Much work remains to be done for Shelbyville's Blue River Trail to become reality

"Once we have a preliminary design, we'll pull everybody together," he added, with the hopes that construction could start by the fall.

The proposed trail for pedestrians and bicycles would stretch from Babe Ruth Park to Blue River Park along the Big Blue and Little Blue Rivers.

The Blue River Trail is part of a collaborative effort among several groups to enhance Shelbyville's pedestrian and cycling opportunities.

Demolition of an old gas station in the 700 block of North Harrison Street was completed last month, allowing that lot to be developed as a trailhead.

The city's parks department received a $100,000 grant in 2013 from the Blue River Community Foundation to help purchase the property for the trailhead, and the city received an $85,000 Bicentennial Nature Trust grant in December to help renovate and redevelop the trailhead property.

In February 2014, the city received a $2.1 million grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation to fund construction of the trail.

Earlier this week, the trail project received praise from Ken Remenschneider as part of his pitch to help the city develop downtown.

"We see that as a huge step forward for the community, and it can easily serve as the backbone for the larger plan," he said of the trail.