New Projects to Reshape, Amplify Community
Writer / Noah Alatza
The future of Fishers looks bright on many fronts, as multiple developments and exciting projects are poised to shape the city’s landscape for the years and decades to come. Fishers continues to be an attractive destination for multi-million dollar investments in several industries, including hospitality, while continuing to incorporate a vibrant arts scene. Thanks to the strong leadership in Fishers, these developments continue to move forward in an expeditious way.
“I believe 2022 set the foundation for the next 10 years of Fishers,” says Mayor Scott Fadness. “The projects that we improved and the ideas that we have pursued are setting that foundation.”
Many of those projects fit into the city’s larger plan for the Nickel Plate District that is laid out in the 2040 plan with a goal to create a sustainable, pedestrian-friendly, downtown where residents and visitors are encouraged to come live, work, and play. Listed below are the upcoming projects with expected completion dates.
Nickel Plate Trail – Upgrades Coming 2023 & 2024
The Nickel Plate Trail runs through the heart of Fishers and serves as an anchor for many businesses and the city’s downtown landscape. The city is planning to complete the trail portion to Indianapolis and Noblesville in the next two years. Fishers has already completed most of its portion of the trail, from 106th to 146th streets. Now, thanks in part to a $4.5M Next Level Trails funding grant received from the state – the city will be able to complete the remaining 1.3-mile portion down to its border with Indianapolis at 96th Street, where it also plans to build a pedestrian bridge at the trail’s crossing. The trail and pedestrian bridge are both still in design, and construction will both start and finish in 2023, and on the bridge, in 2024.
The REV Development – 2024
Plans to build a five-story, mixed-use building in the heart of downtown Fishers at 8603 E. 116th Street was announced in August by Alboher Development Company, Inc. and Birkla Investment Group, LLC. The project is located at the intersection of Municipal Drive and 116th Street near the newly opened downtown hub for the Fishers Nickel Plate Trail district. It will include 36 for-sale condominiums, a parking garage, and 23,000 square feet of commercial and office space. The luxury condos ranging from $600,000 to $1,000,000, will be the first of their kind as Fishers’ first for-sale condominiums.
“The vision of the building is unbelievable,” Fadness adds.
Hotel Nickel Plate – Early 2024
City leaders say construction of the Hotel Nickel Plate is just another way that Fishers is working to grow and develop downtown and the Nickel Plate District. In March, Browning Investments and Dora Hotel Company unveiled the design renderings for the new Hotel Nickel Plate, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel that broke ground in September. The project will bring a 5-story, 116-room high-end, boutique hotel to the heart of downtown Fishers. The Hotel Nickel Plate will also feature a full-service restaurant and bar on the first floor and Nickel Plate Trail access.
New City Hall Arts & Municipal Complex – 2024
Construction on the Fishers Arts and Municipal Complex is well underway at 116th Street and Municipal Drive. It will include a three-story building complex that gives Fishers a new City Hall and will provide local artists with a permanent home for their work – all under one roof. The first floor of the building will feature the Fishers Arts Center operated in partnership with the Indianapolis Arts Center and Fishers Arts Center theater. It will feature a theatre space that can seat up to 330 people and rooms for exhibits, workshops, classes and other meetings. Council meetings will also be conducted in the theatre. The second and third floor will be for city offices.
“This Arts Center on the first floor is going to be unique,” Fadness says. “We want our people to engage with City Hall. I hope when I walk in there are lots of residents engaging with their local government.”
Andretti Motorsports Headquarters – 2025
The future home of the Andretti universal motorsports headquarters will be built in Fishers. Andretti Global, the parent company of Andretti Autosport, announced in August that the team intends to build a 575,000-square-foot facility that will occupy approximately 90 acres alongside the Nickel Plate Trail, the Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve and near the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport. The $200M facility is planned to serve as the headquarters of Andretti’s global commercial functions and the base of operations for the team’s current INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights and IMSA programs and other future racing initiatives. It will serve as a location for the day-to-day operations for the racing team, the building will also be home to the advanced research and development of Andretti Technologies. The new global headquarters will add up to 500 jobs to the local community by early 2026.
White River Park Development – TBD
The White River Park project is a $98M mixed-use development at the northwest corner of 96th Street and Allisonville Road. An apartment complex is planned to be built on the site and will feature seven buildings and a center greenspace next to the White River. The development is being spearheaded by CRG Residential and will include 38 multi-family units, 66 townhomes for sale and approximately 35,000 square feet of new commercial space. The city’s new improved interactive nature park along the White River will stretch from 96th Street north to 106th Street at Heritage Park. The area calls for plans for a possible canoe launch, quarry ponds, adventure course, pavilion, bike and ropes course, treehouse, river overlook and hammock grove. The Fishers Parks and Recreation Department is developing 98 acres along the river into the park. Infrastructure upgrades are also being planned including the reconstruction of the Michigan Left intersection into a roundabout. CRG Residential has also committed to donate the land required for the roundabout and an additional 25 acres of non-floodplain land to increase the size of adjacent parkland, totaling 123 acres for the White River passive nature park.
Community Center – TBD
The City of Fishers has discussed the need for a community and recreation center for several years. While previous attempts at a facility with private investors have ultimately failed, the need for a community and recreational space – and the corresponding amenities – have continued to grow.
Mayor Scott Fadness addressed the needs during his State of the City address in November. He says he wants the community to interact in a meaningful way by having a centralized place to come together. In the coming months he will bring a proposal before the Fishers City Council which will provide more details on the proposed development.
“It is long overdue,” Fadness says. “We will present this to the council and residents soon. We have almost 105,000 people. If you want to take your kids somewhere, we don’t really have that. We think we can bring that amenity to our community.”
Geist Waterfront Park – First Phase to Open This Spring
The City of Fishers has invested in a 70-acre waterfront property, acquired in 2018, at Geist Reservoir to develop a waterfront park. The park is being developed at the last-remaining undeveloped parcel of the 1,900-acre reservoir, located at 10811 Olio Road, at approximately 111th Street and the east side of Olio Road. The new Geist Waterfront Park will include features like a beach, walking trails, open green space, and a non-motorized boat launch. The City of Fishers purchased the land in 2018 to ensure public access to Geist Reservoir. Once developed, the park will provide the only public access to the reservoir. Geist Waterfront Park will be built in phases, with an anticipated full completion date of 2040. The first phase, which features construction of the beach and beach and dock access, along with a playground and gathering amenities, is set to officially open this spring.
“I feel like the design team did this justice,” Fadness adds. “Anyone who lives on Geist should be proud of this park. With the beach, playground, walking paths, it is an awesome addition to that area.”
Fishers District Expansion – 2024
The Yard at Fishers District has been one of our city’s hottest culinary and entertainment destinations since 2019. Now, more restaurants, new businesses, and additional world-class entertainment will be moving forward in the community. In partnership with Thompson Thrift, the City of Fishers is expanding the Fishers District with three new neighborhoods: Slate, The Union, and The Commons. Each new neighborhood will bring a variety of unique and exciting opportunities for Fishers families.
Also included in the plans is The Fishers Event Center, which will be the largest mid-size event center in the region, capable of seating up to 8,500 people. Indy Fuel owner Jim Hallett announced that the Indy Fuel would call the event center its home beginning with the 2024-2025 season. Fans and patrons alike will experience entertainment in a new way with family suites, enhanced areas for hosting, and modern fan experiences. From basketball games to concert tours, this state-of-the-art event center will bring a world of entertainment right to the Fishers community. The center will also be a community-focused venue, where local athletes can compete and children can walk across the graduation stage in their hometown.
All throughout 2023, the City of Fishers will also continue to celebrate its Sesquicentennial. As he looks ahead, Mayor Fadness is expectant for an even brighter future for the city.
“We are really setting the stage for the next 50 years,” Fadness says. “Instead of just celebrating the past, we are heading toward the future and focused on moving forward. Fishers is going to become even more dynamic than it is today.”
