Westfield planning $164M downtown redevelopment project
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Westfield announced plans Thursday for a $164 million mixed-use redevelopment project with the aim of creating a central business district.
If approved, Park & Poplar would be built on eight acres along the Midland Trace Trail, south of Park Street and between Mill Street and Westfield Boulevard.
The development would be southwest of Union Square, west of Grand Junction Plaza and east of the new Westfield-Washington Public Library.
Plans for Park & Poplar call for a boutique hotel, office space, retail and luxury multifamily residences. The development would also have a public parking garage for people visiting nearby businesses and attending community events at Grand Junction Plaza.
“We are excited about the potential of Park & Poplar to invigorate downtown Westfield,” Mayor Scott Willis said in written remarks. “This project will meet current community needs and contribute significantly to the revitalization and walkability of the area, creating a premier destination for our residents.”
The Westfield City Council has not yet reviewed plans for Park & Poplar, and the city is working on a developer agreement for the project with a yet-to-be-announced firm. The development’s construction schedule has not been determined, but the city plans to open the parking garage by spring 2027, according to Westfield Director of Communications Kayla Arnold.
Westfield Economic Development Director Jenell Fairman said the city has purchase agreements in place for the properties it needs to purchase for Park & Poplar.
Those include two vacant houses that will be demolished this summer. On that site, temporary surface parking will be in place for Park Street businesses before the boutique hotel is built in the second phase of construction.
Fairman said two existing businesses, My Logo Shop (320 Parkway Circle) and Esler’s Auto Repair Inc. (350 Parkway Circle), also plan to relocate from the Park & Poplar site.
The Central Indiana Redevelopment Authority this week awarded Westfield a $4 million grant for Park & Poplar from the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s READI 2.0 funding. CIRDA distributed $45 million in grants to 21 projects in central Indiana as part of its “Main Street Matters” initiative.
Park & Poplar would add to the new development in downtown Westfield.
Grand Junction Plaza, a six-acre, $39 million public park, opened in 2021 featuring greenspace, trails, an amphitheater and an ice-skating rink
Union Square, under construction on the city block south of State Road 32 between South Union and Mill streets, is expected to have dining options, 196 apartments, a 300-car parking garage, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 40,000-square-foot office and retail building. The project being developed by Carmel-based Old Town Cos. was originally approved in 2019.
Sun King Brewing Co. plans to open an 8,700-square-foot taproom and food hall at Union Square.
Local restaurateur Henri Najem plans to open a $6.4 million, high-end steakhouse called H Steakhouse with more than 200 seats and a year-round patio at the southwest corner of Jersey and Mill streets.
The $17.7 million Westfield-Washington Public Library opened this month at the corner of Park Street and Westfield Boulevard in Grand Millennium Center.
The redevelopment of downtown Westfield will also include a $21.7 million reconstruction of State Road 32. The project will expand S.R. 32 from two lanes to four from Poplar Street to Timberbrook Run beginning next year.
The city and state are splitting the cost of the road project. Westfield has control over project design, while the Indiana Department of Transportation is paying for land acquisition, utility relocation and construction.
INDOT is overseeing the $80 million project that will widen the road to four lanes and build seven roundabouts for five miles between Westfield and Noblesville.