Shelbyville Downtown Redevelopment

Summary:

Upon relinquishment, Shelbyville wasted no time in transforming their downtown into an Indiana attraction and an example for other communities. Maintaining their goals to stir development, promote community connection, enhance historical significance, and prioritize pedestrian usage, a strong vision was established and budget set. The unique Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) delivery method was used, promoting the collaboration of many professional disciplines toward optimizing the final design in less than a year.

Through total reconstruction from storefront to storefront, the Public Square and approaching blocks were modernized. Traffic patterns were reimagined to enhance pedestrian use, infrastructure was replaced to current standards, overall parking was increased, historical features were given center stage, and attractive public spaces were maximized to enhance use and promote commerce.

Throughout the project, innovative design and materials were used to achieve the City’s goals. Pavers were not only used to create maintenance-free parking stalls in the Square, but cobblestones and other rough paver textures were placed to establish a barrier between vehicles and pedestrians, while simultaneously providing guidance to visually impaired users. An elliptical intersection was used to calm traffic, reduce traffic volume and conflict points, reduce crosswalk widths, and create space for the historical fountain. Pedestrian-friendly trench drains line the entire elliptical roadway to capture stormwater runoff.