Visitors coming to Elkhart via the Indiana Toll Road will soon have a more pleasant view entering the city.
Last week, Elkhart broke ground on a $7.3 million streetscape project that will add a small park and new sign to the intersection of Cassopolis Street and Northpointe Boulevard.
Elkhart’s tourism board for years has had its eye on beautifying County Road 19 and Cassopolis Street, one of the most trafficked corridors in town with nearly 2,000 hotel rooms in the area near Toll Road exit 92.
“It’s that first impression that sits with people and we wanted it, obviously, to be a good one," said Adam Fann, Elkhart’s assistant director of development.
He said the city envisions travelers making a pit stop or staying at a nearby hotel will enjoy the park as a way to stretch their legs. And the new Elkhart sign will be a nice new visual for motorists.
Fann said the funding comes from the city’s redevelopment commission and construction is slated for completion in November 2024. He said traffic on Cassopolis street will likely be restricted at times during construction.
The sign will go along the Toll Road overpass, while the park is going on the land immediately northeast of the Cracker Barrel. That strip is owned by the city, Fann explained, and used to be a road which was taken out. Now, it's being turned into a park after the city explored options on what land they could use since they don't own the roads themselves.
