CITY OF WESTFIELD STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ELEVATE GRAND PARK INTO NEW ERA

WESTFIELD, (December 19, 2023) — The City of Westfield is pleased to announce a transformative long-term collaboration with multiple partners, including Indianapolis-based Keystone Group, Indy Sports & Entertainment, Indy Eleven, and Bullpen Ventures, solidifying a landmark public-private partnership. This strategic alliance marks the conclusion of an exhaustive 21-month selection process involving 17 competitive bids for the management and development of Grand Park, America’s leading youth sports campus.

After a thorough evaluation, a city-formed review committee selected the partnership to establish the newly formed entity, Grand Park Sports & Entertainment. Indy Sports & Entertainment and Bullpen Ventures will manage the facility around youth sports while attracting large sporting and entertainment events and diversifying Grand Park’s current sports offerings. Keystone Group, an Indianapolis-based leader in mixed-use development projects, including Eleven Park, the proposed 20,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, is the City of Westfield’s development partner for Grand Park.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2024, Grand Park reflects the visionary leadership of Westfield Mayor Andy Cook, who expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration. “Since its inception, my vision for Grand Park has been establishing a world-class venue for youth sports and a dynamic economic engine for Westfield. We’ve not only achieved but exceeded those initial goals by far. I am confident that this strategic partnership will propel Grand Park to even greater heights in the years to come, significantly contributing to Westfield’s ongoing economic development.”

Under the partnership, Grand Park is poised for an evolution that includes the creation of a dynamic sports and entertainment district. Plans call for a curated mix of restaurants,
hotels, public spaces, a vibrant mixed-use complex encompassing residential, office, and retail spaces, and a state-of-the-art sports facility.

“Keystone is excited about the opportunity to invest in Westfield and work with Mayor-Elect Scott Willis and the new city leadership to achieve their vision to expand and enhance Grand Park into an even more elevated premier destination for sports and entertainment with added amenities and year-round activities,” said Ersal Ozdemir, Chairman & CEO of Keystone Group. “As a leader in transformational neighborhood projects, our bold vision, combined with our experience on similar projects such as Eleven Park, will help create a vibrant live, work, play village around a world-class sports and entertainment epicenter that will not only engage residents but will entice visitors and keep all in the community wanting to return year after year.”

Grand Park and Indy Eleven have long-established relationships, with the multipurpose sports campus serving as the Indy Eleven’s Official Training Center. Indy Sports & Entertainment intends to build a new world-class training facility at Grand Park that will become the official training home of the Indy Eleven and the new women’s professional team that will play in the Super League.

“Our bid from the outset was to show the City of Westfield that we had capabilities to provide best-in-class management and operational excellence of the Grand Park Sports Campus for long-term sustainability and growth. It has been a pleasure to be part of this process with the City of Westfield since the outset, where we have worked diligently to demonstrate our capabilities,” explained Greg Stremlaw, President and CEO of Indy Sports & Entertainment and Indy Eleven. “With our major expansion in men’s, women’s, and youth soccer over the last couple of years especially, and with another world-class development in Eleven Park in downtown Indianapolis forthcoming, we feel there are unprecedented synergies and opportunities that will further benefit Grand Park and Westfield for many years to come.”

Bullpen Ventures, owner of Pro X Athlete Development and all baseball operations at Grand Park through its Bullpen Tournaments, brings years of experience in delivering first-class sporting events at premier facilities across America with management and oversight of more than 120,000 baseball and softball games, serving more than 35,000 teams since 2017. The company oversees tournaments in over 20 states and manages over 50 diamonds.

“Bullpen Ventures is thrilled to announce our role in the ongoing expansion of Grand Park in collaboration with two outstanding partners—Indy Sports and Entertainment, a leader in youth and professional soccer, and Keystone Group, the premier developer in the Midwest. Our collective passion for the park is unmatched, and we are eager to contribute our operational expertise to enhance the entire Grand Park campus, which will undoubtedly elevate Grand Park and the City of Westfield to new heights. As proud members of the Westfield community, we are honored to be part of this exciting journey, shaping the future of one of the most exceptional sports and entertainment destinations in the world,” stated Ken Kocher, Owner of Bullpen Ventures.

As Mayor-elect Scott Willis prepares to assume office, the strategic development of Grand Park is a prominent part of his administration’s agenda. “I am excited that Grand Park Sports and Entertainment will partner with us at Grand Park. With their extensive experience in park operations and global relationships in the sports industry, this partnership is a natural next step. This agreement will profoundly impact our residents, dramatically improving their experience at the park and bringing amenities and a more robust commercial tax base to our city. I am confident that we will take Grand Park to the next level and thrilled for what the future holds.”

The City of Westfield will retain ownership of Grand Park, with the terms of the partnership outlining Grand Park Sports & Entertainment’s commitment to the development and management of the campus for up to forty years, valued at 300 million dollars to the City of Westfield.

This collaboration symbolizes a strategic convergence between public and private entities, poised to propel Grand Park into a new era of excellence, growth, and community engagement.