Eastern Boulevard ideas sought by Clarksville officials – The Courier

<!–Saxotech Paragraph Count: 10
–>

Clarksville town officials are asking residents to share their ideas and thoughts in a Town Council meeting today about the latest design concepts to improve the Eastern Boulevard corridor. The Corradino Group, charged with leading the effort, will host the meeting in Town Hall at 7 p.m.

“The entire corridor needs a revitalization,” said John Gilkey, Clarksville Town Council president. “We have a very nice road but we still have pockets that are lacking in suitable development.”

In addition to improving the area where Eastern Boulevard meets I-65, Gilkey said the council is looking at ways to rejuvenate the gateway at Lewis and Clark Parkway. The areas have been somewhat of a dead zone since the Lewis and Clark corridor and Veterans Parkway corridor were developed.

“We want to liven up the corridor economically and give it a new face,” Gilkey said.

The old Value City and Peddler’s Mall property will also be addressed. The Corradino Group will present ideas of what businesses might work well in that area.

Although it is no longer economically viable to move the town hall to the area, Gilkey said plans to build an innovative educational institution, called a “New Tech” school, on the property is also in the works.

“It’s trying to develop an environment for students where they not only learn, but are also totally immersed and engaged in real situations,” said Bill Wilson, president of the Clarksville Community Schools board.

The old Value City building provides an ideal central location, Wilson said. New Tech high schools have a core curriculum focused on project-based learning and computer work. Students learn by working together to solve real-life problems. Northeastern Indiana has the second highest concentration of New Tech schools in the country, after New York City’s six.

Wilson said the board’s next step is making a financial commitment to build the school.

The changes are part of ongoing efforts to rejuvenate the corridor. In 2010, a $6 million project widened Eastern, added turn lanes and sidewalks, and improved lighting and landscaping.