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Fishers unveils plan for Nickel Plate Trail

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — After a lengthy process that got heated at times, a plan for the Nickel Plate Trail was unveiled Monday evening in Fishers.

The plan includes input from more than 1,500 submissions from residents with an end goal to create a world-class trail that’s uniquely Fishers. The “Track to Trail” plan is online, and people through March 15 can comment on the concepts and images it includes.

The city must still get approval from a couple of local boards, but leaders hope to break ground on the first phase of the project, from 106th Street to 126th Street, in the fall. 

John Weingardt is a Fishers city councilor, but he said when he talks about the future trail along a portion of the former Nickel Plate Road rail line extending from Noblesville, through Fishers and into Indianapolis, it’s the resident in him that gets most excited. 

“My office, where I have my CPA firm down at Crosspoint (Business Park), now my team can walk to downtown on that trail and enjoy a nice lunch and walk back to work so we’re pretty excited,”

Weingardt was one of a couple hundred people to pack a room at Launch Fishers, 12175 Visionary Way, to hear about the 20-year master plan to transform the rail line into a trail. 

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has been one of the trail’s biggest advocates. “We’re going to create a destination like no other in the country,” he said.

“We’ve seen with the Monon (Trail), we’ve seen with the (downtown Indianapolis) Cultural Trail time and time again how popular those are with residents. We think this is a higher and better use for that asset.” 

He’s also received the brunt of criticism from groups including Save the Nickel Plate, a group that fought hard to preserve rail use. In the end, the city pushed ahead with a trail conversion and, after getting federal approval, announced the plan Monday. 

“It’s already attracted over a quarter-billion dollars of investment in our community. So, it’s been wonderful from an economic development standpoint, but also the citizens are going to have a place where they can enjoy and walk and just be a part of our community for many many years to come,” the mayor said.