Kirklin Main Street outlines $610,000 plan for Phase 1 of Monon Trail

Dwayne Pitzer, speaking for Kirklin Main Street, told the town council the group has drafted a donor report and is preparing to move forward on Phase 1 of a Monon Trail conversion that would run from State Road 38 to Travelers Point Distillery on Madison Street.

"We have cash income today, of a 112,500 in donations," Pitzer said, and reported a $65,000 pledge from the Clinton County Community Foundation and $12,500 from Farmers Bank. He said donated land has been promised to the group and that the next step is to complete surveys and prepare deeds before work can begin.

Pitzer gave the Phase 1 estimate as "$610,000 to complete phase 1," and said the group expects to have matching funds and additional grant applications lined up. He described immediate tasks as surveying donated parcels, obtaining title insurance and engaging counsel to prepare quitclaim deeds. A sample budget line for brush clearing was discussed; one early contractor estimate for clearing was about $60,000.

Council members asked about timing and connections to neighboring counties. Pitzer said clearing would begin “this fall” once the deed and survey work are complete and added that the project leaders are exploring longer-term connections to regional trail networks, including potential tie-ins through neighboring counties.

Why it matters: the trail is presented as an economic and recreation driver for downtown businesses by routing users near merchants, and it would be constructed in phases as funding and land acquisition allow. Next steps Pitzer listed were completing surveys, recording deeds to Kirklin Main Street and continuing grant applications and fundraising.