Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
MITCHELL – The second completed section of the Monon South Trail will open Friday in Mitchell.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 1 p.m. at the intersection of the Monon South Trail and Warren Street. The public is invited.
Community leaders, trail organizers and local representatives will share remarks. Speakers include Mitchell Mayor Don Caudell, Lawrence County Tourism Commission Executive Director Tonya Chastain and DNR Deputy Director of Community Grants & Trails Dale Brier.
Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana, developer of the trail, will welcome those in attendance.
The event marks the completion of 2.4 miles of trail in Mitchell. Last month, the first section of Phase 1A opened in Orleans. The Orleans section is 1.27 miles long.
The trail will bring economic development opportunities to southern Indiana, one of them is tourism.
“We’ve seen a real interest in the trail from guests visiting from out of county and out of state,” said Chastain.
As the Mitchell trail has progressed, Chastain said her office regularly fielded inquiries from visitors and residents eager to use the trail.
“We’re so happy that now we can say yes,” she said.
Chastain said the Monon South Trail will have a positive impact on the local economy and has the potential to revitalize Mitchell’s Main Street.
“We’re going to see more visitors, which means increased spending and more tax revenue,” Chastain said. “For our downtown, I hope we see more storefronts open.”
Sally Miller, a member of the Mitchell Parks Board, said the trail brings new opportunities for the city, its residents and visitors.
“On behalf of the Mitchell Parks Board, we are thrilled to partner with Southern Indiana Trailways and officially unveil our city’s portion of the Monon South Trail. We see the trail as an excellent resource for our community, not just as a vehicle for physical fitness, but as a definite ‘quality of place’ win,” Miller said. “As we have seen within other regions like ours, the trail has the potential to have a positive economic impact on our Main Street business district, too. As we state in our mission, we can’t wait to use the trail to provide events and programs that will bring about ‘community enrichment and create memorable experiences’ within Mitchell and the surrounding area.“
The Mitchell section is the second of five to be completed in Phase 1. In total, Phase 1 will build 20 miles of trail, including segments in Borden, New Pekin, Salem, Campbellsburg and Saltillo.
Construction of Phase 1A began last summer following a groundbreaking in Borden. When completed, the trail will stretch through five counties.
“It’s really neat that we’re connecting communities and connecting people along the trail,” Chastain said. “The railroad was an important part of our lives. This trail will be safe for biking and walking and I think will bring in visitors we’ve not had before … visitors who are trail buffs and travel all over the country to experience trails.”
Next Level Trails
The Monon South Trail was initiated under the state’s Next Level Trails program. According to DNR, Next Level Trails funded the purchase of the 62.3-mile corridor on behalf of New Albany and Radius Indiana for the combined sum of $5.5 million. DNR granted Radius with an additional $22.3 million to support development of the 20 miles in Phase 1. New Albany will own and manage the portion of the trail in Floyd County and Radius Indiana will be responsible for the trail in Clark, Washington, Orange and Lawrence counties.
Parking for the Mitchell ribbon-cutting is available in downtown Mitchell and near Warren Street and Fifth Street.