Westfield councilor: Grand Park not bringing in enough to pay off its debt
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — News 8 has learned more about the Westfield city government’s decision to put Grand Park Sports Complex up for sale.
The 400-acre complex is home to youth sports and the current site for the Indianapolis Colts training camp.
Scott Willis, a Westfield city councilor, told News 8 that he and other council members found gaps in some contracts surrounding Grand Park. He said they asked the mayor to formalize those contracts and, in doing so, the city received several responses. Some of which, Willis said, were businesses expressing interest in buying the massive complex.
Willis said the park has brought tons of money to the city, but not enough to pay off its debt.
The councilor said Thursday, “Private industry does a much better job of running businesses than the government. If the city can get the right price to pay off the debt for Grand Park and puts money in our coffers to invest in infrastructure, I think that’s a wonderful thing.”
Statement
“The City has been fortunate to have excellent leaders and staff to guide Grand Park since its inception, as well as great partners for its operations. But even their monumental efforts have a ceiling because of red tape inherent in operating Grand Park as a municipality. So, we are at a point at which we need the private sector’s input on how Grand Park can reach new heights for the benefit of the City and its residents.”
Westfield Mayor Andy Cook, a Republican