Indiana in 2035: Westfield

WESFIELD, Ind. -- FOX59 continues its series, "Indiana in 2035," with a look at how communities throughout the state plan to look 10 years from now. The latest city the station is looking at is Westfield.




Westfield is becoming one of the fastest-growing cities in Hamilton County and plans to keep its small-town charm with big-city amenities.




"Even though we're not a small town anymore, there's still very much a small-town culture to our city," said Westfield Mayor Scott Willis.




Westfield was founded in 1834 by North Carolina Quakers and is situated 30 minutes north of Indianapolis. The city has become a hidden gem in central Indiana. In 1848, Westfield was incorporated into a town and stayed that way for 160 years. On Jan. 1, 2008, Westfield became another city in Hamilton County.

"When people move to Westfield, they realize there's just something different about the culture here. More of a Hoosier hospitality probably than maybe what you get in other cities in Hamilton County," said Willis.




Willis is only the second mayor Westfield has ever had. He moved to the city from Carmel 22 years ago and credits a former Indiana governor for putting the small but growing city on the map.




"When Mitch Daniels changed the vision for US-31, that baked into the equation that we were no longer going to be a small town," Willis said.




Two decades ago, 10,000 people called Westfield home. Today, the population is about 65,000. By 2035, Willis expects to see that number in the triple digits.








"We will be well north of 100,000 people, which is scary to think about," he said.




To get there, there's a strategic and comprehensive plan underway for growth in Westfield. The city has the land to build, and Willis said they plan to use it.




"We've only developed about 3/5ths of our township. We have more land mass than Carmel and Fishers," said Mayor Willis.




Just like its neighbors, Westfield is in a building boom with homes and businesses going up. Recently, the city started construction of a new police headquarters. A fourth fire station - Station 84 - is also under construction, and the design phase of a fifth station is underway.




"We have three major developments within the downtown area that have been approved recently," said Westfield's Director of Economic Development Jenell Fairman.




Park and Poplar, right along the Midland Trace Trail, Jersey 32 between State Road 32 and Jersey Street, and an extension of the Grand Millenium Development are all mixed-use projects with multi-family homes, retail, restaurants and parking. One will even include a construction firm setting up its headquarters.




"It will look very different in 2035," Fairman said, "It is exciting and it's challenging. Every day we're faced with something new."








Fairman said on top of working on the master plan to develop the downtown area. There's also a plan for the current home of Colts Training Camp at Grand Park.




"What we're looking at long-term for Grand Park is a transformation of about 150 acres at Grand Park into a Grand Park district - a place for people who love sports," said Fairman.




Fairman said she wants people to imagine a whole lot more at Grand Park, including Ed Carpenter Racing Headquarters, which is a done deal.




"We have to have a story and have an audience that we can bring those businesses here to invest," Fairman said, "Whatever type of sport you love, however you enjoy sports, there is something for you to do, something for you to experience here."




"It's not unique here. It's happened in Carmel. It happened in Fishers. It's happening in Noblesville, and you can't stop that growth," said Willis.




Willis told FOX59 that while the mayors in Hamilton County are competitive, they are also friends. He said they are on text strings and talk with one another often. He said if Carmel, Fishers and Noblesville wins, they all win.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indiana-2035/indiana-in-2035-westfield/