Westfield hopes to set itself apart from Hamilton County neighbors with another downtown project

Indianapolis Star

28-05-2025

Westfield officials are once again considering a transformative development project, as the city looks to draw visitors and residents to its downtown while differentiating itself from its Hamilton County neighbors.
'This is going to be the structure you're going to see as you come off U.S. 31 into downtown Westfield, so we wanted to make sure we got this one right,' said Mayor Scott Willis after the development, called Jersey 32, was introduced to city council on May 27.
If approved, the development would be built on the northeast corner of Jersey and Poplar Streets. Brian Simons, of Skender Construction, told city councilors that the project will be anchored by a five-story parking garage, which will bring almost 600 parking spaces to downtown.
'Every time we come downtown to dine, we know that there's a shortage of parking and that's been discussed over and over at council,' Simons said.
The project includes 235 apartment units, 15,500 square feet of office space, 43,500 square feet of retail space and a standalone, high-end restaurant. It also includes two roof decks, one with a pool that overlooks the nearby Grand Junction Plaza, public plaza areas and greenspace with water features.
From January: Westfield approves $27M apartment and restaurant project to revitalize declining downtown
The developers are already on their 14th version of the project after working with neighbors and city staff to get feedback, Simons said. He added that Skender Construction plans to move its Indiana headquarters from Carmel into a portion of the planned office space at the development.
The retail space is expected to be filled by 'micro retailers,' similar to businesses along Mass Ave in Indianapolis or in Carmel's downtown, Simons said.
The mayor expects the development, if approved, to attract young people as well as retirees with its unique apartment concepts.
"When you look out from the pool into Grand Junction, it's a million-dollar view," Willis said.
He added the greenspace and water features that separate the development from Poplar Street and State Road 32 set it apart from downtown developments in neighboring Hamilton County cities.
One rendering shown to city councilors included a small waterfall and fountain feature integrated into the green space and adjacent to the sidewalks at the development.
More: Westfield's downtown population has shrunk. This new development, with parking, could help
'We want more green space,' Willis said. 'We want more attractive development in our community. And I think this really does a great job of capturing that.'
Information on financing for the project, including its total cost, was not presented at the May 27 meeting. City councilors are expected to vote on the project's development plans in August after it works through the Advisory Plan Commission. Councilors will also consider a separate bond ordinance for the project that has not yet been presented to them.
'I know we'll dive deeper into the financials as this thing gets its legs,' Willis said.
Financing for the Jersey 32 project will be similar to how Westfield is financing another nearby development project that will transform downtown, the mayor said. That means at least some tax dollars that would have otherwise gone to the city will likely be used to cover some costs associated with the project.
Earlier this month, councilors approved plans for the $123 million mixed-use development called Park & Poplar. That project is a public-private partnership between the city and developer Old Town. It includes a public plaza, parking garage, apartments, retail and office space.
City councilors still have to approve the bond ordinance for the Park & Poplar project, but Westfield is expected to pay for 18% or about $22 million of that project. About $11 million of that will be generated by tax increment financing, and $4 million of the city's portion will be covered by an Indiana Economic Development Corporation grant.
Bonds for the Park & Poplar project will be backed by the city. The majority, $19.5 million, of the city's costs will be used to build the parking garage and the rest is for the public plaza.
The city does not expect grant funding to cover any portion of the Jersey 32 project.
The Park & Poplar project includes 240 apartment units, 56 townhomes, a public plaza and parking garage with 523 spaces, 29,000 square feet of retail, which the developer believes will be occupied by a restaurant and 40,000 square feet of office space.
That project is set to be built on the southeast corner of Park and Poplar streets, adjacent to Midland Trace Trail and across from the new Westfield Washington Public Library.
The Jersey street project, introduced at the May 27 meeting, would be a short walk from the project already approved at Park and Poplar streets. The developments are both within walking distance the city's Grand Junction Plaza and 'Restaurant Row."
In January, the city council approved a transformative development project for the other side of downtown.
The $27 million project, called Ambrose on Main will be built on the northeast corner of North East Street and State Road 32. It will include 87 one and two-bedroom apartments, with 12,000 square of feet of commercial space, including a restaurant with outdoor seating. The project also includes a plaza and courtyard areas spanning 6,000 square feet, a 2,000 square foot rooftop patio and amenities such as a work-from-home lounge, an indoor and outdoor cafe, a state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor bike storage and a pet spa.
Willis has noted that Westfield is the only city in Hamilton County that has seen its downtown population decrease in the last decade as the development projects have come before city council.