Plans for a New Indoor Soccer Facility Unveiled at the Grand Park Grand Opening
After describing how important Grand Park will be to the economic development of Westfield, Mayor Andy Cook announced that Holladay Properties has committed to build a $20 million indoor sports facility at the sports complex.
“We are thrilled to announce this partnership between the City of Westfield and Holladay Properties,” said Cook. “An indoor facility will make Grand Park a tourism destination year round. Since Grand Park opened in March, developers have been inquiring about building hotels and restaurants around the park, this will solidify those interests.”
The 370,000 square foot, state-of-the-art building will house three full-size professional soccer fields that can be used for recreational play and competitive play for all field sports. The building will also have office space, locker rooms, meeting rooms and a restaurant focused on family dining. Cook said the facility will be built between Parking Lot C and 191st Street.
“It will lend a huge, 12-month atmosphere to this park,” Cook said. “This facility is being 100 percent financed by the private sector, not your government.”
Chris Wilkes, senior vice president of Holladay Properties, said the goal is to break ground on the facility in 60 to 90 days with a target opening for next summer.
“Grand Park is clearly the nation’s best sports park, and with the addition of an indoor sports facility of this size and magnitude, Grand Park will be able to hold major sporting events and provide significant economic impact on a year-round basis,” he said.
Wilkes, a Westfield resident, said he has been interested in constructing a project in the city he has called home for the past 13 years for a while.
“Since I work in real estate development, I’ve thought ‘how can we bring our trade to be involved in Westfield?’” he said, adding that the idea came to him when he was touring Grand Park this winter. “It’s such a frozen tundra in winter. It’s (the fields) going to be frozen, we need something with a year-long facility,”
Wilkes said planning for the building began in January.
Jonathan Byrd’s will be the official catering company of the indoor facility. The south side Indianapolis restaurant, which is expanding to the northside, will be open in the facility and will offer family-friendly dining with several food stations throughout the restaurant.
“Grand Park is just an absolutely incredible complex and it’s going to be an amazing addition to the sports landscape of the greater Central Indiana area,” stated Ginny Byrd of Jonathan Byrd’s. “It’s truly an honor to be able to work with the City of Westfield to bring Jonathan Byrd’s brand to Grand Park and to have a place in the amazing facility that is being constructed in Westfield.”
