Which is it, Deaf Gahan? Is INDOT fining E&B Paving or is the city?

Obviously Deaf Gahan wants you to think he's losing sleep safeguarding your money, and yes, the Green Mouse is told that the contractor on the Market Street beautification project has also been threatened lest it not be completed on time for the requisite campaign photo-ops.

The problem: What Deaf's propaganda minions are saying contradicts what his own city engineer told the Bored of Works.

Gahan predictably credits himself here:

Grant Line Road Contractor Fined $3000 Per Day for Missed Schedule

The contractor completing the Grant Line Road Improvement Project is currently being fined by the city $3000 per day for failing to meet the scheduled completion date. The contractual date for completion of the project was June 18, 2019. Beginning June 19, the city has fined the contractor $3000 per day for failing to complete the project, per contractual agreements. Starting August 18th, if the project is still not completed, fines are increased to $5000/day.

Since these fines have been initiated, the city has seen increased activity from the contractor and crews along Grant Line Road. “We will continue to insist on a timely completion of the work, and ensure that the work is of the highest quality,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

But Larry Summers did not even mention Dear Leader's name here:

Grant Line Road contractor being fined, by Chris Morris

NEW ALBANY — It looks like the Grant Line Road project won't be finished until mid-November.

But the contractor is being strongly encouraged to get it done faster.

City engineer Larry Summers told the New Albany Board of Public Works & Safety Tuesday that E&B Paving is being fined $3,000 a day by the Indiana Department of Transportation for not having the project finished by the scheduled completion date.

Someone's fudging, eh?

Shock waves at the golf course as Gahan fines Grant Line Road contractor for failure to make campaign donations on time.

(update -- late this afternoon The Hanson Sermonizer confirmed that E & B Paving is taking the hit, as surmised below)

Every project in the city is late, and SOMEONE has to take the blame -- because you know damn good and well John Rosenbarger isn't going to take a sword for anyone or anything save his own massive ego -- and probably not even that.

I suppose the master coordinating contractor for the Grant Line Road project is the one regularly reporting to BOW. That's (gasp) Jacobi Toombs Lanz -- Gahan’s top all-time campaign finance contributor (for the Mt. Tabor project, United Consulting, and for Slate Run Road, Beam Longest Neff, both among the upper echelon of Gahan's political patronage pay-to-play elves).

However, it's hard to fathom significant fines being dispatched to the privileged heights of Jorge Lanz. Other contractors working on the Grant Line project include Dan Cristiani and E & B Paving. The latter is a company from Anderson IN with no known record of contributing to Dear Leader's re-enthronement -- although we won't see another contribution report until October.

Funny that the city doesn't identify the contractor. How are we to know it isn't yet another in a long series of bogus facts uttered by Gahan's re-election team?

The contractor completing the Grant Line Road Improvement Project is currently being fined by the city $3000 per day for failing to meet the scheduled completion date.

The contractual date for completion of the project was June 18, 2019. Beginning June 19, the city has fined the contractor $3000 per day for failing to complete the project, per contractual agreements. Starting August 18th, if the project is still not completed, fines are increased to $5000/day.

Since these fines have been initiated, the city has seen increased activity from the contractor and crews along Grant Line Road.

“We will continue to insist on a timely completion of the work, and ensure that the work is of the highest quality,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

In which Deaf Gahan encourages public housing residents to be "thrilled" about the indoor grass at the sportsplex he built with their money.

On April 2 a "handful" of Mark Elrod Tower residents (the mayor's words, not ours) witnessed a full-throttle City Hall team in glorious campaign mode. Mayor Gahan, Gauleiter Duggins and BOWhisperer Nash each spoke. In this excerpt, Gahan deftly shifts from a question about sidewalks to "cool stuff."

---

Question: Are they putting sidewalks down Grant Line?

Jeff Gahan: “Beechwood all the way down to McDonald Lane. Do you guys think that’s a good idea?”

(some say yes, others no)

“I do, too. We also (audio muddled) down Mt Tabor Road, sidewalks on both sides (audio muddled) like it, but that’s the thing you run into. To me it makes sense to have sidewalks on both sides, but not there. Anyway, so yes, we have five roads plugged up right now, and Warren did that (giggles), and, uh, we’ve got paving on top of it, so there’s a lot of construction in the city, lots of cool stuff going on in downtown New Albany, we have, we are having a resurgence now, a lot of folks are finding interest in New Albany, it lost interest for a while, now they’re kind of coming back. Got some new housing in New Albany, attracting some people, got housing – older housing – redone so it’s attracting as well, so, uh, investing heavily in the parks, yeah, got a lot of folks that are using the parks. If you guys aren’t, you should be, we’ve got a great swimming pool. Love to see you in the pool, love to see you in the parks, uh, we have a sportsplex with a grass surface so you can walk in there year-round, love to see you in there. Make sure you use those facilities, but anyway, we’re thrilled, thrilled that you’re here, thrilled to be here, uh, you got any questions for me?"

---

For obvious reasons and maximum humor, these transcriptions will be kept brief.

In which Deaf Gahan regales public housing residents with ribald tales of the "superstar" Warren Nash.

On April 2 a "handful" of Mark Elrod Tower residents (the mayor's words, not ours) witnessed a full-throttle City Hall team in glorious campaign mode. Mayor Gahan, Gauleiter Duggins and BOWhisperer Nash each spoke.

In this excerpt, Gahan attempts to answer a question about Grant Line Road repairs.

---

Question: "When is the anticipated finishing date on Grant Line, just to get it open without construction, whether there’s pot holes or not?"

Jeff Gahan: “Everything is supposed to be done by September. I’m talking about we have five roads under construction now, Market Street – we just tore that one up – uh, Grant Line Road, Mt. Tabor Road, Old Vincennes, yeah, and so they’re all supposed to be done by September, on top of the paving we’re going to do. So all this stuff is messy, I mean, change is messy, construction is messy, plans are hard, communicating is the toughest thing we do – the hardest thing we do is talk to people about, hey, this is what we’re trying to do, it’s hard to get out to 38,000 people and say hey, this is what we’re trying to do, yeah I know, this is good stuff, it’s not bad stuff, this is all good stuff, but you know, how many people do we have in this room, a handful? To have this one on one with people and to make ‘em feel good about their hometown, and say hey, they’re not all bad guys, we take money and all the resources we can get, we’re packing it into service, stuffing it into service to make sure it’s working for you. Uh, it’s difficult, it’s difficult, but we do this every day now, so that’s what we try to do, communicate like this, uh, I’m a little – I like this format a little bit better than typing things out on social media, but uh, you know it’s real, it’s real stuff, you guys, we’re a community that has a long history of caring about housing, and do all of you know this guy, who this guy is right here? This is former mayor Warren Nash, and he runs our -- Warren Nash is a superstar, he was the mayor when he was in his 30s, and you guys talk about that tower? Guess who was around, said let’s build that tower and give people a place to go? This guy, and he was way ahead of his time. Way ahead of his time. Nobody else was doing that stuff, Warren was. Warren serves every day at the board of works, every Tuesday the board of works, he deals with things just like this. What about this, what about that – what about this pothole, how about that stop sign, how are we going to build this road, why are you paving that road instead of this one. Hey, I got a sewer bill, can you help me with the sewer bill. That’s what Mr. Nash does every single Tuesday."

---

For obvious reasons and maximum humor, these transcriptions will be kept brief. 

Rice Bowl Korean Restaurant is a delightful addition to New Albany's diverse dining scene.

You may recall our recent journey to Wisconsin, during which we evaded Harvest Homecoming and were introduced to a marvelous Madison institution known as the Mini Hot Pot.

Armed with this information, be aware that Rice Bowl Korean Restaurant's house specials include two simplified variations on the theme of hot pot, which guests can have cooked in the kitchen and kept warm on a portable tabletop heater, or can cook at the table as in Madison.

The advent of Rice Bowl has been accompanied by almost universally favorable reviews.

Rice Bowl Korean Restaurant

Authentic Korean and Japanese Food served steaming hot and fresh. Unmatched Flavor finest fresh ingredients. Fast attentive friendly service and advice. We treat you like family. If you need anything special let us know. Your happiness is our number one job. Ask about our Party room for special events like receptions and business meetings. We have Lots of Parking in the rear and ramps for easy access. We look forward to welcoming you to enjoy a fine dining or lunch experience.

The restaurant is located on Grant Line Road, next to Aldi. It's open for business Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and is closed on Sunday.

By the way, in the photo above, I'm examining a bacon-wrapped shrimp, which preceded an entree of K-2 (bibimbap with beef and kimchi).

The non-walkable North Y ... and why you should be disputin' Rasputin.

In general terms, New Albany's "North Y" is where Charlestown Road, Grant Line Road, 8th Street and the railroad tracks converge. Sidewalks of fairly recent vintage line Charlestown Road as it approaches the Y, facing almost due south.

That's where the sidewalks end. Looking north on Grant Line Road and the rail crossing, there is no refuge for walkers. It's a few hundred yards before sidewalks resume at the intersection with Vincennes Street.

The same goes for 8th Street southbound, under the railroad bridge. Needless to say, without sidewalks, the many walkers spotted thereabouts tend to be strolling on the pavement.

A complete (and sadly typical) absence of speed enforcement means that typically, traffic moves quickly. What's more, northbound traffic on 8th is not required to stop, while southbound traffic on both Grant Line and Charlestown Road must stop -- and on widely scattered occasions, actually does. Otherwise, the intersection is a scrum of rolling stops and confusion on the part of drivers.

On the downtown side of the Y, sidewalks don't begin again until the alley north of Jackson. It's a long way between the alley and Vincennes.

---

In New Albany, 8th Street leads from a downtown junction with Spring to the Y, and in turn, to Grant Line Road and IU Southeast, perhaps six miles away. In any remotely walkable and bikeable city, this would be a natural route for close examination. Not here, because in this benumbed place, ideas are for being kept captive by those presumably in the business of minting them.

One time a few years back I tried to engage John "The Rasputin of Redevelopment" Rosenbarger on this topic, only to inadvertently sentence myself to his rambling chronology about the merits of using the railroad pictured above to run a trolley from IU Southeast to Main Street, via 15th Street, which he estimated might be achieved for a mere $70 million dollars, assuming the track itself could be confiscated.

I repeat this story only to illustrate the futility of attempting to introduce any ideas to Rosenbarger differing from those he's already pre-conceived and nurtured through a 30-year career of purely selective, arbitrary interpretation. Again and again, I've made honest efforts to engage him on two-way streets -- and I've yet to receive either a straight, unambiguous position, or an expression of his usual repetitive bias which is free of condescension.

And so, I've had it. You should, too. Yes, Rosenbarger knows a lot. But in my mind, he isn't necessarily using what he knows to the benefit of the city. Rather, it's mostly to the benefit of his own quixotic plan-centricity -- and as molasses-cum-glacially slow as humanly possible. I suppose that's how you kill an underachieving bureaucratic career's worth of service time, and as such, good for him.

But not so good for the rest of us.

City, newspaper combine to miscommunicate.

There are problems with announcements of this nature.

Grant Line to close!

First, seeing as Grant Line Road runs quite some distance, is a consideration of what the newspaper leaves unsaid: Which part of Grant Line Road is being closed? Important, don't you think?

Second, having read a bit further (which vast numbers of folks won't do) and knowing that the road closure will not impede business access in the College Park Brewing Corridor, wouldn't it be nice to receive advance notice from the city and not the newspaper?

Third, after reassuring those customers who've heard only that Grant Line Road will be closed, and not when, or whether the closure will affect Gravity Head access (remember that time when the rat bastards at the water company utility monopoly screwed us out of ten grand on a Gravity Head Friday night?), maybe we can pitch in for a sympathy card for the businesses located at the corner of Grant Line and Daisy.

Wouldn't you just love to hear about these things from the city, first, and not last?

Grant Line to close for New Albany stormwater project; Also: MAC awarded contract for Main Street work, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — A portion of Grant Line Road could close for up to 60 days for drainage upgrades city officials said are desperately needed to ease flooding in the area.

MAC Construction and Excavating will cut open Grant Line Road just south of the Daisy Lane intersection in order to replace four culverts. City officials said the system hasn’t been upgraded in 60 years, and flooding, especially near the Salvation Army Thrift Shop, has traditionally been a problem in the area.

Little is known about New Albany's forthcoming new brewery, but here it is.

I must confess to finding is somewhat amazing, and perhaps even admirable, that a fellow New Albanian has planned a new brewery, bought equipment and signed a lease without someone, somewhere telling me about it.

Well, why not? It's the sort of era when not one but two separate groups look to start a brewery in Tell City. I think it's a great thing, and so here's what little I know about the advent of Donum Dei Brewery.

My first clue came two months ago, when I saw a list of Indiana breweries in development, as prepared by the Brewers of Indiana Guild. Then John Wurth at LouisvilleBeer.com put together a page tracking the progress of brewing start-ups in metro Louisville, which pinpointed an address that sounded curiously similar to that of NABC's Pizzeria & Public House.

And so it is: 3211 Grant Line Road, which as it turns out, is the precise storefront once occupied by Earth Friends Cafe, in the 1990s strip building behind El Nopal. Where'd that garage door come from?

Yesterday Blake drove me past, and I snapped the photos above. Donum Dei means "Gift of God." And that's about all we know about it at present.

For quite some time, it has been a goal of mine to convince both city and indie business operators in the Grant Line Road commercial zone between McDonald Lane and the interstate to combine efforts and market the area as College Park, University Woods (prescient, those apartment builders of old) or some such tag to make the connection with IU Southeast and beautify and rationalize the vicinity. Having another brewery across the street fits perfectly. The Blair family is renovating the ramshackle former employment office into a dance studio. Now all we need is for a family-owned Turkish joint to move into the space left vacant when The Exchange moved downtown.

We just might succeed in spite of ourselves, which is the time-honored (read: only) formula in New Albany.

Chinatown on Charlestown Road, and a "rewind" to "On the very nature of nay-saying."

In all sincerity, it's good that Earth Friends is relocating to Louisville, and the Exchange already is up and running at its new downtown New Albany location.

But the departures leave two vacancies in the commercial area just inside the beltway on Grant Line Road, near the original location of my own beer and food business. Granted, these could be filled soon, and the overall situation is by no means bad in my Northside neighborhood.

It also could be better, and there doesn't seem to be any firm public plan on the part of local, various economic "development" entities or business owners themselves to improve prospects therein, although getting the Grant Line Road construction project finished certainly helps. To me, the ultimate goal remains connecting IUS with Community Park, and maintaining a locally-owned economy as much as possible in between.

Arguably, matters are far less hopeful on Charlestown Road, roughly between Slate Run Road and Silver Street. There are quite a few commercial vacancies there, especially amid the zombie fast food row by McDonald’s. The ideal solution would be to raze all of it and replant trees, but American capitalism probably precludes such a reason-based course.

A long time ago – 2005, to be exact – when downtown was as yet moribund and revitalization meant anywhere else except here, we returned from a trip to Chicago and it struck me that metro Louisville needed an Asian community like the Windy City’s thriving Chinatown. I looked at the empty buildings downtown and thought, hmm, this looks like a fine place for it; if we can’t do it, I bet the Chinese could. China has the investment capital and the work ethic. Just let ‘em have the buildings, and get out of the way.

Perhaps now that the doughnut hole has moved to Charlestown Road, so has the ideal location of our Chinatown, with Indonesian where the Wendy’s used to be, and Filipino at the old KFC. Colonial Manor could function as NA’s Iroquois, with a grocery as good as ValuMarket. I’m not sure where this leaves Sonic, but we'll figure it out.

Here’s the article I wrote seven years ago. The pink spitwad blogyard has yielded to decaying tabletop linoleum, and while much has been accomplished, much more needs to be done. We might need a Russian oligarch for this.

---

Rog's rant: On the very nature of nay-saying (June 21, 2005)

We spent the weekend in Chicago, and as is the case every time I return home from a trip, it takes a few days to adjust to the state of mind.

The culture shock stands to be a bit greater this time.

Our hotel in Chicago, chosen because it was the cheapest in close proximity to downtown, was located in the heart of Chinatown, one hundred yards from the subway stop and several thousand miles away from just another place to stay.

By this I mean that Chicago’s Chinatown is just that – touristy to an expected degree, but filled to the brim with, well, people from China (and some from Vietnam, Malaysia and other Asian locales). Sometimes none of the voices to be heard are speaking English. It’s easy to catch yourself thinking that you’re somewhere else, not Illinois.

Stand at the right spot, and the aromas of cooking fill the street, emanating from ubiquitous restaurants with dining rooms often tucked away on upper floors, eateries relieving tourists like us of our cash while pulling extra duty as community centers.

Early Sunday morning we entered a bakery and were shooed into the almost hidden rear section, where the satellite television was entirely in Chinese. The staff spoke English, but the customers in the crowded room paid little heed to it. I checked off breakfast choices, including dim sum and doughy pastries, on a card and handed it to the waitress, who returned with tea and hot sauce.

What were the men talking about? I’ll never know what the men smoking by the no smoking sign were talking about, but their conversation was animated and filled with laughter.

------

We returned home today, and after checking e-mail, I perused the local blogs and other usual daily sites, thinking all the while that while it’s a clear case of apples and oranges to compare the range of options and attractions in an immense metropolitan area like Chicago to those in and around Louisville, at the same time, why must we perpetually insist that superstition and backwardness are our best friends?

I’m not speaking here about Scribner Place, Cannon Acres, the City Council, the Mayor, or any of the specific local political topics that have been discussed at NA Confidential since its inception last year.

Rather, with the memory of Chicago’s vibrant neighborhoods and can-do spirit fresh in my mind, I’m referring to the recurring phenomenon hereabouts that currently enjoys its most prominent, and saddest, manifestation in apoplectic opposition to progress in the city of New Albany, an opposition that unfortunately doesn’t confine itself to screaming that present circumstances stand in the way of progress, but that taken together, all past mistakes by any and all politicians and community leaders indicate that we simply can’t do anything right, and should never, ever try.

I am utterly sickened by this cancerous attitude.

Why, if not stemming from unadulterated envy, is it that people who lack the ability to understand insist that their incomprehension is sufficient reason to deny others the opportunity to learn?

Why, if not from simple self-loathing, is it that people take pride in their ignorance, rather than take the steps necessary to gain knowledge?

Why, if not from our own timidity and a respect for fair play that goes far beyond that accorded us in return, should people like these be allowed to use their own lack of imagination and creativity as veto power over varieties of progress that will benefit the remainder of the community?

Of course, these shrieking cyber-punks are not the truly downtrodden, genuinely poverty-stricken, disenfranchised "little people" they so fancifully imagine themselves to be, and since no one else will say it, I will: These "Concern Taxpayers" and "New Albany Residents" don't care one jot for those in this town who really do have it badly.

It's all about tearing down ideas and people that they wrongly perceive to be "above them," not lifting up those they're comfortably sure are below, and even though this is nonsensical at best and repugnant at worst, it's the way it is.

In defense of people like these, it was recently stated elsewhere that they:

“Are not stupid, ignorant, recessive thinking globs of people. (They) are people who happen to have a different opinion, or aren't quite convinced that this (progress) is a good idea.”

Fine.

Readers, if you haven't already done so, go to the pink spitwad blogyard and feel the hatred oozing between the angry words. Consider the anonymity that cloaks it. Remember that its readers support all-American concepts like censorship. Now, ask yourself: What is it that would make these people happy beyond the confines of their own four walls, and the knowledge that not one cent of their taxes went to fund a better community?

It isn't pretty, is it?

In fact, it's often vicious, and goes far beyond reasoned debate and benign disagreement.

Stupid? Ignorant? Recessive (sp – regressive, Laura)?

Their words. Not mine. And if the shoes fit ... then wear them to exit New Albany, like our best and brightest young people continually do, because always standing between them and the remaking of a city in the future tense are the nay-saying Brambleberries, prepared for no sacrifice or gainful efforts of their own beyond that necessary to brutally kneecap progress in any form and preserve their own fiefdoms of futility.

Or, as I've done, you can stay right here and join me in fighting the Luddites every step of the way. To those who have no plan of their own, and want to make sure that progressivism is not allowed to have one, either, because they hate the future just as much as they hate the capable and talented, I've got this to say: you cannot win. You cannot stop the globe from spinning, or the pages of the calendar from turning.

We'd prefer their cooperation in making this city a better place to live, but we're quite prepared to do it without them.

Heh heh. I feel much better now.

A jeer with a bit of jaundice, but what can be expected from mere reporters, anyway?

I meant, "Stenographers."

My two cents: Business owners on the Grant Line corridor had ample warning as to the road being closed at the rail crossing; specifically, our criticism has to do with the visual manner that stretches of road on both sides of the rail crossing were signposted and blocked with impediments (undoubtedly to deter big trucks), thus giving an APPEARANCE of shutdown when in fact autos could proceed to retail destinations.

JEERS

... to the City of New Albany, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the contractors in charge of the Ind. 111/ Grant Line Road construction work.

Last week, local businesses had to write their own signs and post them alerting people they were still open because of the confusing signage placed along the route when Grant Line Road closed at the railroad crossing. Unfortunately, this has been par for the course on this project. Whether it be massive potholes created on the sides of the road and interstate exit, the lack of information shared with business owners or the near daily shifts in apparently closed lanes, there’s been a lapse in communication on this effort that at times has led to quite dangerous situations. Yes, with every great road improvement comes some pains, but many of these are unnecessary. Perhaps if the city spent as much time informing the public of the traffic situation on one of its busiest roads as it does touting and explaining parking for its Live@5 concert series, the situation would be much better.

— News and Tribune

CHEERS

... to the city of New Albany for making a decision Wednesday to cancel its weekly Live@5 event scheduled for Friday.

This move because of extreme heat in the forecast gave ample time to spread the word that the weekly concert would not be held.

— News and Tribune

Train track work finished yesterday, Grant Line Road now open.

From Daniel Suddeath at News and Tribune.

Grant Line Road in New Albany reopens at train tracks

NEW ALBANY — After closing Monday for construction, the railroad crossing on Grant Line Road has reopened.

City officials said Grant Line Road reopened at the crossing at about 2:25 p.m. Friday. CSX Railroad Corp. had requested the closing so that it could install new tracks in conjunction with the improvement project being footed by the city for Grant Line Road.

The crossing is near Pillsbury Lane and the closure meant motorists had to use detour routes to access many of the businesses along Grant Line Road.

Construction is expected to continue into the fall between Mount Tabor Road and McDonald Lane along Grant Line Road, with improvements to include the addition of a turning lane.

Grant Line Road railroad crossing work on June 18.

Monday (June 18) is the day for a temporary closure of Grant Line Road at the CSX railroad tracks. If you're coming to NABC's original location, approach from the Interstate and you'll be fine. A detour map is here.

Part of Grant Line Road to close June 18; CSX resurfacing railroad crossing near Pillsbury plant, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — The date for the Grant Line Road closure has been moved back to June 18, as the street will be shut down at the train tracks near Rolling Creek Drive for likely one week.

CSX Railroad Corp. will be resurfacing the crossing in conjunction with the city’s Grant Line Road improvement project, though New Albany is flipping the bill for the work.

Straight Outta Mobile: "Grant Line work to stretch through July 31."

Observing the oddities of local newspapering is a longtime sport for jaded New Albanians, as when on-line stories about GOP election recounts, the Jingle Walk and and Grant Line road construction are lumped together beneath a photo of Republican kingpin Dave Matthews.

When I tried to find the story a second time using the News and Tribune's wretched and entirely variable search engine, it remained hidden, but at least there was the entertainment value of batting away a handful of pop-up ads amid the overall futility. A Google search did the trick, and because I'd hate to have anyone else endure the same agony, here's a reprint of OSIN's piece on the composition and duration of the Grant Line work.

Grant Line work to stretch through July 31

The more than $2.7 million Grant Line Road construction project is under way, as traffic has been backed up along the route at certain times due to the closure of turning lanes at intersections including University Woods Drive and McDonald Lane.

The project — which is being footed through relinquishment funds the state provided last year after the city agreed to maintain a portion of Ind. 111 — is slated to last until at least July 31.

The initial phase of the project stretches from Mount Tabor Road to McDonald Lane. While turning lanes will likely remain closed for most of the construction, officials expect two-way traffic to continue without the need for flaggers.

“The huge majority of the time, there will be two lanes open at all times,” said John Rosenbarger, director of public facilities projects for the city.

In order to ensure two-way traffic is available, Rosenbarger said flaggers may be needed for a short period while a temporary lane is built.

Among the upgrades, Grant Line Road will have five lanes of traffic including a turn lane from the Interstate 265 exchange to University Woods Drive.

“It will make some traffic improvements and importantly provide pedestrian access and a pedway,” Rosenbarger said of the project.

The second phase of construction, from McDonald Lane to Beechwood Avenue, is the “real priority,” he added.

As the city is finalizing engineering plans for the second tier of construction, Rosenbarger said officials elected to proceed with the I-265 to McDonald Lane section first because the state already had design strategies for the span from when it was considering building an overpass over the train tracks near the Pillsbury plant entrance.

The Indiana Department of Transportation scrapped those plans when it elected to pay New Albany $6.125 million for the city to oversee repairs and upgrades to 4.5 miles of Ind. 111.

“So we had a pretty short process to complete plans for a surface road instead [of the overpass] and the right-of-way was mostly in hand through the previous INDOT effort,” Rosenbarger said.

As for starting a project on a major thoroughfare while the Sherman Minton Bridge closure continues to stifle traffic in the area, Rosenbarger said officials are hoping one situation won’t have a major impact on the other. In fact, Rosenbarger said traffic actually appeared to be less dense due to the bridge closure during a paving and sidewalk project along State Street that occurred in September and October.

“We observed a pretty major reduction in traffic for that particular thoroughfare as a result of the Sherman Minton closing,” he said.

NA Exchange on the North Side opens tonight.

Previously, NAC let this particular cat out of the bag, but I'm compelled to point to NA Exchange and tout a second time for two reasons.

First, as a measure of how wonderful it is to have Dave Clancy back in New Albany, and optimistic that Ian's and Dave's establishment add to steadily improving dining choices in the area.

I'll come to the second in just a moment.

MYbar no more, NA Exchange opens tonight; Restaurant and pub retooled to offer high-quality food, by Daniel Suddeath (News & Tribune)

The night club concept of the former MYbar has been scrapped by owner Ian Hall in favor of a full-service restaurant that opens tonight at the same location.

Revamped to offer high-quality food along with entertainment, the bar and restaurant is now dubbed The NA Exchange. It’s tucked off Grant Line Road in a shopping center near The New Albanian Brewing Co. Pizzeria and Pub.

Hall said he considered moving his business downtown prior to closing MYbar about two weeks ago, but decided on restoring the existing property.

“At the end of the day, we just thought it made sense to stay here and try to develop this area,” Hall said.

I met with Ian in the run-up to NA Exchange's opening tonight, and we chatted briefly about the neighborhood, by which I mean the retail area in which we're both doing business. While it's true that the past few years have diverted my attention downtown, and downtown is a job not yet finished, it remains that NABC's plan all along has been to refurbish our original digs on Plaza Drive -- an effort now underway with the smoking rules change.

In short, all of us doing business in our Grant Line Road environs need to think of it as an entertainment/dining district. My personal shorthand to describe it is North Side, which is geographically apt, although I'm open to better ideas.

In the future, when our stretch of Grant Line Road is reconditioned by its new owner, the city of New Albany, it would be wonderful if sidewalks (scandalously neglected back in the 90's during a previous refitting) and pedestrian crossings would connect Famous Recipe/El Nopal with NA Exchange with the rest of us on Plaza Drive.

In fact, recognizing that while the entire corridor was constructed as an automotive conduit, but always has connected Indiana University Southeast with Sam Peden Community Park, there is a strong case to be made for making roughly two miles of it both pedestrian and bicycle friendly, enhancing the experience for visitors and residents with cars parked.

Is it asking too much for 2011 mayoral candidates to address this thought?

In closing: Best of luck to NA Exchange. See you when there's time, guys.

The morning's reading: ORBP, 1Si Q & A, Grant Line Road, Yum! Arena.

Shaw's LEO piece is a colossus. The rest are relevant, too. Teasers are drawn from the articles.

The Great Barrier, by Steve Shaw (LEO Weekly)
As the bi-state Bridges Authority has denied requests to divide or reduce the project, percolating public frustrations have given rise to incivilities, including claims of business leaders intimidating opponents. The bi-state authority appears committed to its all-or-nothing gambit even after a poll revealed a stunning erosion of support for the total package.

Dec. 8 Will Be, Ah, Yummy! in Louisville, by Billy Reed (Billy Reed Says)
Once you get past the name, the new home for Coach Rick Pitino’s program may well be the finest arena in the nation that has a college team for its principal tenant. It was built to NBA specifications, but there’s no NBA team to share it with the Cardinals, which is just fine with U of L’s rabid fan base.

Qs & As, by John Gonder (Gonder for New Albany At-Large)
Among some of the questions not asked at last night's City Council meeting is, "what is the relationship of local Chambers of Commerce to the national organization?"

New Albany, CSX reach agreement over major Grant Line project, by Daniel Suddeath (Tribune)
It won’t include an overpass, but New Albany is aspiring to begin improving a portion of Grant Line Road next year.

Today's Tribune column: "On certain hot local topics."

Elements of today's column have appeared here in the blog. I generally refrain from verbatim reuse, a preference greatly assisted by a tendency toward compulsive (and annoying) revisions and rewrites of my material. I'm not at all sure what that means, except that there are too many words and not enough time.

BAYLOR: On certain hot local topics

Let's hope that the sun shines into the obscured conceptual niches of the political dark side, and tiny shoots of rationality start poking their way toward the light. If not, perhaps we can continue to rely on the council's only officially declared Republican to cast swing votes that really matter.

State 111 passes to the city. Bicycle lane, anyone?

The traffic along Grant Line Road hasn’t been as bad, apparently because the recession reduced the number of passing trains where the state of Indiana proposed an overpass, and in turn, eliminating it as a need.

Did it then become a “want”? We await clarification from Professor Erika’s Tea Kettle Serenade.

Of all the news stories to come down the information rutted dirt goat path of late, this is the one that requires a master’s degree in protocol before finally managing to tunnel through to the actual topic. The city of New Albany has wrested 4.5 miles of Indiana 111 from the state, and before I can express cautionary mixed feelings, there must be a discussion about whom to thank and in what order they must be congratulated.

Alphabetically, the contestants are State Representative Ed Clere, Mayor Doug England, and Deputy Mayor Carl Malysz. I imagine that John Rosenbarger and Scott Wood should be included, but they are not listed in the press release. Some might suggest that Governor Mitch Daniels receive credit, but I’d rather drink Bud Light than stoop to that.

Thanks, guys. Does Clere’s opponent, Shane Gibson, get equal time here? Just in case, go ahead and throw his name in the pot, too.

Now comes the part that we’re all waiting to hear: A detailed plan to allay fears that the settlement cash won't go toward future widening and upkeep of 111. I can already hear Dan Coffey demand that it be divided among flood victims or used to subsidize sewer rates.

As for widening, a bicycle lane connecting downtown with IUS now becomes a possibility, doesn’t it? One that passes the city's largest public park?

After all, it’s the city’s road to control. Daniel Suddeath's article mentions adding a fifth auto lane near the Interstate. Given current conditions, green makes more sense, doesn't it?

Thank you Mitch -- may I have another?

The Tribune's Daniel Suddeath makes a nice effort at extracting information from INDOT, which apparently learned its public relations skills from Novosti.

No date set for Grant Line Road project in New Albany

The city is responsible for acquiring properties for the detour route around the construction. The detour will likely be from University Woods Drive to Plaza Drive to Unruh Court to McDonald Lane, if property can be purchased for an access road connecting Plaza and Unruh.

All of us doing business along the Grant Line eagerly await something (anything) from the state that might prove useful for us in planning how we're going to operate during the two years it takes to surmount a railroad that should be nationalized in the first place.

I'm waiting for someone from the city to tell me how my customers are going to get from the acreage where most of them park, which is across Plaza Drive (built to carry a fraction of the traffic it will have to bear as detour), to my building without being flattened.

It's a mess now, and the road's not yet being used as a detour to put drivers right back where they were before: Waiting at the same railroad track that crosses McDonald Lane.

Vent over.

Will the proposed Grant Line Road detour be more or less safe than Baghdad?

Granted, I’m biased. While supportive of the plan to improve Grant Line Road and hurdle the railroad with an overpass, I know that the work is going to be highly disruptive to the businesses in my neighborhood, including my own.

Pay close attention to the proposed detour route described in the article.

New Albany businesses wait for answers on overpass project along Grant Line Road, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune).

... For businesses that will stay open, there is the question of revenue loss during construction. Federal law does not require payment to establishments for business deprivation.

While the city and state ironed out a detour route that still depends on property acquisition, many businesses stand to lose revenue in the project’s wake because of difficult accessibility.

The likely detour will be from University Woods Drive to Plaza Drive to Unruh Court to McDonald Lane, if property can be purchased in order to build an access road connecting Plaza and Unruh.

The city is handling the right-of-way purchases for the access road and detour route.

The state’s official detour route will be to take Interstate 265 to Interstate 64, and then connect back with Ind. 111.

INDOT wants to have the project finished in one construction season, weather permitting.

Not only will the Plaza Drive detour route result in incessant, bumper to bumper traffic on a street unsuited to serve as an artery, and by doing so cut off the area parking for offices and retail establishments like mine, but it’s also slated to run right through an apartment complex. Will there be signals and crosswalks on Plaza Drive to help keep pedestrians from being auto fodder?

I'm not asking for policemen, mind you. Steve Price has already ruled that manpower out.

Noting that the detour route is the city’s call, and not the state’s, can we respectfully ask: How safe is this going to be?