Evansville’s Jacobsville neighborhood got a new front door this morning.

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The arch that once sat at the head of Main Street, at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, will now serve as the gateway into Jacobsville. It was removed from Main Street during construction of the Ford Center, and this morning was raised at the corner of North Main and Franklin streets, complete with a new “Welcome to Jacobsville” sign at its peak.

“Strong, vibrant neighborhoods like Jacobsville are the cornerstone of a strong, vibrant city,” said Mayor Stephanie Terry. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to celebrate Jacobsville today by raising this arch as a new gateway into the neighborhood.”

For the past 12 years, the arch has been at Garvin Park, where the Redevelopment Commission placed it when construction of the Ford Center forced its removal from Main Street. But as redevelopment progressed in Jacobsville recently, city officials began considering creating a new front door to the neighborhood.

While creating something new as a gateway was estimated to cost about $350,000, the estimate to repurpose a piece of Evansville history at the entrance to Jacobsville came in closer to $150,000.

The project was paid via TIF funds.

“When we pitched this idea to the residents in Jacobsville, the response was overwhelmingly positive,” Evansville Director of Metropolitan Development Kelley Coures said. “The archway not only makes a beautiful gateway into the Jacobsville neighborhood, but also pays a beautiful tribute to a piece of Evansville history.”

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2 COMMENTS

  1. This burns me. I have no hatred to Jacobville neighborhood. BUT!! How many home owners are in that area? How many rental homes are in that area? I do not understand a TIF fund. But I am a home owner on the east side. I have 3 street lights on my street. I have 4 pot holes on my street. I went to the Jacobville area not to long ago. You notice NO ONE walking in the area. I notice that there are more streetlights in one block than 3 blocks on the east side. You can read a newspaper in the bright lights. The sidewalks do not have any blemishes. The street did not have any pot holes. New street signs. So my question as a life long resident of Evansville whose palm do have to greased to get better light/sidewalks/street/streetlights. Can we get an TIF area? Almost all my homes in my neighborhood are own and lived in by the homeowners. I know it childish to be jealous of another area. But apparently my taxes go to?

    • Do you think the $150,000 for the welcome sign could have been spent on mundane things such as street lights and fixing sidewalks and pot holes? I do, but I’m probably just silly.

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