HAMILTON COUNTY

9 projects planned in Hamilton County

Chris Sikich
IndyStar
Traffic continues south on Ind. 37 south of 131st Street in Fishers.

A jail expansion. A women's shelter. A bridge over the White River. More roundabouts.

Hamilton County has about $50 million in reserves to help fund those projects and others. The Hamilton County Commissioners, who are the executive branch of county government, met Monday to discuss their highest priorities from a long list of potential projects over the next several years. They plan to review the list with the Hamilton County Council, the funding branch of county government, in coming weeks.

They identified these preliminary projects:

1. Government center expansion

The Hamilton County Commissioners want to build a three-story addition to the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center in downtown Noblesville.

What: The commissioners want to build a three-story addition to the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center, which was built in 1992 along the White River in downtown Noblesville. The county would move the auditor, recorder, assessor and treasurer offices located in the historic courthouse, which was built in 1879, into the new building. The county also would create a seventh superior court to handle an increasing criminal and civic case load.

Historic Courthouse

Cost: The initial estimate was at least $22 million, but the expansion could cost more. The commissioners want to fund a $540,000 study to determine the specific size and scope of the project.

Timeline: As soon as possible.

Historic courthouse: No decisions have been made for the future use of the historic courthouse, which was refurbished in 1992, but the county has discussed leasing space to nonprofits.

2. Jail reorganization

Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center

What: Hamilton County has been studying the best way to use the buildings within its jail complex, which include a building for both the Sheriff's Office and jail, a community corrections building for work release and rehabilitation programs, and a juvenile-detention center.

What happened: Two changes in Indiana criminal justice in particular have led the county to study changes. First, judges have been sentencing juveniles to home detention rather than incarceration in recent years, so the juvenile-detention center the county built in 2007 is increasingly underused. Judges also have begun sentencing many low-level adult offenders to county jail and community corrections programs rather than state prison, leading to the need for more space in both of those buildings in Hamilton County.

What's next: The Sheriff's Office will make recommendations in June on how best to use the buildings.

Cost and timeline: To be determined.

3. Public safety training center

A set of storage containers used for fire rescue training in a multi-use training facility in Hamilton County, Noblesville, Friday, April 10, 2015. The facility, which currently occupies 90 acres of rural Hamilton County, includes space for a proposed set of new set of buildings, weapons range and expanded water rescue facilities.

What: The commissioners want to ask the council for $3 million to fund a fire-training tower, an outdoor shooting range and other infrastructure improvements to a multijurisdictional public safety training facility.

Voted down: The council voted 4-3 against the very same project in August, and a majority of members don't appear to have changed their minds. The majority of council members had a variety of concerns, including the county's lack of statutory obligation to fund fire departments, the existence of training facilities for use in neighboring counties, the lack of capital funding paid by cities, towns and townships in Hamilton County for the facility, and the safety of an outdoor shooting range.

Hamilton County Council nixes $3M for safety training facility

4. Domestic-abuse shelter

What: Hamilton County wants to partner with a service provider to build a domestic-abuse shelter, potentially in Noblesville. According to United Way of Central Indiana, of the state's largest 10 counties, Hamilton County is the only one without a shelter.

Cost and Timeline: To be determined.

5. Ind. 37 roundabout corridor

The traffic signal at 126th Street and Ind.37 could be replaced with a roundabout.

What: Hamilton County, Noblesville, Fishers and Indiana will convert Ind. 37 into a roundabout-style corridor from I-69 to as far north as Ind. 32 as funding will allow. Indiana will contribute $100 million, while Fishers, Noblesville and Hamilton County each will contribute $16.5 million to pay for interchanges at 126th, 131st, 135th, 141st, 146th and Pleasant streets.

When: Work will begin in 2019.

Next phase: The commissioners want to work with Noblesville to identify funding, potentially through the state or locally, for the remaining interchanges at Greenfield Avenue, Town & Country Boulevard and Ind. 32.

Renderings show what Ind. 37 roundabouts in Hamilton County might look like

6. 96th Street & Keystone Parkway roundabout

Carmel will build a roundabout-style interchange at Keystone Parkway and 96th Street.

What: Hamilton County will contribute $2 million to the roundabout-style interchange Mayor Jim Brainard and the Carmel City Council plan to build at 96th Street and Keystone Parkway. The City Council approved $262 million in bonds this year to pay for that interchange and road improvements throughout the city. The city converted six other interchanges along Keystone into roundabout-style interchanges from 2008 to 2010.

Cost and timeline: $40 million. Construction will be in 2018.

Carmel plans 96th/Keystone roundabout, more

7. Connect 146th Street to Keystone Parkway

Hamilton County and Carmel plan to convert the ramp connecting Keystone Parkway and 146th Street to use both northbound and southbound traffic. (Provided by Hamilton County Highway Department)

What: Hamilton County plans to assist Carmel with a project to convert the ramp that connects Keystone Parkway to 146th Street to handle southbound traffic. The ramp only connects Keystone northbound traffic to 146th.

Timeline and cost: In 2018, the city and county would spend $12 million ($4 million is federally funded) to build a roundabout at the Lowe's exit on the ramp and convert the ramp to handle southbound traffic to Keystone. In 2020 or 2021, the city and county would spend $6.9 million ($5.5 million federally funded) to extend the ramp past Keystone to connect to Range Line Road.

New ramp would connect 146th Street to Keystone

8. Pleasant Street bridge over White River

The Riverwalk trail south of downtown Noblesville opened earlier this year.

What: The commissioners plan to contribute $3 million to build a bridge over the White River on or near Pleasant Street in downtown Noblesville over the White River so long as the city wants to move forward with the project. The county and city long have considered building the bridge to bypass heavy traffic in downtown Noblesville but never have identified specific funding, a timeline or an overall scope for the project.

Potential plans: The city potentially would widen Pleasant Street from Ind. 37 to the river and then extend the road over the river using the county funding to connect to River Road. The city over time would like to connect the bypass west to the intersection of Ind. 32 and Hague Road. The city and county potentially would extend the Midland Trace rail trail along the same route as the bypass.

What's next: The commissioners, council and Noblesville officials need to discuss a timeline and funding.

Noblesville to build Midland rail trail

9. Roundabout-style interchange at Allisonville Road and 146th

What: Hamilton County wants to build a roundabout-style interchange at 146th Street and Allisonville Road either to coincide with or to follow the work to convert Ind. 37 into a roundabout-style corridor. The project potentially would include contributions from Noblesville and Fishers, though no agreements have been made.

Cost: Estimated $32.5 million.

Related projects: The county at some point plans to convert 146th Street's intersections with Gray Road, Carey Road and Hazel Dell Road into modified roundabouts. No funding or timeline has been proposed.

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikichand at Facebook/chris.sikich.

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