News: Bargersville’s Umbarger Plaza nears finish line, despite construction delays

By Jayden Kennett, Daily Journal.

Bargersville officials hope to have their new downtown gathering space completed by the end of the year.
Umbarger Plaza, located off Old Plank Road, Main Street and Baldwin Street in downtown Bargersville, broke ground in November 2022 and was anticipated to be completed this fall. However, construction delays have delayed the project’s completion and opening.
Show feed producer Roy Umbarger & Sons Inc. transferred the property, valued at $173,000, to the town of Bargersville in 2022, according to property records. The prime downtown Bargersville land became available because the company opened a new, larger feed mill in rural Franklin.
The $2 million plaza east of the railroad tracks and southwest of Old Plank Road and Baldwin Street will include an amphitheater, public restrooms and a green space. Officials hope the new space will provide a place for the community to gather and celebrate the history of Bargersville. The roof of the covered stage at the plaza will resemble the roof of a grain bin, reflecting Bargersville’s rural heritage and the Umbarger family.

For the most part, the plaza is complete despite these issues, said Dax Norton, town manager.
The extended completion date for the contracted work was Dec. 10. Officials anticipate “most of the things” to be completed by Dec. 30, Norton said at a town council meeting that same day.
Small line items are partially responsible for the delays, like steel for the inside of the bathrooms. It has been ordered but has not been delivered, he said.
Until the steel arrives, a drinking fountain in the restrooms cannot be installed. The restrooms have also been winterized, town officials said.
Signage is another factor in the delays, Norton said. Officials discussed signage and the plaza’s dedication at their Thursday meeting.
The original intent was to have an Umbarger sign, with the history of the Umbarger family and how the plaza came together, in the greenspace/garden area. However, following discussions, it was decided to place the sign on one of the plaza buildings.
It is “tough” to fit an already-constructed sign designed by the family onto one of the buildings, Norton said. The sign is large and weighs over 100 pounds, making it too heavy to try and fit it.
There’s about $200,000 left over from the bond for the project, which could be used to design and construct the signage where it was originally intended. Norton hopes to get quotes for the signage before the town’s redevelopment commission soon, he said.
After the new year, officials will meet with the Indiana Railroad to finish designs on a pedestrian crosswalk. They hope the railroad will have a design completed by mid-January and start construction on a pedestrian crosswalk in March, Norton said.