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Commission approves agreement to develop 125‑room hotel on former Chicken and Pickle site
Summary
The Fishers Redevelopment Commission approved a resolution naming BW Development as the RFP award recipient and authorizing a project agreement to build a roughly 125‑room, branded boutique hotel (likely Curio by Hilton) on the roughly 1.2‑acre site adjacent to the Fishers Event Center; the city will convey the land and the developer agreed to cover the site's minimum taxpayer payment obligation.
The Fishers Redevelopment Commission voted to approve a resolution naming BW Development as the RFP award recipient and to approve a project agreement to build a hotel on the former Chicken and Pickle site adjacent to the Fishers Event Center.
In a presentation to the commission, a staff member said the single response to the city's request for proposals proposes a roughly 125‑room hotel, most likely a Curio by Hilton, with approximately 20,000 square feet of first‑floor retail. The site is about 1.2 acres; staff said the city will contribute the land at no cost under the project agreement.
Why it matters: the project represents a public‑private development on city‑owned land intended to add commercial activity around the Fishers Event Center and to generate future tax revenue. During the discussion a commissioner asked what the city paid for the parcel; staff replied $1.1 million and said the developer has agreed to cover the site's existing minimum taxpayer agreement payment that had been a backstop for the adjacent project.
Details presented by staff included a timeline for the project: initial due diligence and internal approvals are underway, with a target groundbreaking in September and an estimated 14–16 month construction period to opening. Staff described tenants already lined up for the retail space, which they said would help "add to that vibrancy" around the event center.
The resolution on the agenda (FRC01R041526) combined two actions: naming BW Development as the RFP recipient and approving the project agreement that memorializes the land conveyance and incentives. A commissioner moved to approve the resolution, a second was recorded, and the chair stated the motion carries; the transcript does not include a roll‑call or vote tally.
What remains unclear from the public record presented at the meeting: the transcript records staff's statement that the developer would cover the minimum taxpayer agreement payment described as "about 100 or $320,000 a year," a figure that is ambiguous in the recording and not separately documented in the meeting text; exact annual payment obligations and any other financial incentives or contingencies were not specified in the recorded discussion.
The commission also approved routine items earlier in the meeting, including the claims docket and an annual RDC report (year end 203125) that staff said required a recorded entry because of an earlier recording issue. The hotel item was the primary development matter discussed; commissioners approved the resolution and no further action items were listed at adjournment.
Next steps: staff indicated BW Development will continue due diligence and proceed with internal approvals; the city and developer will finalize the project agreement and schedule construction milestones. The transcript does not record subsequent approvals (such as permits or site plan approvals) that will be required before construction starts.
