Winona Avenue Transformation

Winona Avenue is the primary east-west road that runs between the City of Warsaw and the Town of Winona Lake, thereby connecting many aspects of these communities: Winona Lake, Grace College, downtown Warsaw, Kosciusko County fairgrounds, Baker Youth Club, Cardinal Services, and dozens of local businesses. Currently, there are few sidewalks, parking lot buffers or definitions, and therefore, pedestrian and bicycle safety are limited.

The goals of the Winona Avenue renovation project are to create a stronger sense of connectedness and place to support recreation, relaxation, and gathering. These goals will require reimagining the streetscape to make it safer, more walkable, better navigable, and well connected to the resources in our community—promoting well-being and connectivity that will enrich the quality of life and attractiveness of our county.

Changes would include road improvements, street parking, and more green space. This project will improve safety and increase access, thereby creating a better connection to vital parts of the community.

This project will be administered by the Ball State University – Department of Urban Planning, who will have two focus areas over a two-year (four semester) time period: 1) Urban Design – Targeting the Winona Avenue Corridor and 2) Supply Chain Mapping – thoroughly analyzing the orthopedic industry in Warsaw, IN and its broader national and global contexts.

The Winona Avenue Renovation project is a cornerstone for a set of other community infrastructure projects that include:

• Argonne Road underpass beautification project
• Sidewalk and Trail extensions
• Multiple enhanced placemaking projects