscaping and decorative lighting.
Work is expected to be completed this summer.
Once completed, residents will be able to travel on the Walk of Excellence from Dixon Road to Future Park.
City employees have also adjusted a section of the city’s trail system behind The Foxes Trail restaurant, closing off the existing trail and opening up a paved, improved segment that allows for the same connectivity.