Editor’s note: Our Friends at HCTV recorded this year’s State of the City address, and it is available at HCTV1.com or directly at this link.
Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen delivered his annual “State of the City” address to over 600 guests at the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce luncheon this afternoon at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Noblesville.
Noblesville Common Council President Aaron Smith introduced Mayor Jensen.
In his address, Jensen reflected on the successes of his first four years in office and championed what is ahead for Noblesville, including major infrastructure projects, downtown preservation, and quality-of-life investments for the city.
Mayor Jensen noted the development of a new dashboard which summarizes the status of current projects, which is available at cityofnoblesville.org/development.
A sign language interpreter was on hand as well. (Reporter photo by Hayden Parsons)
After his speech, Mayor Jensen welcomed Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Rick Fuson for a “fireside” chat to discuss the new home of the Indiana Pacers G League franchise at Innovation Mile.
Key highlights from the speech include:
- An enhanced emphasis on public safety, which accounted for 50.1 percent of the recently approved 2024 operational funds budget, including the expansion of the NobleAct Program and the hiring of new sworn officers, firefighters, and a third therapy K9.
- The City of Noblesville and Pacers Sports & Entertainment will break ground on the Noblesville Event Center in November. This arena will be the future home of the Indiana Pacers G League franchise, as well as hosting community events, conferences, entertainment, and sporting events.
- Reimagine Pleasant Street celebrates one year after breaking ground, showing significant progress with the opening of the new roundabouts along Eighth Street – on budget and ahead of schedule.
Downtown, culture & recreation
The city is proactively investing in mixed-use developments that integrate housing, retail, and quality-of-life enhancements for residents.
With projects like East Bank, Village at Federal Hill, Nexus Apartments, and Lofts on Tenth, residents of these communities will enjoy convenient access to scenic trails and retail options while enjoying the advantages of residing near diverse cultural and recreational attractions, including the Bridge of Flowers. This unique transformation of the Logan Street Pedestrian Bridge provides direct access to downtown shopping and dining.
Noblesville is also home to the Ruoff Music Center, which generated $2.6 million in tax revenue and over $40 million in overall annual economic impact, including the creation of 1,500 seasonal jobs, in 2023.
Photo provided by City of Noblesville
Reimagine Pleasant Street
The Reimagine Pleasant Street project is a multi-year initiative to improve east-west connectivity and accessibility for the community. The project, a partnership between the City of Noblesville and Hamilton County will provide Noblesville residents, local businesses, and key stakeholders with many improvements that will enhance mobility and public safety while also honoring the urban character and historic features of the project area.
Approaching the one-year anniversary since breaking ground, Reimagine Pleasant Street has shown significant progress for phase one, including setting the beams for the 645-foot-long bridge over the White River and paving the new roundabouts along Eighth Street. The roundabouts are set to open ahead of schedule in early November.
“This project is a game-changer for Noblesville, and my administration has been committed to engaging the community and meeting our current and future needs from the beginning,” Jensen said. “I’m happy to say this long-awaited project is within budget and on schedule, and I want to thank everyone involved for their work to continue advancing this forward.”
Investment in public safety
Public safety is the number one priority for Jensen’s administration. The NobleAct Program is a mental health crisis and substance abuse response program that utilizes mental health police officers, community paramedics, therapy K9s, and mental health clinicians to provide linkage to community services and divert those in crisis away from the criminal justice system. The program adds a third therapy K9 and an in-house licensed clinical social worker.
Innovation Mile
Innovation Mile encompasses close to 600 acres and fronts Interstate 69. It is a work, live, play, engage, and learn campus designed to drive sustainable economic growth in Noblesville. In September, Innovation Mile broke ground on the Indiana Joint Replacement Institute, a $28 million, 40,000 square-foot surgery center facility and medical office building dedicated to hip and knee replacements.
On Nov. 6, Noblesville will partner with Pacers Sports & Entertainment to break ground on the Noblesville Event Center. The 3,400-seat, 120,000 square-foot arena will be the home to the Indiana Pacers G League franchise, the second most prominent men’s basketball league in the world. The venue will also host community events, conferences, entertainment, and other sporting events.
“Innovation Mile will become a dynamic business and technology hub that will serve as an anchor for revolutionary thinking and a gateway for innovation, leveraging and catalyzing long-term growth opportunities and reinvestment in the City of Noblesville,” Jensen said. “We have great partners in BorgWarner, Indiana Joint Replacement Institute, and Pacers Sports & Entertainment, and I look forward to bringing more companies to our city as this campus will be at the forefront of our city’s future.”
The Noblesville Economic Development Department continues to bring industries to Noblesville in life science innovation, health technology, advanced manufacturing, wholesale trade, and professional, technical & financial services to meet the demand for a highly skilled workforce.
Other highlights of Jensen’s State of the City speech include:
- The Indiana Community Cares grant program will enable communities to invest in proactive and sustainable community paramedicine initiatives designed to assist and rehabilitate at-risk Hoosiers while reducing public safety expenses. The goal is to incentivize municipalities to invest in community paramedicine programs that will improve wellbeing outcomes and ultimately be a cost-saving measure for our state.
- The Promenade, a partnership with Justus Companies, will help transform the western gateway of Noblesville. Currently under construction, the development will be home to the Meijer grocery store as well as Promenade Trails, which will feature cottages and a 55 and older community.
- Midland Pointe is a master plan development featuring residential, retail, restaurants, and direct access to the Midland Trace Trail. This project is part of the city’s overall effort to enhance its western gateway and tie quality of place to economic and workforce growth.
- One of the key pillars of Mayor Jensen’s administration is to protect and enhance the historic downtown. The city and JC Hart will open East Bank in mid-2024. Located on the east bank of the White River, this development will bring new rental and retail units to invigorate the downtown and activate prime real estate along the White River.
- Federal Hill is experiencing significant improvements and growth with the addition of Federal Hill Apartments, adding more residential units near downtown Noblesville. This development, a partnership with Old Town Companies, will feature Bocado, a new Mexican restaurant, as well as Indie Coffee Roasters. It will increase public parking with the addition of the Federal Hill Parking Garage, almost doubling the public parking spaces available around the park.