Colonial Manor - Taking Steps to Breathe New Life Into Corridor

At Tuesday’s (April 9th) meeting of the New Albany Redevelopment Commission, board members will vote on a resolution taking final steps to acquire the Colonial Manor property on Charlestown Road. The board will vote on funding for the purchase of the property, and if approved, will then move to the City Council for final approval.

In early March, the City held a community input meeting regarding the future of the Colonial Manor property. Overwhelming feedback from the public encouraged a new type of development to occur here. Many different conceptual drafts were displayed at the public meeting – these drafts were not final design concepts in any way, and were there to encourage thoughts about the different types of developments that could occur at Colonial Manor.

“We are excited about the potential for the area,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “Colonial Manor used to be an anchor for the neighborhood, and we are excited to move forward on the redevelopment of this property.”

Neighborhood Street Paving Coming Soon

NEIGHBORHOOD STREET PAVING: This week, the city of New Albany was awarded $1 million from the Community Crossings grant for road paving. This grant, combined with our budgeted money for paving, will allow the City to repave nearly 20 miles of roadway this year. This year’s focus for paving will be primarily on neighborhood streets, and a full list of projected street paving locations will be available soon.

“2019 will bring a wrap up of major road and sidewalk renovations as well as some new road paving and improvements,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “It will be a little messy, but we will keep moving forward.”

Portion of Main Street Closed Due to Severe Weather

A severe wind and weather advisory was issued for New Albany until 11pm. The National Weather Service advises that sustained winds of 30 mph are expected with gusts up to 55 mph.

As a precautionary measue due to the scaffolding and building materials at the construction site of the future New Albany City Hall (146-150 East Main Street), a section of roadway on Main Street will be closed until tomorrow morning.

Please take all precautionary measures to protect yourself with inclement weather approaching.

Old Vincennes Road Repair to Begin Monday, March 18th

Plans were approved at Tuesday’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting to begin repairing Old Vincennes Road on Monday, March 18th.

In late February, a section of the roadway experienced a failure due to rain and soil conditions. The road is expected to be closed for 30 days to complete the repair. The low bid was awarded to CCE, Inc for $339,000.

Detour signs will be placed ahead of the closure. Residents can use either Cherry Street or Westwood Lane to detour around the closure.

Market Street Streetscape Project to Begin March 11, 2019

Crews will begin mobilizing for the Market Street Median project beginning on Monday, March 11th.

“This project is aimed at improving traffic flow, enhancing lighting and safety, improving sight lines, and creating an inviting atmosphere for residents and visitors to enjoy our downtown,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “Special thanks to the Horseshoe Foundation for seeing the benefit in this project and assisting with funding.”

Crews will be moving equipment used for the project onto the bank parking lot at the corner of State and Market to prepare for work to begin. Work in the median is tentatively scheduled to begin on Wednesday, March 13th (weather permitting). For safety of the work crew, one lane closure may be used during this time as needed.

The project is funded as part of the $5 million grant from the Horseshoe Foundation that included additions to the Ohio River Greenway and River Recreation Site, Loop Island Wetlands, and the Downtown Façade Improvements.

This streetscape improvement will improve turning motions onto both State Street and Market Street. The project will also improve safety through better lighting, along with adding additional landscaping and accents like outdoor tables and seating which will increase restaurant capacity and convenience for downtown diners.