The Traders Point Gateway Project is improving the appearance of the I-65 and 71st Street interchange by landscaping the greenspace surrounding the INDOT maintenance facility.
Residents love the rural woodland feel of the Traders Point area, so our aim is to blend the INDOT facility into the surrounding woodland. Using native trees and shrubs to selectively mask the chain-link fencing, piles of gravel, and exposed equipment around the facility, we seek to create a more fitting gateway to our neighborhoods and to the north end of Eagle Creek Park.
Five years from now we envision a pleasing semi-mature planting of trees and shrubs that will provide spring flowers, wildlife habitat, colorful fall foliage, and interesting bark and seed pods in the winter. Residents driving through the interchange will see a beautiful natural landscape that blends into the forested views to the east and west, reflecting what area residents have come to appreciate as potentially one of the city's most scenic quadrants.
Our hope is that this project will help to keep the Traders Point neighborhoods a location of choice within Indianapolis.
Behind this beautification effort is the Traders Point Gateway Committee, which includes residents of Normandy Farms, Lakeside, Mill Pond, Moore Road, Huntington, and West 86th Street.
In August 2006, the Committee applied to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. for assistance with the Traders Point Gateway Project and received a $4,000 award. In addition to paying for plants and materials with this grant, KIB provided project management services to assist us in realizing our goals. Our guide for the project is Phil Schaefer, KIB's Vice President of Programs.
Among our neighborhood volunteers are avid home gardeners, master gardeners, neighborhood association presidents, Traders Point historians, charter members of the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society, officers of the IMA Horticultural Society, supporters of Eagle Creek Park, organizers of the Traders Point Association of Neighborhoods, and a builder of bluebird houses. The expertise and enthusiasm of these individuals will carry the project forward from concept to completion.
The following organizations provided cash and in-kind donations to make the project possible. We also thank the individual donors who have supported the watering fund.
Starbucks Coffee Company, 6335 Intech Commons, 56th & Lafayette Road
Kroger, West 71st Street
Famous Dave's Barbecue, Michigan Road & Vincennes Road
Jersey Mike's Subs, 7125 Georgetown Road
Gatsby's Pub & Grill, 6335 Intech Commons
Le Peep, 6335 Intech Commons
Max & Erma's, 6260 Intech Commons
Lakeside Homeowners Association
Normandy Farms Homeowners Association
Costco, 9010 Michigan Road
Sams Club, West 86th Street
More than 100 Traders Point neighbors, Butler and IUPUI students, and KIB volunteers showed up on November 17, 2007, for the initial planting day. In a three-hour period, they planted 100 trees and shrubs and distributed 100 cubic yards of hardwood mulch. Article about the project
A PowerPoint presentation shows "before," "during," and "after" photos. New "after" photos will be added in the spring as the plants flower and leaf out, and later as the plants mature. Download the presentation
We have planted native trees and shrubs that we believe have a good chance of surviving in the site conditions. A PowerPoint presentation outlines the landscaping plan and shows photographs of the selected trees and shrubs in their mature form. Download the presentation
Trees
Acer rubrum Red maple
Juniperus virginiana Eastern
red cedar
Amelanchier x g 'Autumn Brilliance' Serviceberry
Catalpa speciosa Catalpa
Cercis canadensis Redbud
Crataegus viridis 'Winter King' Winter King hawthorn
Liquidambar
Sweetgum
Liriodendron tulipifera Tuliptree
Picea
abies Norway spruce
Taxodium dystichum Bald cypress
Shrubs
Lindera benzoin Spicebush
Myrica pennsylvanica Bayberry
Potentilla fruticosa Potentilla
Rhus aromatica Fragrant
sumac
Sambucus canadensis Elderberry
Thuja occidentalis
'Techny' Techny arborvitae
Viburnum dentatum Arrowwood
viburnum
Viburnum prunifolium Blackhaw viburnum
Viburnum
trilobum 'Wentworth' Wentworth viburnum
Aware of possible leaching from the INDOT salt barn, we tested the soil for salt content. Our thanks to the Mill Pond neighborhood for funding the soil analysis.
We seek volunteers to (1) assist in future plantings and (2) participate in twice-yearly maintenance crews.
We also seek cash donations to hire professional watering services until the plantings are established.
Tax-deductible cash contributions may be mailed to Phil Schaefer, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., 445 N. Pennsylvania Street, Suite 910, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Please make your check payable to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., and put "Traders Point Gateway" in the memo line to insure the funds are solely used for the Traders Point Gateway Project.
To add your name to our list of volunteers, or for more information, e-mail gardeningfool@comcast.net, or contact a member of our project steering committee:
Wendy Ford, Project Chair, 317.334.1932, wwford@comcast.net
Mary Ann Bradley (Mill Pond), 317.514.8566, mabmfw@sbcglobal.net
Carole Cole (Normandy Farms), 317.879.8918, cp.cole@frontierpaperco.com
Derek Gray (Lakeside), 317.276.5295, graybull95@comcast.net
Paul Ransberger (Normandy Farms), 317.872.5177, ransberger_paul@lilly.com
Jim Tomlinson (Huntington), jbtinindy@aol.com