Fishers announced Sept. 14 new economic developments, including a new event center that will growth the Fishers District. The new event center will be home to the Indy Fuel hockey team.
Indy Fuel owner Jim Hallett said the professional minor league hockey affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Black Hawks will play in the event center beginning in the 2024-25 season. The center will hold up to 8,500 spectators and be managed by Hallett Sports & Entertainment. The Indy Fuel, which currently plays in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, utilizes the Fuel Tank in Fishers for practice.
“I’m thrilled to bring the fun and excitement of Indy Fuel hockey and its fan base to Fishers,” stated Hallett, who is also chairman of Hallett Sports & Entertainment. “We are beyond excited to not only bring the Fuel to Fishers but also have Hallett Sports & Entertainment manage the new facility for the community. We intend for the event center to be the best facility of its size anywhere, create unique experiences for fans, families and groups, and bring a multitude of different types of events and attendees to the city and region.”
Thompson Thrift, the master developer of the Fishers District, also announced plans to expand the district. At its heart, the expansion will house the event center that will host sporting, theatrical and other entertainment events.
The total expansion of the Fishers District is slated at $550 million and will be located east of I-69 between 106th and 116th Street, southeast of IKEA. The expansion will also include new retail, restaurant, entertainment and residential businesses, including The Union — a multi-family and entertainment option at the new district that will include about 250 luxury apartments, 60,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 150 hotel rooms and up to 80,000 feet of office space.
Another multi-use facility will be The Commons, which will be an event center and also have restaurant, retail and residential space.
“This is a monumental day for our city,” Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness stated. “Fishers is thriving and today’s announcement demonstrates that our momentum isn’t slowing down. Since 2019, residents and visitors of Fishers have enjoyed The Yard at Fishers District with a demand we haven’t experienced elsewhere. This announcement to expand the District into even more neighborhoods is exciting news from an entertainment perspective, but also because of the economic development promise to come. This expansion not only answers the call from CEOs and employees looking for restaurants and entertainment but can now be home to our schools’ graduations and statewide sporting events.”
Financing for the event center and the rezoning process for the Thompson Thrift expansion will be introduced at the Sept. 19 Fishers City Council meeting.
