Harrison Avenue makeover

The intersection of Harrison Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard in Claremont is finishing up a revamp. The turn lane west, accessible from southbound Indian Hill, is being closed off and converted into green space. A year or two ago, the turn lane east, accessible from northbound Indian Hill, was closed off for the same purpose.

I don't know if these were good ideas from a traffic flow standpoint, but City Hall must think so. At any rate, the porkchop-shaped green space on the east side is nice, albeit small, and probably welcome to pedestrians.

There's a bench, a water fountain, grass, a sidewalk, mature trees that were part of the previous median and parkway, and a sculpture. Presumably similar amenities will be part of the new west side work.

By the way, the horse sculpture on the eastside green space was recently returned to sculptor Barbara Beretich and a new piece put in. It's titled "Patricia," perhaps impishly (um, unless it's a good likeness?), and it's by Christina Cassaro.

One reader calls it "a weird white plastic thingy." What can i say? I like it. (And it's probably not plastic, although i didn't handle it to find out.)

The view in the second photo is on the east side of Indian Hill, looking northwest, with "Patricia" in the foreground and the construction work on the west side in the background.