Westfield Looking for New Grand Park Owner or Operator
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Grand Park Sports Campus could potentially be under new ownership soon. The Westfield Redevelopment Commission has issued a Request for Proposals looking for a new operator or potential buyer for the 400-acre sports park.
According to the RFP, which was posted Thursday, interested parties “must prove the financial history to undertake their proposed form of purchase or operations, and also be able to provide the services called for and described herein which shall consist of all supervision, equipment, labor, and all other items necessary to ensure the premium operation of all aspects of Grand Park.”
Among the conditions of the RFP, the new owner or manager must retain all city employees for at least two years.
Grand Park opened in 2014 and includes 31 soccer fields, 26 baseball diamonds, two administration buildings, seven concession stands, and the 378,000-square-foot Grand Park Event Center.
The commission says respondents must provide notification of their intent to respond to the RFP by April 1. The proposals are due by June 22.
Westfield City Councilor Scott Willis tells our partners at WISH-TV while Grand Park brought in tons of money to the city, it was not enough to pay off debt.
“Private industry does a much better job of running businesses than the government,” Willis said. “If the city can get the right price to pay off the debt for Grand Park and puts money in our coffers to invest in infrastructure, I think that’s a wonderful thing.”
Westfield Mayor Any Cook issued a statement regarding the RFP:
“The City has been fortunate to have excellent leaders and staff to guide Grand Park since its inception, as well as great partners for its operations. But even their monumental efforts have a ceiling because of red tape inherent in operating Grand Park as a municipality. So, we are at a point at which we need the private sector’s input on how Grand Park can reach new heights for the benefit of the City and its residents.”
In January, Cook appointed Matt Trnian director of Grand Park, succeeding William Knox. Our partners at the Indianapolis Business Journal report the city entered into a professional services agreement with Legacy Sports Group in Fishers, which is led by former Grand Park director William Knox.
The Westfield City Council has also been involved in several disputes with Bullpen Tournaments, which manages the baseball diamonds on the campus. You can read more from the IBJ by clicking here.