Area businesses could take $85M blow from Grand Park closure
While the expected economic impact to the region is high, Westfield officials say they don’t expect the closure to have a game-changing impact on the city’s budget.
While the expected economic impact to the region is high, Westfield officials say they don’t expect the closure to have a game-changing impact on the city’s budget.
A Westfield developer’s plans for 68 acres next to Grand Park include a major planetarium and space science center, laser tag venue, jump park, bowling alley, indoor/outdoor go-kart track and driving school.
Westfield-based Henke Development Group, which helped the city develop Grand Park, plans to spend $77 million developing Championship Park, a commercial development on land next to the sports park. A hotel could also be part of the project.
City officials say Grand Park is just starting to show its full promise, and they’re hopeful the TIF district generates enough revenue by 2023 to fully cover Grand Park’s debt payments.
The city of Westfield has quietly used its Grand Junction tax increment financing fund to begin settling a lease disagreement with NinjaZone, which comes after the inaugural Colts Camp at Grand Park last summer took over the events center because of inclement weather.
With three days remaining, the Colts camp has already received more visitors than it did in its final year at Anderson University. But the crowd numbers are still well below what they reached early this decade.
The development, proposed for the southwest corner of Wheeler Road and 181st Street, could be started in spring 2019 and open in fall 2020 if approvals are received and fundraising goals are met, YMCA and school officials said.
Sue and Chris Estep, owners of RoundTripper Baseball Academy in Westfield, say they met with Mayor Andy Cook to discuss the possibility of relocating to Grand Park.
The city of Westfield’s contract with Carmel-based Urick Concessions, which has been operating the outdoor food stands at the sports complex since it opened in 2014, ends Dec. 31.
The Indianapolis Colts will pay Westfield for using Grand Park and let the sports complex keep revenue from parking fees and food and beverage sales. But there are costs associated with hosting the training camp.
Team officials and officials from Westfield have scheduled a morning press conference to reveal “a major partnership that will make Westfield a destination for sports fans beyond youth sports,” the team said.
The city of Westfield has quietly purchased the Grand Park Events Center from South Bend developer Holladay Properties, but the action remained largely unnoticed.
NFL Hall of Famer Roger Staubach will be a partner in the merged company, which will maintain the LST Marketing name.
The company dreamed of becoming a major hospitality industry player and saw Grand Park Sports Campus as the place to hit a home run. But there were signs of trouble from the start, and unpaid bills quickly piled up.
The tournaments had been hosted in Indianapolis for more than 25 years but they’re moving to Westfield for at least one year while Little League looks for a new Central Region headquarters.
Since opening in summer 2014, Grand Park has operated millions of dollars in the red and is projecting a $3.86 million deficit next year. Revenue is growing—but so are expenses.
Jonathan Byrd’s has for years been quietly expanding beyond its successful restaurant and catering company in Greenwood. Now, it is shifting most of its attention to Hamilton County.
Westfield filed the lawsuit earlier this year, seeking $3 million from Illinois-based Turf Solutions Group LLC and its bonding company, Oklahoma-based Granite RE Inc., for breach of contract and negligence.
Mainly known for its restaurant and catering, Greenwood-based Jonathan Byrd’s continues to beef up its resume and is expand its presence at Westfield’s Grand Park Sports Campus again.
Grand Park Sports Campus topped 1 million visitors last year, which helped to more than double visitor spending in the community and push the economic impact to more than $150 million.