Elkhart is moving forward on plans to re-create the Central Plaza area in the city’s downtown. The Elkhart Redevelopment Commission appropriated funding Tuesday night for the first phase.
For Elkhart’s Director of Development Services, the Central Plaza remodel is a passion project. “I had already accepted a job six weeks ago but I said I have to stay until this meeting because I want to be sure this project moves forward.” Crystal Welsh said even though her last day is Friday, she’ll volunteer her time to make sure the project gets done.
The Central Plaza is the Civic Plaza with the clock tower and Central Park behind it. Phase one is taking the most popular renovations, taken from public input, and getting them done first. A permanent stage, shaded seating area, public restrooms and improvements to waterfall drive.
“We thought, what better way to start this project and kick off phase one than to go in and really create the type of public gathering place that our community has identified,” Welsh said.
Before they get started, Welsh said the Public Works Commission has to sign off on the plans, then more planning and design work is done, then phase one can be bid for construction. She says they hope to break ground sometime around the end of this year.
So far the city has $1.5 million of the about $4.5 million needed to fund the whole project. Welsh said they will be writing grants and kicking off a fundraising campaign sometime soon.
