06.07.2024

Today’s Forecast

An abridged bridge story

The history of Indy’s magnificent 30th Street Bridge

INDYtoday: INDY_30th Street Bridge staircases Riverside Park_JUN24

The 30th Street Bridge rehabilitation will include adding lighting back to the bridge, like the lamps seen here. | Photo via The Indiana Album: Props Family Collection

Just five miles from downtown Indy, the 861-acre Riverside Regional Park offers dozens of recreational activities and amenities to keep even the pickiest of Hoosiers entertained. In the middle of it all stands one structure often hailed as one of Indianapolis’s mot beautiful historic structures: The 30th Street Bridge.

Let’s go back in time to 1904, when two floods within two months destroyed most of the outdated bridges over the White River. With travel impacted for thousands of residents + businesses, the city quickly created the Bridge & Stream Improvement Commission, which then secured $830,000 to replace the bridges that were lost.

INDYtoday: INDY_30th Street Bridge Riverside Amusement Park history_JUN24 — Three girls pose on the 30th Street Bridge, with the Riverside Amusement Park visible in the background.
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Photo via The Indiana Album: Judy Carole (McKinzey) Carter Collection

Spurred on by the success of the incredibly popular Riverside Amusement Park which opened one year prior, the commission began work on the 30th Street bridge to serve as a gateway to the attraction. It employed state-of-the-art concrete + steel technology and was surfaced, like many of Indianapolis’ historic bridges, with beautiful Indiana limestone. Its scenic overlooks and grand staircases down to the river contributed to its signature Parisian feel.

The bridge was completed in 1907 for roughly $200,000. After being first rehabilitated in 1979 (nine years after the Riverside Amusement Park ceased operations), the bridge closed once more in 2022 for a $15.1 million restoration project.

INDYtoday: INDY_30th Street Bridge Canoes Riverside Park_JUN24 — Canoeing has always been a popular activity on the White River.
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Photo via The Indiana Album: Glenn M. Nelson Glass Negatives

Rehabilitation efforts currently underway by the Indianapolis Department of Public Works include:

A reinforced concrete arch
Rehabilitated limestone bridge walls
A new railing separating pedestrians from traffic
Rehabilitated pavement
New curbs
ADA-compliant ramps and sidewalks
Historically appropriate globe fixtures to remain in compliance with the bridge’s National Register of Historic Places listing

Do you have any memories linked to the 30th Street Bridge? We’d love to hear them.

Events

Friday, June 7

Garden and Grow | Friday, June 7-Friday, June 28 | 9-11 a.m. | Holliday Park, 6363 Spring Mill Rd., Indianapolis | Free | Join a team of volunteers who help maintain and improve the gardens of Holliday Park — refreshments are provided.
Pride Bubbles and Beats | Friday, June 7 | 7-11 p.m. | The Alexander, 333 S. Delaware St., Indianapolis | Free | Sing your heart out to the tunes of iconic divas in a celebration of love, diversity, and unity.

Saturday, June 8

Slamology | Saturday, June 8-Sunday, June 9 | 8 a.m.-6 p.m. | Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, 10267 US Highway 136, Brownsburg | $15-$20 | Check out hot rods, live performers, a tattoo contest, a kids play zone, and more at this custom car show.
Wine, Wags & Whiskers | Saturday, June 8 | 6-9 p.m. | 502 East Event Centre, 502 E. Carmel Dr., Carmel | $95+ | Sample fine wines, enjoy hors d’oeuvres, and peruse silent auction items in support of the Humane Society for Hamilton County.

Sunday, June 9

Neon Black Festival | Saturday, June 8-Sunday, June 9 | Times vary | Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., Ste. 320, Indianapolis | $15-$30 | Watch dance performances from 10 local companies led by artists of color at the first Black dance festival in Indy.

Monday, June 10

Indy Actors’ Playground | Monday, June 10 | 7-9 p.m. | Indy Reads, 1066 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis | Free | No props, no preparation, just great actors selecting and reading the plays they’ve always wanted to perform.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Outdoors

You’re invited to explore “Home Again” in the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park

Climb through the windows, make the roof your stage, and catch spontaneous and planned performances near “Oracle of Intimation,” a sculpture created by Brooklyn-based artist Heather Hart. | Photo by Anna Tiplick

Welcome home, Indy. Hoosiers can celebrate the opening of the long-awaited exhibition “Home Again” on Sunday, June 9, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Guests are invited to play, explore, and interact with three art installations centered around the notion of home + shelter.

“Home Again” is the first installation of The Hawryluk Collection of Art in Nature, a new series of outdoor public art in The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. Kent Hawryluk, a longtime Newfields patron + philanthropist, made the project possible with a $3 million gift.

Get a sneak peek of the exhibition

News Notes

Announced

Hospital coffee just got a lot better. Tinker Coffee Co. announced that it’ll be opening two new cafes this summer at IU Health University Hospital and IU Health Methodist Hospital. It also teased a third new location announcement — we’ll let you know when we hear more.

Job

Are you or someone you know looking for a summer job? Hundreds of seasonal positions are available at the Indiana State Fair. Starting Monday, June 10, interested applicants can stop by the employment office at the fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. (WTHR)

Opening

Gina’s Juice Bar, a body-positive juice and smoothie bar, will be opening soon at the former Rise ‘N Roll Bakery location in Broad Ripple. Keep an eye on its Instagram page for updates.

Cause

Riley, meet Riley. The IMAX Theater at the Indiana State Museum will donate $1 to Riley Children’s Foundation for every kid’s combo sold for screenings of “Inside Out 2". Each moviegoer to donate $10 will also receive a free large popcorn. Get tickets.

Coming Soon

An upscale Mexican restaurant called Piedra is coming to The Union at Fishers District, which will break ground next year near I-69 and East 116th Street. It will be the second location in central Indiana; the first is set to open at the end of 2024 in the new flat-iron building in the Bottleworks District. (IBJ)

History

Greenlawn, Indy’s first cemetery, is the final resting place for hundreds of people — and the DPW is seeking help in telling their stories. You can submit your research, photos, and documents about the cemetery’s past to be included on the newly-launched website. (WTHR)

Sports

Anthony Richardson has found a big play threat this off-season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Locked On Colts hosts Jake Arthur and Zach Hicks get into the details.

Pets

Bowl goals for dogs = Premium proteins. Vibrant veggies. Tantalizing textures. Be the dog parent who keeps mealtime exciting with 50% off Nom Nom’s pre-portioned, freshly-made meals.*

Development

🏗️ A solid record

The Indiana Convention Center expansion projected to bring in over $2.3 billion in convention business

INDYtoday: INDY_Indiana Convention Center concrete pour construction_JUN24

The concrete pour for the expansion project took about 12 hours from start to completion. | Photo courtesy of Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium

A construction milestone took place this weekend in Indy: The largest continuous building concrete pour in city history.

Workers poured 7,347 cubic yards of concrete on Saturday morning, enough to fill two-and-a-half Olympic-sized swimming pools. It serves as the base for the sixth expansion of the Indiana Convention Center (ICC), which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2026.

Also utilizing the concrete base is the Signia by Hilton Indianapolis hotel, which will help to provide lodging for convention attendees. The 38-story hotel will be the tallest in the city + will contain 800 rooms.

In total, the expansion project has already translated to $1.3 billion in conventions that have committed to staying in Indy, and an additional $1 billion in new conventions coming soon. A few of these include:

GenCon: Renewed through 2030
Drum Corps International: Renewed through 2033
National FFA: Renewed through 2033
Alcoholics Anonymous International Convention: Coming in 2035 for its 100th anniversary

The Buy

The Buy 6.07.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

The clear bag you need to go hands-free at any concerts, games, or events this summer (it’s stadium-approved).

Answered

We asked you what the best kind of cookie is. Here’s what you said:

It was a landslide victory for chocolate chip cookies, with the simple classic taking 62% of the vote.
Meanwhile, 4% of you voted for “the ones they give you on planes,” and a single person went to the extra effort to write in “peanut butter chocolate chip” as their favorite option. Thank you all for making City Editor Shea feel seen.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Shea

From the editor

Don’t forget — this weekend is also the Indy Pride Parade and Festival. Check out our know-before-you-go tips.

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