Ceremonial groundbreaking marks beginning of State Street project's construction phase

The City of West Lafayette, Purdue University and Plenary Roads State Street held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday (June 16) for the State Street Redevelopment Project.

The event was held near the location of the Western Gateway drainage improvements portion of the project that will begin next month. The ceremony featured comments by John Dennis, mayor of West Lafayette; Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue; Dale Bonner, executive chairman of Plenary Concessions; and Keith Rose, president and CEO of Rieth-Riley Construction Co. Inc.

The City of West Lafayette and Purdue are partnering to advance the $120 million State Street Redevelopment Project, which will stretch from the Wabash River through downtown West Lafayette and Purdue’s campus to its intersection at U.S. 231.

“This project is a living, breathing example of a remarkable partnership between the city and Purdue, who are working together to make our community better,” Dennis says. “Our hope is that this partnership sets a blueprint for other communities and for future projects at this level.”

The project will be completed using a P3 project delivery method, allowing for faster project completion and significant cost savings. Upon completion of the project, the newly transformed State Street will help draw development to the Purdue Innovation District.

“We don’t know of a comparable town-gown collaboration like ours along State Street, which we hope with the adjoining Purdue Innovation District will provide the foundation for a next era of growth and prominence for Purdue," Daniels says.

Noting the uniqueness of the State Street Redevelopment Project and highlighting its design features, Bonner says, “This project will improve traffic safety and mobility for all users -- including vehicles, bikes, pedestrians and transit -- and we are excited to be a part of transforming State Street into a gathering place and destination for the community and visitors alike.”

Rose says, “As with any construction project, there are sure to be temporary disruptions, but it is our goal to deliver an end result that yields community-wide benefits.” 

Construction will begin this summer and will be completed by December 2018 in time for Purdue's 150-year anniversary.