Downtown canal site eyed for new Indiana archives building

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A proposal to move Indiana's archives to a site along a downtown Indianapolis canal is winning support from researchers eager to see 200 years of records in a climate-controlled environment that's accessible to the public. But a civic group that wants the space preserved as a park is questioning how the site will serve canal users.

State Archivist Jim Corridan says the canal site across from the Indiana History Center is the favored location to house a collection that includes the 1816 and 1851 state constitutions, slave records, all of Indiana's laws and Supreme Court decisions and prison records of gangster John Dillinger. The items are currently stored in a warehouse that lacks climate controls.

The $25 million project, which is included in the budget proposal passed by the Senate, would mark the first time the archive has been housed in its own building in a prominent location, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported (http://bit.ly/1blnPwE ).

The state moved its archives to the warehouse in 2001 as a temporary measure to accommodate renovations to the State Library. While the constitutions are in a vault, the rest of the collection is not in a climate-controlled environment. That has probably taken 100 years off the life of the documents, Corridan said.

The new site would address those issues, but it also has raised concerns that the building will take up green space and add another institutional user to the Canal Walk.

"We need to continually add more vibrancy to the canal with increased foot traffic," said Sherry Seiwert, CEO of Downtown Indy, a civic booster group.

Corridan said the location makes the most sense for those seeking information, noting that it's convenient to the State Library on Ohio Street and the not-for-profit Indiana History Center. He said archivists would be able to transport documents through underground tunnels that connect to the Statehouse.

The archive sees about 2,500 visitors a year in its current location. Corridan predicted that figure could double with the prominent location on Canal Walk.

He said there has been some discussion about incorporating a retail use, such as an ice cream shop, into the design.

Jeff Hutson Favorito, owner of Old World Gondoliers, said he thinks the building is a good use of a marginally attractive green space.

"This is a good fit with us because we celebrate history and culture," he said.

___

Information from: Indianapolis Business Journal, http://www.ibj.com

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Related topics