Since Grand Park opened in March, it has had nearly 400,000 people pass through the gates for the first time. On June 20 through 22, city and state officials joined residents in celebrating the official opening of the sports complex, what it has achieved and what remains in its bright future.
“It’s more than just dirt, more than just a revenue stream. That’s what makes it special,” Deputy Mayor Todd Burtron said.
“It isn’t the government folks that put this together. I may throw out some wacky ideas but it’s really funny to watch all of our citizens follow us and create this wacky stuff,” Mayor Andy Cook said, adding the success of Grand Park can already be seen. “We’ve put $30 million into the Hoosier economy that did not exist last year and will continue to grow.”
The weekend kicked off June 20 with a concert featuring Dave & Rae and concluded with a 5K family fun run/walk on June 22. In addition to live music, food offerings, a kids’ fun zone and 50-foot Ferris wheel, the park had its official ribbon cutting.
“In Westfield we’ve realized big dreams have accomplished big things and we are still dreaming,” City Council President Jim Ake said.
Gov. Mike Pence called Grand Park “Indiana’s Field of Dreams” and an “awesome, awesome example of a private-public partnership.”
“What’s been done here is a contribution, not just to the City of Westfield, not just to Hamilton County and not just to the State of Indiana. What you have done here in true Hoosier style is come together as leaders and citizens and build the largest multipurpose youth sports complex in the United States of America,” he said. “I want to celebrate with you today as fellow Hoosiers because people all across this state and all across this country will be the beneficiaries of what you’ve done here.”
While Grand Park is about youth sports and youth sports development, Pence said make no mistake about it, what the city has done is economic development.
“We know this is a state that works, but when we see not just athletes but families coming from all over the country to see what happens here in Indiana, I just know it means opportunities for generations to come,” he said. “This will be a place where families gather, where memories are made, where even a soccer coach gets pulled over to the baseball side, and it’s going to be a place where dreams come true for so many people.”
Pence said when the nation thinks youths sports they’ll be thinking Grand Park.
“When kids across America say, ‘Take me out to the ballpark,’ more often than not – for generations – they are going to be headed for the Hoosier state,” he said.
Steve Henke, developer of Grand Park, said it was hard to describe the feelings he had at the opening.
“We’ve been working on this for four to five years and the city’s been working even longer,” he said. “I know we’ve achieved the goal – the best, biggest and highest quality.”
Henke said the important part of the development was to keep it as a park, which contains 10 miles of trails and will eventually connect to the Monon Trail.
“The quality of lifestyle it helps bring to Westfield was a steadfast vision on this. It’s something that the mayor has really pushed on for economic initiatives. It’s been an incredible public-private partnership,” he said.
Grand Park is home to Indiana Soccer and Lids Indiana Bulls baseball team in addition to Westfield youth sports league. Prior to the park being built, executive director Mike Mundy said Lids was “homeless.”
“We not only have a home, we have a mansion,” he said, adding the organization dreamed of having three, maybe four fields. “We have 26 fields. I want to thank the City of Westfield and the mayor for the marvelous park.”
Mundy said Grand Park will be the premier place for college scouts.
“They can see 400 kids each play,” he said. “We have three tournaments we can run because of the construction of the complex.”
Don Rawson of Indiana Sports Properties said the U.S. Soccer Development Academy that was held last week with 110 teams from 48 states had 27,000 visits and an economic impact of $3.4 million.
“That’s real money being spent in the City of Westfield, Hamilton County and surrounding areas,” he said.
