Discovery halts construction of part of transit center

• Completion of full center delayed

An unexpected underground find has forced a halt to construction on part of the new transit center Downtown.

Excavators discovered a building foundation several feet below ground that might date back to the late 1800s and objects that were left behind when the structure was torn down, said Bryan Luellen a spokesman for IndyGo.

The discovery means the southwestern corner of the site, where bus barns are being built, won't be finished by the end of the year, as had been scheduled.

The agency has hired architects to examine the finds and research documents to make sure the foundation is not historically significant, Luellen said. The artifacts include pieces of glass, flatware and chunks of vases that are considered "urban fill," Luellen said.

"There are always surprises when you turn over the earth," he said. "We expected there would be some things, but this is a little more than usual."

Luellen said the artifacts that have been uncovered aren't believed to be significant but the structure that once stood there could be. That's what researchers are checking out, he said.

John Bartholomew, a spokesman for the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, said the transit lot is not a historically protected area.

Bartholomew said the land has been a parking lot for years and maps from 1956 show that a warehouse, shops and offices had once stood there. He said the city has maps of what was at the site in 1915, as well, but they were not immediately accessible.

Construction on the $20 million transit center will not be slowed on the northeastern corner, where the building and waiting area will rise. The center could still open on time late this year, but IndyGo would have to reroute buses to account for the unfinished barns.

The city is complying with State Historic Preservation Office rules regarding unexpected discoveries that might be significant.

Marty Benson, a spokesman for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which oversees the Historic Preservation Office, said he didn't know anything about the transit center find. He said the DNR press office had scheduled a meeting with the architects next week.

The architects could not be reached immediately.

The 14,000-square-foot center, with 19 bus bays, will be glass-enclosed and solar-paneled. It will have seats, Wi-Fi access and bus arrival monitors.

Call Star reporter John Tuohy at (317) 444-6418. Follow him on Twitter @john_tuohy.