2026 Press Release Update:
In April 2023, Whitestown announced plans for a projected $20 million aquatics facility on the former Wrecks site and aimed for groundbreaking in late 2023. During 2023, the Town was still working through requests for proposals and planning agreements before anything could be finalized. The $20 million projection was not confirmed with bids or direct community engagement with residents. The aquatics facility was an early concept and part of long-range planning. Plans often evolve as budgets, agreements, partnerships, and community feedback develop. Since then, the Town has shifted focus to developing a public park on the Wrecks site, and the aquatics facility is not actively proposed at this time due to cost and planning priorities. The Town remains committed to community amenities, but timing and specific projects can change based on what is best for the future of the sustainability of the Town and its residents.
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2023 Press Release:
The Town of Whitestown has announced plans to proceed with the construction of an aquatics facility at the former Wrecks Inc. automobile junkyard along Indianapolis Road.
“This amenity has been highly anticipated by our residents. One of the most exciting parts of the project is that it will be paid for without raising property taxes,” said Whitestown Town Council President Clinton Bohm. “The aquatics facility is expected to be funded through revenue generated as a direct result of Whitestown’s industrial and commercial growth, such as tax increment financing (TIF).”
The Whitestown Town Council will consider authorizing the first steps towards a public-private partnership for the project, including the adoption of the build-operate-transfer (BOT) process at its next meeting on Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. The BOT model is used to finance and operate large publicly-owned projects through a public-private partnership.
“We will first invite proposals, and then after public input, the Town Council will select a private partner for the facility,” said Town Manager Jason Lawson. “The selected partner will be expected to construct and then operate and manage the facility while the Town will retain ownership of the facility.”
Over the past few years, the Town has worked to ensure that the environmental issues on the former Wrecks property were addressed, and in late 2022 the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) issued a Certificate of Completion for the site.
“We intend to break ground in late 2023 and be fully operational by 2025,” said Whitestown Director of Operations and Economic Development Nathan Messer. “We look forward to adding other amenities to the site and continue building out the other phases of the project.”
“There are many steps along the way in this process, but I am pleased to see this multi-generational amenity come to life in Whitestown,” said Bohm.
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