The Fishers City Council voted unanimously Nov. 20 to annex 25 acres that will be the site of the planned new Fishers Community Center southeast of the intersection of East 121st Street and Hoosier Road.

The $60 million, 105,000-square-foot facility, announced in June, will be recreation-focused, according to the city, and will include amenities such as a dog park, indoor playground, indoor walking/running track and an aquatics facility.

The center will offer memberships and day passes with discounts for Fishers residents. Free amenities will be available to residents and nonresidents, including the indoor playground, indoor track and a café.

The center also will house clinical rooms and offices for the Fishers Health Department, a childcare facility, multipurpose rooms and public gathering spaces. Williams Architects | Aquatics worked with the city and The Hagerman Group on the project design.

The center will be paid for through city-issued bonds following a build-operate-transfer agreement set to end in 2026. The city states that it does not anticipate tax rates will increase as a result of this project.

The community center site is going through a rezoning process to change its designation from residential to open space, which allows it to be used for recreational purposes. The council approved the rezone in first reading and referred that matter to the plan commission.

For more about the center, visit thisisfishers.com/fishers-community-center-at-johnson-farm.

Also during the Nov. 20 meeting, the council approved:

An ordinance to issue up to $12 million in revenue bonds to help finance the construction of District South, a Rebar South Street, LLC, mixed-use development on the south side of South Street, between Lantern Road on the east and the Nickel Plate Trail on the west. The debt payments for the 20-year bonds will be paid by the borrower.
An ordinance to issue $11.8 million in general obligation bonds to fund road improvements, sewer and water infrastructure improvements, trail improvements and equipment purchases.
A resolution approving a project agreement with developer Thompson Thrift, which is investing about $160 million to complete its Fishers District Union project, including a hotel with retail space, additional retail buildings, office buildings and mixed-use buildings. Thompson Thrift also is developing the Fishers District Crossings project, which includes residential and retail space. The developments will be close to the new Fishers Events Center, which is expected to open in November 2024. Through the resolution, the city agrees to issue developer-backed bonds to support the development projects. A bond amount has not yet been determined.