Bill Text: IN HCR0030 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging INDOT to name a bridge for Robert N. Stewart of Columbus.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2013-03-12 - Referred to Committee on Roads and Transportation [HCR0030 Detail]
Download: Indiana-2013-HCR0030-Introduced.html
RESOLUTION No. ________
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the Indiana Department of Transportation to rename the bridge at Indiana State Road 46 that spans the East Fork of the White River and serves as a gateway to downtown Columbus the Robert N. Stewart bridge.
_______________________, read first time and referred to Committee on
RESOLUTION
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the Indiana Department
of Transportation to rename the bridge on Indiana State Road 46 that
spans the East Fork of the White River and serves as a gateway to
downtown Columbus the Robert N. Stewart bridge.
Whereas, Robert N. Stewart, a Bartholomew County native,
served three consecutive terms as mayor of Columbus during
which the city underwent a major transformation;
Whereas, Governance and politics have been a constant
thread running through the life of Robert N. Stewart;
Whereas, Robert N. Stewart guided the city through
economic development initiatives and the development of
public-private partnerships;
Whereas, The multi-cabled bridge to be named after Robert
N. Stewart was one of the integral elements of a mammoth
civic undertaking in the 1990s that came to be known as the
Front Door Project, which opened the area for a tremendous
wave of business development, and led to the development of
a city entrance from Indiana State Road 46 West and
Interstate 65 that better defined a city that had become
renowned for architectural excellence;
Whereas, Working with executives from major corporations in the city and other business leaders, Robert N. Stewart created Focus 2000, an enabling organization dedicated to developing and encouraging initiatives for the betterment of Columbus, and instrumental in such developments as the city playing host to the 1992 Farm Progress Show, the creation
and support of a community-wide substance abuse support
group, the $11 million expansion and beautification of a
downtown park, the creation and nurturing of a healthy arts
community, and the naming of the city as an All-America
City in 1994;
Whereas, A program launched under the leadership of
Robert N. Stewart led to the creation of more than 10,000
new jobs through the attraction of new companies and the
encouraged expansion of long established businesses;
Whereas, At the urging of his wife Barbara, Robert N.
Stewart created Ethnic Expo, an event that has annually
drawn tens of thousands of visitors to the downtown and has
served as an outreach to the growing number of ethnic
groups that have moved to Columbus;
Whereas, While in office, Mayor Stewart cultivated
relationships with international companies in an effort to
bring new businesses to Columbus;
Whereas, Due to his effort, today Columbus is home to 18
Japanese companies, giving the city the largest concentration
of Japanese firms in any Indiana community;
Whereas, During his record-breaking three terms in office
(1983-1995), Mayor Stewart presided over a literal
transformation of the city of Columbus that touched on
several facets of community life;
Whereas, Robert N. Stewart has been recognized for his
many accomplishments with the establishment by the arts
community of a scholarship in his and his wife Barbara's
names, the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce presented
him with the Community Service Award, and the Indiana
Association of Cities and Towns gave him the Russell G.
Lloyd Distinguished Service award, the highest honor
bestowed upon a government official in the state;
Whereas, Robert N. Stewart took time from his business to serve as chairman of the Bartholomew County Republican party and was elected chairman of the Indiana State Republican party in the early 1960s;
Whereas, It is important there be something to make current and future residents aware of Robert N. Stewart's role in fashioning the city they call home; and
Whereas, It is, therefore, fitting that the bridge on Indiana
State Road 46 that spans the East Fork of the White River
and serves as a gateway to downtown Columbus bear the
name of Robert N. Stewart: Therefore,
SECTION 1. That the Indiana General Assembly, in recognition of
the many accomplishments and contributions of Robert N. Stewart,
urges the Indiana Department of Transportation to rename the bridge
on Indiana State Road 46 that spans the East Fork of the White River
and serves as a gateway to downtown Columbus the Robert N. Stewart
bridge.
SECTION 2. That the Principal Clerk of the House of
Representatives transmit a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner
of the Indiana Department of Transportation and Robert N. Stewart.
