Growing Brownsburg
In early May, the Town of Brownsburg welcomed a new opportunity and amenity for residents and visitors — a 159,000-square-foot Meijer on East 56th Street.
“This is a huge addition for Brownsburg. They are obviously a top-notch organization with great products, fresh produce and meats, and they chose Brownsburg,” Brownsburg Town Council President Ben Lacey says. “They choose locations based on zoning, traffic, market trends and, obviously, with our population growth, they decided Brownsburg would be a great spot.”
The Brownsburg location is Meijer’s 44th in the state. It’s a family-owned company, and it has more than 13,000 team members in Indiana. In addition to groceries, the store includes a full-service pharmacy, general merchandise with baby and pet departments, apparel, beauty care, a floral department and an outdoor garden center.
“The response we’ve received from customers here in Brownsburg has been overwhelmingly positive,” Store Director Rebecca Miller says. “Meijer is a one-stop shop focused on value and convenience. We’re known for fresh produce, friendly team members and investing in the communities we serve.”
After attending the grand opening celebration, Lacey says it was a “beautiful store.”
“They’ve done a heck of a job because Meijer is a high-class organization, and they’ve been so easy to work with,” Lacey says. “Meijer knows who they are, they know what they’re doing. They don’t make too many mistakes when they choose a location or size of store, and these guys are industry leaders.”
They want to not only provide another grocery and retail option for residents and visitors of Brownsburg, but also be a part of the community.
The company donates at least 6% of its net profit to Midwest communities annually.
Meijer has supported Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, community events produced by the 500 Festival, and partnerships with the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana University Athletics, Notre Dame Athletics and Purdue University Athletics.
Most recently, they brought that support to organizations in Brownsburg.
“In the week leading up to our opening, the store donated $10,000 each to Family Promise of Hendricks County, Messiah Lutheran Food Pantry and the Brownsburg Education Foundation, and we look forward to continuing to work with these and other local organizations,” Miller says.
To benefit customers, Meijer also does its best to pass along savings.
The free Meijer mPerks program earns shoppers points on every purchase, which results in dollars off in-store or fuel purchases, or free items, depending on how they choose to use their points. In addition, Meijer brands such as Frederik’s, True Goodness, Purple Cow and Fresh by Meijer help customers save money while still receiving great value.
The company also offers digital shopping tools like Shop & Scan, which allows shoppers to scan barcodes through the Meijer mobile app and bag their items as they shop to make checkout even more efficient. The store features deep discounts on surplus food through the Flashfood app, convenient shopping through Meijer Home Delivery and Pickup services, and more.
From a logistics standpoint, Lacey says the new Meijer opens up the corridor for development, and the future is looking bright in Brownsburg.
“Brownsburg has always been known as a bedroom community. I was born and raised here in 1976, and I love seeing the growth in a somewhat controlled fashion,” Lacey says. “With Interstate 74, the close proximity to the airport and downtown Indianapolis, and Ronald Reagan Parkway, the geographic location is ideal for businesses and families too. The schools play a big part in that because a high-quality education is at the top of a family’s list.”
Alongside Meijer, there are a few retail outlets available.
Lacey says one has been approved for a dental office, a Crew Carwash has been approved, a proposed apartment complex is planned on the property behind Meijer, and additional retail spaces will continue to fill as plans are approved.
Looking beyond the new developments surrounding Meijer, plenty of other exciting additions are coming to Brownsburg in the coming years.
“Walmart bought the land on the southeast corner of County Road 300 and Green Street where the roundabout is. I’ve heard they’re planning on putting a Neighborhood Market there, which will be another great option for folks,” Lacey says. “A Texas Roadhouse is planned near I-74, and a proposed second Kroger is in the initial stages right now.”
The proposed Kroger will provide a new option on the south side of Brownsburg in the Heritage Hills Planned Unit Development at South Green Street and Northfield Drive.
The main building is planned at approximately 99,000 square feet with an accessory fueling station.
“We regularly hear from families about the importance of convenient, accessible shopping options, and this project is an opportunity to bring those services closer to where people live and work,” Lacey says.
The proposal is expected to be reviewed by the Town Council later this summer.
From proposal to grand opening, development can be a lengthy process, but Lacey is optimistic about the future of Brownsburg.
“North of Meijer on Ronald Reagan is going to be a big area for growth. We’ve received some proposals for spec buildings from Prologis, and with the new extension to Reagan, all of that is zoned for light commercial,” Lacey says. “We’re looking for value-added activity with light manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing — no data centers or tire manufacturers. Light manufacturing is great for the community, and from the tax-base perspective and jobs, it’s a good thing.”
