The Idle

The Idle
The Idle in 2022
The Idle is located in Indianapolis
The Idle
The Idle is located in Indiana
The Idle
The Idle is located in the United States
The Idle
TypeUrban park
Motto"The Idle - A Point of View"
LocationFletcher Place and Fountain Square, Indianapolis
Coordinates39°45′20″N 86°08′38″W / 39.75556°N 86.14389°W / 39.75556; -86.14389
OpenedSeptember 2018 (September 2018)
FounderTom Battista
Operated byIndianapolis Beautiful, Inc.[1]
Cost$89,462[2]
Websitewww.idleindy.com

The Idle is a public park overlooking the I-65 and I-70 interstate interchanges in Indianapolis, Indiana.[3] The park is located right off the Indianapolis Cultural Trail on Virginia Avenue, directly in-between the city's Fletcher Place and Fountain Square neighborhoods,[4] which themselves are geographically separated by I-65.[5]

The concept behind The Idle was conceived in 2013,[2] through the vision of Tom Battista, a local Indianapolis property developer and entrepreneur.[6] It was partially funded through Patronicity, a crowdfunding website which raised $48,462.[5] Through a match, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority had contributed an additional $41,000.[2] Since the park is located on federal highway land, its creation required cooperation between the Federal Highway Administration, the Indiana Department of Transportation, and the Indianapolis Department of Public Works.[5]

The park features an accessible limestone trail leading to a viewing platform, which is furnished with seats salvaged from the city's former Bush Stadium.[4] It also features native vegetation, repurposed ash tree benches, as well as informative signage explaining the area's history and concept behind the project.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Lynch, Amy (October 1, 2018). "Indy's Newest Urban Green Space is One of a Kind". Visit Indiana. Indiana Office of Tourism Development. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Bongiovanni, Domenica (September 12, 2018). "You can now sit and watch highway traffic at this viewing perch by Fountain Square". Indystar. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  3. ^ Mhatre, Amol (October 13, 2019). "The Idle: An oasis in the midst of traffic". CBS Sunday Morning. CBS News. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "The Idle". Lonely Planet. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Idle, A Point of View". Patronicity. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  6. ^ Fernandez, Megan (May 2, 2017). "A Bizarre Park Called The Idle Is Planned For Downtown". Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
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