Richmond's plan would change downtown, expand

“You have to start somewhere ... and in my opinion, in Richmond, it’s downtown,” said J.P. Hall, director of the Indiana Landmarks Eastern Regional Office in Mount Auburn.

But whether Richmond receives the Stellar Communities designation, changes will take place that extend beyond downtown.

The Indiana Department of Transportation plans improvements to South E Street in 2014 and to South A Street and the U.S. 27 corridor on Eighth and Ninth streets in 2016. The city has plans for pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly “complete streets” connecting parks from the gorge to Glen Miller as well as ongoing investment in the Depot District and Vaile Neighborhood.