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City advances 20‑year lease for AgriPark West with Indianapolis Airport Authority, FAA approval secured
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Summary
The City approved recommending a 20‑year lease, with a 10‑year extension option, with the Indianapolis Airport Authority for AgriPark West; staff said FAA approval has been received and preliminary designs target a 2027 opening with trails, 'you‑pick' areas and limited structures.
City staff moved forward on a long‑planned AgriPark West project on a parcel under negotiation with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, recommending a 20‑year land lease with an option to extend for 10 additional years.
“This is an exciting one,” Jake Bergman, director of Recreation and Wellness, said, adding that staff have negotiated with the Indianapolis Airport Authority for more than 18 months and have obtained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Bergman said the city can now bring the lease recommendation to the governing body for approval so site preparation can begin with a target opening in 2027.
City staff described a relatively low‑impact anchor park concept that includes trails across the property, a gravel parking lot and access road, areas planted for 'you‑pick' produce, and the possibility of a metal pole‑barn structure or limited livestock use later in the project. “We have an initial design concept that we have socialized with neighbors and the community,” Bergman said.
The council recommended approval by voice vote. Staff emphasized that detailed design and final program elements remain to be developed and will be shared with neighbors and stakeholders as planning proceeds. No specific budget, lease payment amounts or construction contracts were referenced in the discussion; design and implementation steps were described as next actions.
The motion to recommend the lease was made and seconded and carried by voice vote. The next procedural step will be execution of the lease and subsequent site prep and design work toward the 2027 target opening.
