Henry Street bridge project's cost tops $40 million, with focus on archeology and architecture

The Henry Street bridge will connect neighborhoods and span the White River at a key site in downtown Indianapolis. The project was first announced as part of a city and state agreement with animal health company Elanco to move its headquarters to the old General Motors stamping plant site along the White River.

As the Henry Street Bridge Project developed, a plan for it to serve as a gateway between west side neighborhoods and downtown was presented. The Circle City Gateway will feature large, lighted rings encircling the bridge, landscaping, public art and an expansion of the Cultural Trail, all along a White River State Park extension.

The city’s Department of Public Works announced this week that Lilly Endowment has gifted $15 million to help realize bridge plans that include the gateway. Ronni Kloth, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for community development said in a statement the group lent its support after the city said funding was short.

“Given the historic expansion and redevelopment of the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis, we at Lilly Endowment were compelled to help ensure that the bridge is constructed in a manner that distinguishes Indianapolis’ skyline and serves as a cultural amenity to benefit broad and diverse audiences,” Kloth said.

The legacy project's cost has grown to $43 million. State, city and philanthropic groups are contributing to the effort.

A final total will includes a complete archeological excavation of a one-acre site on the eastern side of the bridge where Henry Street will be extended.

The city said the added funding will help coordinate architectural plans without sacrificing any archaeological efforts that happen on the site. DPW has contracted with global engineering firm Stantec for the excavation effort.

The site is one small piece of a larger property where Indianapolis’s first public cemetery was plotted in the 1800’s. An unknown number of bodies were left there as the site has undergone development over the past century. The city has estimated that on its one-acre site, there may be more than 600 human remains.

The rest of that property is owned by Keystone Group, where a stadium for Indy Eleven was originally planned. Those plans are in jeopardy after the city announced it would seek a Major League Soccer team and build on a different site.

Part of that decision was supported by work done by a Community Advisory Group over the past year, to better understand the historical significance of the site. Historian Leon Bates is part of the group, and during a recent interview said there have been talks of a riverfront park or greenspace.

“I think that is probably the best of all alternatives," Bates said. "You could have signage there to inform the people who come in and out that you're actually entering a cemetery space, into a sacred space.”

The city has offered to buy the site from Keystone. Construction on the bridge could begin later this year.

This story has been updated for clarifications.