2023 was another busy year for the City of Fishers, with new spaces, initiatives, and programs to bring our community together. It was also a year of anticipation as we gear up for one of Fishers’ biggest years yet. 2024 will mark the opening of major new community destinations like the Fishers Event Center and new City Hall and Art Center, a record investment in neighborhoods and trails, new culinary and entertainment attractions at the expanded Fishers District, and more. And with the opening of the Andretti Autosport’s global headquarters and Fishers Community Center at Johnson Farm slated for 2025, it’s full steam ahead for Fishers’ next chapter.
Here are 10 highlights from the past year:
1. Last spring, we broke ground on the Fishers Event Center, the largest mid-size event center in the region.
The 8,500-seat entertainment and sporting venue will open in late 2024 and serve as the cornerstone of The Crossing, an expansion of Fishers District including new restaurants, retails, and entertainment, like the highly anticipated Chicken N Pickle. The venue will also be the home of the Indy Fuel, along with the all-new Indoor Football League team, Fishers Freight.
2. In June, the City announced its plans to build the Fishers Community Center at Johnson Farm, a 100,000+ square feet facility on Hoosier Road near 121st Street.
Fishers’ first community center will feature highly desired amenities like a dog park, indoor playground, and an indoor walking/running track. Along with an aquatic facility, gymnasiums, childcare facility, cafe, and fitness center, the community center will also house Outside the Box’s adult day program to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The facility will also serve as the home for the Fishers Health Department. Set to open in 2025, the center is expected to break ground in early 2024.
3. Fishers’ trail system expanded in 2023, with the paving of the Nickel Plate Trail between 96th and 106th Street and the opening of portions of the long-awaited Geist Greenway.
The Nickel Plate Trail now spans from 96th Street to 146th Street, and Noblesville and Indianapolis are underway developing their portions of the trail. Now that paving is complete, the City is focused on enhancing the trail experience, adding trailheads, public art, and amenities along the trail. New businesses are also popping up along the trail, like Niyyah Coffee in Hub & Spoke and Cooper & Cow Steakhouse & Bourbon Lounge off 116th. The Geist Greenway in east Fishers is also open between Valley Crossing to 126th Street. Construction continues along the other portions of the trail, which once open, will span five miles from 96th Street to 131st Street.
4. 2023 was a big year for economic development, as we continue to build a thriving and sustainable city.
With $299 million in total investment and 625 new job commitments with an average wage of $81,000, Fishers is no longer the sleepy suburb of years past but a dynamic community where you can live, play, AND work. Redevelopment projects like CityWalk and District South are helping to cultivate a vibrant downtown and continued growth in the life science sector has put Fishers on the map not only nationally, but also internationally, as global corporations are building headquarters right here in our community. In 2024, expect additional growth in the life science industry, new development at The Crossing near the new Fishers Event Center, and more.
5. 2023 showcased a deeper commitment to the arts in our community.
The new Fishers City Hall & Art Center, which began construction last spring and is planned to open in early summer 2024, will feature art classes hosted by the Indianapolis Art Center, public art galleries, and a performance theater where the community can gather to celebrate and appreciate the art. New public art also debuted around the city this past year, including the brightly colored Greetings from Fishers mural by the Wilkinson Brothers in the downtown Nickel Plate Cultural District, adjacent to the upcoming Café Patachou and Penn & Beech Candle Co. locations along the Nickel Plate Trail. The Fishers Arts & Culture Business Matching Grant program has also funded new public art around the community, including Mudsock Horsepower at Alderman Automotive, and a sculpture planned for the upcoming Whistle Drive development. 2024 will bring even more public art to Fishers, with new artwork planned to open along the Nickel Plate Trail.
6. Last summer, Fishers Parks opened the new Geist Waterfront Park off Olio Road.
The 20-acre waterfront park serves as the only public parcel on Geist Reservoir and features a beach and swimming area, playground, picnic shelters, walking trails, and non-motorized boat launch. The park hosted a portion of the new Geist Half Marathon’s 5K course last fall during the 15th running of the popular community race. Next summer, the Fishers Parks team is planning to expand events and programming at the park. Follow Fishers Parks on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with the latest news.
7. While 2024 will feature a historic investment in neighborhood vibrancy with a groundbreaking $11.5 in investments, 2023 set the stage.
This year, the Fishers Department of Public Works repaired more than 3,500 sidewalk panels, while the Fishers Engineering team resurfaced 24 miles of roads—including nearly 100 roads—throughout the community. The teams also installed nearly 6 miles of new trails and sidewalks to create a more pedestrian-friendly Fishers. The City’s Neighborhood Vibrancy Grant Program awarded 21 projects nearly $90,000 to bolster community neighborhoods. In 2024, a record-breaking $750,000 in grant funding will be available, inviting residents and homeowners’ associations an opportunity to infuse even more vibrancy into their gathering spaces.
8. This fall, the Fishers Health Department launched a Retail Food Inspection Grading System for Fishers restaurants.
Fishers is the second municipality in the state to implement this protocol, and the only in central Indiana. Grades are now posted on the exterior doors of all Fishers restaurants and available through an interactive online dashboard, offering residents unparalleled transparency to food safety ratings. This bold initiative by the Fishers Health Department demonstrates the department’s commitment to prioritizing the health and safety of Fishers residents.
9. Mayor Fadness announced a $3.7 million investment in the 96th Street corridor, just east of the I-69 interchange, to revitalize this southern gateway to our community.
Investments include additional streetlights, median and landscape construction along North by Northeast Boulevard, and façade improvement grants for commercial properties along the north side of 96th. Along with the planned White River Park, new roundabout at Allisonville Road intersection, and upcoming developments such as CRG Residential’s River Place and Andretti Global’s headquarters and museum, this corridor will completely transform over coming years.
10. The City of Fishers’ volunteer program is now bigger than ever, with more volunteers and opportunities than ever before.
In 2023, volunteers donated more than 10,500 hours back to the community (2,500 more than in 2022), helping to host events like Spark!Fishers and the Geist Half Marathon, volunteering with local nonprofit organizations, and more. The City also launched new Steward programs to gives volunteers the opportunity to help care for our community’s valued resources. With a new Park Steward and Rain Garden Steward program rounding out the list of stewardship opportunities, there are more ways than ever to get involved. Along with events like the Habitat for Humanity Community Build, Fishers High School Day of Service, and MLK Day Community Food Drive, 2023 was a year of service and supporting our friends, neighbors, and community. Find volunteer opportunities with the City of Fishers and more than 100 local nonprofits at com.
Stephanie Perry is the Assistant Director of Public Relations of the City of Fishers. Born and raised in Fishers, Stephanie graduated from HSE in 2006 and is now raising her kids in her childhood home in West Fishers, which she purchased from her parents when they moved. She loves supporting the local small business community, running on Fishers’ trails, and spending time at Conner Prairie with her family (Headless Horsemen and A Merry Prairie Holiday are family favorites!). Stephanie and her husband enjoy getting outdoors and spending time camping, hiking, and boating. Stephanie has enjoyed watching her city grow over the past few decades and loves the assets and amenities that the community provides, from the parks and special events to the array of restaurants and shops.