Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group worked with the City of Huntingburg, Stellar Subcommittee and key property and business stakeholders to further design the Fourth Street Heritage Trail as part of the Stellar Communities Program. The redesign of a two-block section of 4th Street, through the historic downtown, is an important segment of the Heritage Trail development throughout Huntingburg. The overall concept of the Heritage Trail connects various destinations and community assets throughout the city, including the downtown, Huntingburg Event Center and Charles C. Niehaus Park.

The downtown portion of the Heritage Trail will run through the Historic Business District along 4th Street between N. Geiger Street and N. Jackson Street. This portion of the trail will allow for local businesses along the downtown segment the option of utilizing the parallel parking spaces on the street as outdoor seating or event space by ‘flexing’ the space. The surface treatment is a curbless scenario, where all paving (pedestrian and vehicular spaces) is at the same level. This curbless scenario utilizes a trench drain through the center of the driving space to capture runoff as well as a series of planted stormwater bump-outs to capture the drainage. A variety of paving treatments to differentiate the spaces (trail/pedestrian areas, parking, driving lanes, etc.) is also proposed.

Ornamental street lighting provides the opportunity to incorporate seasonal or event banners as well as illuminate the space for safety and evening use. Stylized traffic control gates allow for the option of closing the street to vehicular traffic during festivals and fairs. This ‘flex’ street model will serve the downtown community in enriching the festival nature of Downtown Huntingburg, bringing a versatility that is not as readily available in more standard street models.

The 4th Street Heritage Trail streetscape project has received numerous awards, including a Merit Award for Excellence in Engineering from the American Council of Engineering Companies and a Merit Award from the Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2021.