The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-25

4uOSS SllIcWQ VI dQeIS, HdTk boa
and proudly announced they were
ment plans.
Pointing to maps, they shove
clubhouses, parks and boulevards tn
All this new work, which they
claim has given Indianapolis a
$10,000,000 park system, was car
ried on with Federal aid and with
funds they saved from their own
budgets. No bonds were issued in
the last three years. The stoop-
shouldered taxpayer did not have to
reach down any further in his peck
ct, they said.
Nor is the board at the end of its
financial rope. Approximately
$1,500,000 in WPA money has been
approved for 1886 development, most
of which will be used for labor
members announced.
Reforestation to Continue
The extensive reforestation pro-
gram, which already has given this
city half a million new trees anc
shrubs of all native varieties, is tt
be continued. A 16-acre Riverside
tourist camp is to be converted into
a public park. All the crushed stone
park walks are to be resurfaced with
bituminous material to make then
more Serviceable.
But the board just is taking &
windup. They class these as minor
improvements.
Many of the major WPA projects
started last fall, are to be com.
pleted this year and the commits.
sioners intend to extend the NORTH
drive of Fall Creek pkwy from Key.
stone-av to 56th-st, a distance O
two and a half miles.
Pleasant Run-pkwy, from S. Me.
ridian-St to Bluff-rd, now is under
construction and will be completed
early this spring, they predict.
Angry Golfers Notified
The proposed boulevard along
Pleasant Run from Arlington ay
north and east to Shadeland-dr and
56th-st, still is in the drawing board
stage, but construction is to start
soon. The board had to soothe
angry public links golfers to put this
project across.
A survey also is being made for
extension of Fall Creek-pkwy from
56th-st to the Marion County line
a distance of II miles.
These projects are expected to
put the whole improvement program
ahead five years. Their past per-
formances, they said, have outdone
their old 10-year plan.
Federal aid proved the great
bonanza. The FERA, CWA and
WPA all made contributions. Some
of these projects date back to the
old basket system of poor-relief,
when the Park Department en-
ployed from 1000 to 5000 men
weekly.
Matched Federal Funds
Commissioners pointed out that
they matched these Federal grants
with money saved from their own
budgets.
"All this is so much velvet to To-
cal people," A. G. Sallee, park SUI
perintendent said. Local govern
mental costs haven't been increased
because of these improvements"
The boards first large job, I'M
dertaken with relief work in 1881,
was construction of Pleasant Run
blvd from E. Westinghouse near
Emerson-av to Keystone-av near
Prospect-st. At a cost of 100000
the East Side park system was
hooked up with South Side CEN
tiers.
Construction of Kessler- blvd east
from Keystone to Brendenwood-
I'd and Fall Creek, was completed
in 1884 as an FERA project. The
board acquired this right-of way
years ago, but assumed it would be
another decade before work was
started.
SOS, 200 Job for $4,000
Engineers estimated it would have
cost the city 100000 to build this
boulevard without Federal aid. AS
it was, the board spent $4,000 for
materials.
Clarendon-rd from Maple-rd to
Hampton-dr, and Pleasant Run
pkwy from Shelby-st to Keystone
av, also were completed in 1884. Both
were handled as FERA projects.
Pleasant Run-pkwy from English
av through Denny-st, Ellenberger-
pkwy, east and west drives, from
st. Clair-st to E. 10th-st, and N.
Meridian-st from Kessler- blvd to
6lst-st also were built with FERA
funds. The plans, supervision, en-
cheering work and much of the
materials were furnished by the
Park Department.
In addition, more than 10000
lineal feet of curb was constructed
erosion control along White River
was started and the Coffin Golf
clubhouse was remodeled.
Three New Parks Opened
Three new parks have been
opened to the public since 1892 and
development work in all these has
been done largely with FERA and
CWA labor.
These are Belmont Park, a 28-
acre tract at White River-pkwy and
Belmont-av; Northwestern Park, a
14-acre tract at Northwestern-av
and Fall Creek-pkwy, and Bethel
Park, a 15-acre tract at Bethel-av
and Minnesota-st. A shelter house
for Bethel Park is expected to be
completed within a few months.
And that isn't counting all the
minor improvements that have
beautified our system" Mr.. Sallee
said. New walks have been con-
structed, sections cleaned up, swamp
land reclaimed and gardens i'm
proved.
"All of this work has had a ten
dency to raise property values in
this city," he said.