Drone Day at Silver Street Park

Drone Day comes to Silver Street Park (2043 Silver Street) on June 30th from 10am-5pm!

Drone Day is in its second year at the City of New Albany. This family-friendly event features high speed drone racing, workshops and presentations from some industry leaders and experts, and hands-on drone flight training so you can try your hand at some of the latest technology!

"I’d like to invite everyone out to Drone Day at Silver Street Park in New Albany," stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. "Whether you are an expert drone pilot or you've never flown, there is something for everyone at Drone Day!  Come out and play with the latest technology and have some great fun!"

RACING SCHEDULE

This year's Drone Racing event is a Regional Qualifier event for the nationally recognized MultiGP Series. Drone pilots will average speeds of 70-90 MPH while utilizing first-person-view goggle technology to feel like they are actually in the cockpit of the drones. Races will take place in heats, and will run from 12pm until 5pm.

Pilots compete at the 2017 Drone Day at the Riverfront Amphitheater.

Custom Racing Drones on display at last year's event.

PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

Presentations will be inside the Silver Street Park Sportsplex facility and will run from 11am until 1pm.

Evan Garmon: Drone Insurance. 

Evan Garmon works with Harpenau Insurance, who specializes in insurance for UAVs/Drones. There is a ton of information that commercial drone pilots need to know to keep them legal and flying safe. This workshop focuses on the details and requirements for commercial drone pilots.

Adrian Lauf: Modern Drones

Adrian Lauf is an assistant professor in the Computer Engineering and Computer Science department at the University of Louisville’s J. B. Speed School of Engineering in Louisville, KY. He is also the director of the Aerial Robotics Lab at the University of Louisville. This workshop will focus on new drone technology.

Jeremy Sandifer: Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) for Farm and Land Management

Jeremy Sandifer is the STEM Project Coordinator for Kentucky State University. This presentation will focus on sUAS and their applications in farming and land management.

Donnie Yeoman: Drones and Kids - Intro to Drones

Donnie Yeoman is a local drone pilot and enthusiast. This workshop serves as an introduction to drone technology and STEM for kids.

Riverfront Independence Day Celebration

Are you ready for some Fireworks!?

The City of New Albany's Riverfront Independence Day Celebration is set for July 3, 2018!

This event is proudly sponsored and presented by the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County. We want to extend our thanks and appreciation to the Horseshoe Foundation for their support of summer events in New Albany.

This year's event features some amazing talent, including American Idol Contestant Layla Spring, America's Got Talent Finalists Linkin' Bridge, and the always entertaining Louisville Crashers!

Layla Spring - Photo from ABC's American Idol (April 9th, Eric McCandless).

Linkin' Bridge - photo still from NBC's America's Got Talent.

The Louisville Crashers at the Riverfront Amphitheater.

The fun begins at 6pm on July 3, 2018! Come join us for a wonderful concert, local food and drink, and a wonderful fireworks display at dark. Be sure to bring your favorite lawn chair or blanket!

Final Vote to Save Historic Reisz Building Postponed Until July 2

City Council members have informed the administration that the final vote on restoring the Reisz Furniture Building for use as a new city hall will not take place at the City Council meeting on Thursday, June 21, 2018. The ordinance has passed all previous readings, and is set for final approval at the council meeting on July 2nd.

HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY

The historically recognized Reisz Furniture Building has been vacant for decades. It was constructed in 1852 and was home to a flour mill, before serving as the Kraft Funeral Home, M. Fine & Sons Shirt Factory, Graf Harness and Saddlery Shop, and has also been utilized by the Schmitt Furniture Company.

After being marketed for years, no buyer or tenant had been found to save the property.

“We have put together a plan that saves the historic building and puts it back into service as a new city building,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “We will consolidate operations, repair a special building that has fallen into a blighted condition, and promote economic growth in our downtown. The new Main Street location will allow for ease of access for both city employees and the citizens of New Albany.”

PROJECT GOALS

If approved, this project will save the historic property, develop a community owned asset, and remove blight from our community.

“To come in and have a user that will redevelop the whole property – it will be a substantial investment. I think people will be very happy to see the interest coming in and redeveloping it, and it will also help the surrounding businesses see that their investment is going to be further complemented by the public investment in the Reisz building,” stated Mike Kopp, a prominent real estate developer who has helped transform historic structures for new uses.

The project will save millions of dollars over time, as the city has paid costs in its current location for over 57 years. It will also help the surrounding businesses see their private investment backed up by pubic investment.

“This project is the perfect example of how historic preservation, blight removal, and economic redevelopment can come together to create a great project,” Mayor Jeff Gahan. “When this project is complete, the residents of New Albany will own a new, modern city hall. Instead of throwing away our community’s tax dollars on rent, we will be investing in and saving a historic property that will be owned by the community and utilized for years to come.”

Grant Line Road Project Prep Work Underway

The Grant Line Road Project will run from Daisy Lane to McDonald Lane and will include multiple infrastructure and safety improvements. The multi-use path on the west side will be extended from Cherokee Drive to Beechwod Avenue, and sidewalks will be added on the east side. Additional drainage improvements will be made, including new curbs and gutters, drainage inlets, and a new storm-sewer system.

A new left-turn lane (southbound) will be added at Jollisaint Avenue.  Additionally, new ADA compliant sidewalks, ramps, pedestrian signals, and traffic signals will be added throughout the project area.

Multiple efforts are underway in advance of the upcoming Grant Line Road Project.

Dan Christiani Excavating will be performing a Water Main Repair on Grant Line Road (near Beechwood Avenue) starting tomorrow, Wednesday June 20th. This work will require a lane closure while crews work to repair this infrastructure.

Work is also underway preparing for utilities to relocate in anticipation of the Grant Line Road Project. Rolling lane closures from Daisy Lane to McDonald Lane on Grant Line Road are anticipated while crews work on this part of the project. Flaggers and other safety personnel and equipment will be on-site to assist with traffic during the lane closures.

State Street Signal and Traffic Flow Improvement Project

Traffic flow improvements are coming to State Street.

The City of New Albany has been working on improving the street signals along State Street. The signals that had previously been up were quite old and outdated. These outdated signals led to traffic issues and did not allow for modern techniques and infrastructure that will help improve traffic flow.

Recently, new street signals have been installed along the corridor. While construction has been ongoing and the new signals were being installed, the signals had to be set to a “timed” system – which essentially means that lights will stay red for a set amount of time and then shift over to green, and vice versa.

Now that all of the new, modern street signals have been installed along State Street, crews are now working on installing detection loops and an Interconnect System. This system will allow the street signals to communicate with each other based on current traffic flows and alter green/red light timings accordingly. Essentially, this should allow traffic to move on State Street much more smoothly than it currently is.

Crews have finished paving throughout intersections along State Street and are currently working on striping and street markings, as well as pedestrian signals at each crosswalk.

The entire project is anticipated to be finished within the next month. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to complete this important infrastructure project.