Department of Public Works officials will host a public meeting July 8 to provide updates on the Henry Street bridge project and the excavation of historic cemeteries near Downtown.
In October, construction crews broke ground on the bridge project, which will connect the east side of the White River to the future site of Elanco’s headquarters. Since then, archaeologists have been carefully excavating the site, which overlaps with two of four historic cemeteries collectively known as Greenlawn Cemetery.
In that time, archaeologists have uncovered more than 700 grave shafts and several burial artifacts. A grave shaft could contain the remains of one or more people, or none at all. Research into how many people have been uncovered is ongoing.
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In addition to city officials, the July meeting will feature members of the Community Advisory Group, which was formed in 2023 in response to concerns about the history of the site.
The city owns a small portion of the site of the historic cemeteries, which was also the site of the former Diamond Chain factory.
The larger portion of the site is owned by Keystone Development and not controlled by the city. The future of that site has been unclear since the city last year pulled its support for a proposed development anchored by a 20,000-seat soccer stadium.
Know before you go
The meeting will be held July 8 at the Edison School of the Arts, Inc. 47, 777 S. White River Parkway W. Dr. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the presentation starts at 5:30 p.m.
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Emily Hopkins is a Mirror Indy reporter focused on data and accountability. You can reach them on phone or Signal at 317-790-5268 or by email at emily.hopkins@mirrorindy.org. Follow them on most social media @indyemapolis or on Bluesky @emilyhopkins.bsky.social.
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