The Idle

Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

39°45′20″N 86°08′38″W / 39.75556°N 86.14389°W / 39.75556; -86.14389OpenedSeptember 2018 (September 2018)FounderTom BattistaOperated 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.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Idle.
  • Official website
  • "PHOTOS: Park to watch interstate traffic opens near Fountain Square". RTV6 Indianapolis. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  • Indianapolis' Idle, an oasis on the interstate on YouTube
  • v
  • t
  • e
ParksTrailsRelated
Category · Commons
  • v
  • t
  • e
Cultural districts
Parks
Public art
  • Ann Dancing
  • Care/Don't Care
  • Chatham Passage
  • E Pluribus Unum
  • Glick Peace Walk
  • Looking Through Windows
  • Moving Forward
  • Poet's Place
  • Prairie Modules 1 & 2
  • Swarm Street
  • Talking Wall
Related
Commons