Millersville at Fall Creek Preserve

By: Jeremy Kranowitz

56TH ST. & FALL CREEK PARKWAY NORTH DR. (NEAR 56TH & EMERSON AVE.)

A partnership between Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley Neighborhood Association, Indy Greenways and the City of Indianapolis Office of Sustainability dramatically enhanced a section of the Fall Creek Trail which the neighborhood adopted and improved over the last several years.  Millersville residents created a community space along the Fall Creek Trail where residents and visitors can relax and enjoy a natural setting in the heart of Indianapolis.

VISION FOR THE SPACE

The Millersville neighbors worked for nearly three years to eradicate invasive bush honeysuckle from this public space.  With the help of KIB’s Project GreenSpace grant, honeysuckle was removed down to Fall Creek to expand the community space and offer views of this amazing waterway.  Millersville residents wish to keep the space as natural as possible, and installed elements like benches and public art to enhance the interaction with the place.  This project was done in partnership with the Arts Council of Indianapolis and artist team, Amy Brier and Sharon Fullingim, were hired to create a piece reflective of the neighborhood’s heritage and natural experience. Learn more about the place at the neighborhood’s website.

IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECT

This project accomplished much including:

• Accessibility creating an inviting space where residents and visitors can enjoy a natural setting.
• Quality of Life transforming an underused space into a vibrant community place that promotes a healthy lifestyle and learning about the natural environment.
• Sustainability removed invasive plants, allowing natives to flourish and support the local ecosystem, and by using natural and reusable materials to offer a natural setting within the City, all of which can be maintained by Millersville residents who have adopted this space.
• Sociability through offering Fall Creek Trail users and local residents a space to meet, experience and learn about the natural environment.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

KIB hired Blue Marble Design to work with the Millersville residents in designing the space.  The artist team of Amy Brierand Sharon Fullingim was selected by the neighborhood on January 29th, 2015 to work with them on the artwork for the space.  To the left is the preliminary design.

WORK STATUS

Work is complete! Come check out the greenspace.

Several volunteer groups restored the natural habitat all the waterway by removing invasive bush honeysuckle from the site this spring, opening views to Fall Creek. This is an extension of the Millersville neighborhood’s honeysuckle removal efforts, where they discovered the long-forgotten pond at the site!

Volunteers as part of the 2015 Lilly Day of Service completed the native planting around the hardscape elements.

The landscape design now includes a “viewing plaza” to celebrate this uncovered pond.  The plaza includes a nine foot tall limestone sculpture, created by local artists Amy Brier and Sharon Fullingim.  This art piece is made possible through a partnership between KIB and the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

Learn more by visiting Millersville at Fall Creek Preserve or in this IndyStar article featuring the site on July 17, 2016.

KIB is proud to be able to enhance this amazing space that the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley residents have worked so hard to create.

DONATE

Continued success of IPL Project GreenSpace depends on our sponsors and individuals like  you. Please consider donating to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

Categories: AES Indiana Project Greenspace