Fishers downtown area remains an ongoing construction site

I lived in Indianapolis for almost 40 years, and for almost half of that time, Fishers was an area in Hamilton County that was a small town with a small "downtown" area along East 116th Street on either side of railroad tracks -- now abandoned -- about a half-mile west of I-69.

Today, it's a booming city and in what seems to be a yearly tussle with neighboring Carmel for bragging rights to be the second-largest incorporated community in the state. To put it in perspective, the only IKEA home furnishings and furniture store in all of Indiana opened there a year ago. IKEA doesn't build stores just anywhere; some states don't have any, and the only one in all of North Carolina right now is in Charlotte (IKEA did recently announce plans to build a store in Cary, which is not too far from my current home in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill).

I have several galleries in my Fishers folder at SmugMug.com, but I hadn't devoted any of my photo shoots to the original downtown area. Of course, much of the original downtown area has changed from years ago. There are some original buildings still around, but mostly -- especially in the last few years -- there are multi-story multi-use structures lining 116th Street and, a half-mile or so west of the railroad tracks, a couple of modest strip malls.

IKEA sits on the other side (east) of I-69, just across the street from Topgolf driving range (you can't miss the massive net almost on top of the interstate highway). IKEA's opening has boosted more development east, including The Yard, a 17-acre dining and shopping area that reportedly will include a cigar and whiskey bar and a culinary "accelerator" site -- a place aspiring chefs can hone their skills and serve their creations in more than two dozen eateries. Supposedly, residential apartments were recently added to the project.

That's all in the future. When I roamed downtown Fishers two weeks ago, it was a thick, overcast day -- rain would fall within a half-hour after my shoot. I stuck to the west side of I-69. Several multi-story projects -- The Depot, The Flats at Switch, The Edge, One North, Braden and Meyer Najem -- along and/or just north of 116th opened within the past year or so. But there is still more building going on behind those and north of 116th.

Most conspicuous of the new construction, perhaps, is at municipal center complex, which isn't that old to begin with. Construction crews are adding to and enhancing the amphitheater -- extending the roof and deepening the stage, among other things. They also are tearing up the lawn mall, which will be redesigned to include a sloped seating area for concert attendees. Other improvements include a new modest-sized structure at the south end of the mall adjacent to City Hall. The building will have restrooms (and, I think, be used for concessions).

This is prime season for the Saturday Fishers Farmers Market, which has used a lot of the lawn mall space in the past. The market is setting up in an area east of City Hall during the construction. I don't know the property grounds that well to visualize how that will work, but my impression is that there wasn't much territory there to begin with (except for maybe parking). The market has been open since the beginning of May, so I'm sure they've figured that all out by now.

Local motorists and pedestrians no doubt have seen the Fishers train depot as they've driven over the railroad tracks next to the Nickel Plate Restaurant. I would suspect that far fewer have seen the depot from the opposite side as shown in the photo leading off the post. Those cars in the image's far left background are driving along 116th Street. The building on the right is The Flats at Switch and parking garage, one of the new structures that opened only within the past year or two.

As always, for view a larger, sharper version of an image, simply click on the image. That is particularly important for visitors accessing the blog from a mobile device. To view a full gallery of my shoot from the Fishers downtown area, simply follow the link in this sentence.

Photo geek stuff: I shot everything in this post with my Canon 6D and Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD lens. I bracketed each composition for three exposures to allow for processing each shot in Photomatix high-dynamic range (HDR) software, which I used for everything in this post.

One of the completed developments north of 116th Street (above), and the architecturally striking corner point of another completed project, The Depot, right along 116th (below). 

Above and next three below: Various views of Fishers' main fire station, which is on the west side of the Municipal Drive oval. 

Above and next three below: Views of the Hamilton East Public Library at the northeast end of the Municipal Drive oval.

Above: Kelsaw's Music Study, 11671 Maple St., is in one of the older buildings in the downtown area. 

Thai Sushi House (above) and the landscaped access to the city complex (below) at Municipal Drive, both along 116th Street.

Dahlia's home decor, 11631 Maple St. (above), is another shop operating out of a smaller structure north of 116th Street. The east side of Handel's Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt (below), a Fishers institution, faces Maple Street, although its south-facing front looks out onto 116th Street.

A rest and modest gathering spot on the north side of 116th Street (above), and the back side of a brick building (below) that houses several small shops along 116th just east of the Nickel Plate Bar and Grill. 

Archer's Meat Market and Catering (above) and Riviera Maya Mexican Restaurant (below) are on the south side of 116th Street. 

The contemporary clothing boutique Vardagen (above), 8684 E. 116th St., is one of the shops occupying space on the lower level of the brick building pictured three shots above. The Nickel Plate Bar and Grill (below), just to the west, another Fishers institution, is situated along the railroad tracks. 

A nicely landscaped Liberty Plaza greets visitors to the government complex at Municipal Drive along 116th Street.

Across the street from the plaza, Taylor's Bakery anchors the west end of Fishers Town Center, one of two strip shopping malls on the south side of 116th Street.

Above: Also on the south side of 116th Street is Gallery 116, a home goods and novelties shop. 

The sign above explains the construction work being done on the amphitheater and municipal complex lawn mall.

Above and next three below are various views of the amphitheater and lawn mall in full throes of reconstruction. The photo above and the second and third below show all or a portion of the extended cover to the amphitheater stage, while the first photo below shows the dug up lawn area and, in the background, the new structure immediately north of City Hall that will house restrooms for people attending concerts and visiting the mall.

Above and next three below: These images show the various new construction activity near or at the intersection of Maple and North streets.

Untouched physically by all the construction are these water and green havens near the downtown area. The pond pictured above is directly west of Municipal Drive and the primary fire station, while the Pond Edge Enhancement (below) is just north of the above pond.