WESTFIELD, Ind. — Big changes are coming to one of Central Indiana’s largest sports destinations.

On Tuesday, Gov. Mike Braun joined Westfield city leaders to break ground on a new 152-acre development at Grand Park.

Millions of visits are made to Grand Park every year, with families coming from across the country for sporting events. Now, Westfield leaders want to give those visitors more reasons to stay while creating something new for the people who live there.

“It’s a 112 million dollar investment, including a 510 space parking garage, approximately 250 residential apartments, and 25,000 square feet of retail space,” Ersal Ozdemir, founder and owner of Keystone Group said.

The project is part of an estimated $1.1 billion investment that will be developed in phases.

The idea is to create a place where people can live, work, and spend time, even when there isn’t a tournament happening.

“We’re hoping it’s going to bring in businesses and really create an economy around sports. It’s going to more than kids playing sports here, it’s going to be professional sports with Indy Eleven and the hockey team, it’s going to be businesses focused on sports. This is going to be an incredible ecosystem that I think it’s going to be good for our state,” Westfield Mayor Scott Willis said.

Grand Park has already become a major economic driver for Westfield.

Gov. Braun hopes to attract more visitors, create jobs and keep more tourism dollars in the community.
He thinks Grand Park is an example of what other cities across Indiana can do to grow.

“That is like an anchor for an economy that will ripple across the rest of the state, and then there’s always going to be things you can see in certain places that you want to try to emulate. That’s kind of my job to find out what that is, and then make it possible for the other places that would like to have at least some of it,” Braun said.

But the transformation won’t happen overnight. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2028.

“We’re hoping in 2028 you’ll see this come alive with restaurants and shops and offices on the main level and then apartments and office space going vertical from there,” Willi said.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly trading fourth-year wide receiver Josh Downs, along with a 2027 seventh-round pick, to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round and fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft.

The Colts selected Downs in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In 55 career games, he has recorded 228 receptions for 2,470 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Downs reportedly requested a trade on Oct. 28. After Sunday’s 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, he was asked whether he wanted to remain with the Colts.

“I said I’m open to whatever,” Downs said. “If they want me to stay here, I’m going to stay here, and if they want to trade me away, they’ll trade me away.”

In his final game with the Colts, Downs caught three passes for 24 yards and had two crucial drops, one of which came on the Colts’ final offensive possession. After the difficult outing against Dallas, he was asked whether it was challenging to focus on football amid the ongoing trade rumors.

“I don’t really have an answer for that,” Downs said. “I practiced well this week. I was catching balls all week and playing hard. I wasn’t distracted. I was just, like I said, I just stunk today.”

Through Week 9, Downs had recorded 33 catches for 354 yards and one touchdown.

The trade comes three weeks after the Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard and two weeks after the team traded away franchise pillars Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Colts are making a move on Tuesday ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline.

According to Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport among others, the Colts are trading wide receiver Keenan Allen to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Allen has 40 catches, 351 yards and a touchdown for the Colts this season.

The Colts signed Allen to the roster back in August during the team’s training camp.

It’s the second trade between the Colts and 49ers in recent weeks. Last month, the Colts traded defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco.

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Missing Persons Detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a 39-year-old woman who has been missing for more than a week.

Emily Everett was last seen on Oct. 31 on foot in the area of 7900 N Shadeland Avenue in Indianapolis. She has now been missing for ten days.

Emily is described as 5’10”, 190 pounds, with blond-brown hair and brown eyes. Authorities say she may be in need of immediate medical attention.

Anyone who sees Emily is urged to call 911 immediately.

Those with information on her whereabouts are encouraged to contact authorities through any of the following:

• IMPD Missing Persons Unit: (317) 327-6160
• Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana: (317) 262-8477 (TIPS)
• Online: CrimeTips.org
• Mobile: Download the P3tips app on Apple or Android devices to submit a tip anonymously

INDIANAPOLIS — A major road construction project on Indy’s south side has hit a snag and people who live nearby want to know why.

In September 2024, the City of Indianapolis announced a “road diet” project for Madison Avenue, which will shrink the number of lanes and add new curbs and sidewalks.

But nearly two years later, neighbors say construction work has stopped.

“It seemed like in a matter of days, all the workers were gone,” Clark Harris, a resident in the Bates Hendricks neighborhood, said.

Harris said the halt happened in July.

“It felt very strange,” Harris said. “All the workers disappeared.” Harris is also on the Bates Hendricks neighborhood board.

“They’re almost done, they’re like 80 percent there, and then this section right here by this train bridge is where the stoppage is,” Harris said.

Harris has been looking forward to the roadway improvements and the interurban paved trail, which will connect downtown to the south side.

“There’s not a lot of love to the south side, so this was really exciting for us here,” Harris said.

Harris contacted Indiana’s I-Team to find out what’s going on with the road diet project on Madison Avenue.

Indiana’s I-Team took our questions to the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW).

Kyle Bloyd, Chief Communications Officer for Indy DPW, said construction crews ran into a problem while working on a new retaining wall for the Madison Avenue project.

“They found a small crack in that new retaining wall, and so our engineering team, the design team, have had to go back figure out what the cause of that is,” Bloys said. “It is still unknown what the exact cause of that is, and the exact fix is still unknown.”

DPW says as of now, the crack issue only impacts Phase 1 of the project, which runs from Ray Street to Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive.

Phase 1 was originally supposed to be completed at the end of this year.

“We’d probably need a couple of extra months following winter, and that would probably put us around June-ish of 2027,” Bloyd said.

The $47 million Madison Avenue Road Diet is a “Complete Streets” project that aims to improve road safety. It’s one of dozens of similar projects totaling $305 million scheduled over the next few years.

The money for the Madison Avenue project comes from city and federal funding, including multiple rounds of grants distributed by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization (IMPO). Indiana’s I-Team asked DPW if the delays will cost the city more money.

“To be seen,” Bloyd said. “If construction crews have concerns, we simply aren’t going to sign off on it.  We are going to get the project done right.”

We shared the new timeline with resident Clark Harris, who was not aware the project will now be finished in June 2027 rather than the end of this year.

“It’s a bummer for the residents around here, but it’s understandable,” Harris said. “It seemed very abrupt and it was concerning for me and other residents around here.”

The money for the Madison Avenue project comes from city and federal funding.

It will remove two lanes, sixteen miles of street will be repaved and new curbs and sidewalks will be added. It will also introduce the Interurban Trail, which will connect downtown with the south side.

Here’s where the rest of the Madison Avenue road diet project stands:

• Phase 2: Martin Street to Hanna Avenue- expected to finish fall 2027.
• Phase 3: Pleasant Run Parkway North to Martin Street- expected to finish end of 2028.

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis City-County Council committee on Monday night voted to recommend against a proposed tax break for the $2 billion DC Blox data center near Irvington, one of the largest private development projects in Indianapolis history.

The Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee voted 11-2 against recommending the tax breaks. The proposal heads to the full council on Dec. 7.

The $113 million incentive package would provide tax breaks over 10 years for the data center near South Kitley Avenue and the Pennsy Trail on the Indianapolis east side. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission on July 15 approved a variance to allow construction to begin, just ahead of a citywide data center moratorium through 2027, which the council approved Aug. 19.

As part of the tax break, DC Blox has announced that it will double its local investment commitment to $30 million, including $5 million to help restore the nearby Washington Square Mall property.

Under the tax break proposal, the site would still generate nearly $28 million in tax revenue over 10 years. The amount would increase significantly after the tax abatement expires.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Colts lost their fifth straight game on Sunday, falling to the Dallas Cowboys at home.

With the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, some players may have played their last game with the Colts. One player that has had his name in trade rumors is running back Jonathan Taylor.

Taylor reflected on the emotions after Sunday’s game, saying he is very grateful for the city of Indianapolis and that it was a pleasure to put on the display the hard work that him and his teammates have put in.

WISH-TV/WRTV Colts Insider Kevin Bowen weighed in on what he expects will happen.

“I think it’s out of his control, is kind of what I took away from that,” Bowen said. “Jonathan (Taylor) certainly talked in past tense and it did sound borderline like a goodbye at times. But again, he has no control over this. He is under contract, but it is up to the Colts whether or not they will trade him. He is the marquee name right now.”

Ultimately, Bowen does not think Taylor will be traded.

“Very 50-50 on it, but I’m going to say Carlie Irsay-Gordon says at least one pillar player needs to be kept,” Bowen said.

Up next for the Colts is a matchup against the 1-7 Dolphins. Bowen thinks getting past the trade deadline will be a benefit for the Colts.

“If you’re ever going to get off this five-game losing streak, you would think a team with one win that has some injury questions at quarterback right now would be it,” Bowen said. “But yes, I do think the cloud of the trade deadline is something that has affected this football team.”

The Colts are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday at home against the Dolphins.

WABASH COUNTY — A Fairmount man is dead following a hunting accident in Wabash County Sunday evening, according to Indiana Conservation Officers.

Shortly before 6 p.m., Indiana Conservation Officers responded to a report of a hunting-related accident in Wabash County. Upon arrival, investigators determined that a male hunter had accidentally discharged a crossbow, causing an arrow to strike his right leg.

The man sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the accident. First responders treated him at the scene before he was airlifted to a Fort Wayne hospital. Despite medical efforts, he later died from his injuries.

The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The incident remains under investigation by Indiana Conservation Officers. Additional information is expected to be released as it becomes available.

IRVING, Texas — The College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams beginning with the 2027-28 season after the CFP Management Committee unanimously approved the change Monday.

The expanded format will include 23 games, with 16 played on college campuses. The current 12-team format will remain in place for the 2026-27 season.

The 24-team field will include the four conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, along with the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. The remaining 19 spots will go to the highest-ranked teams in the final CFP Selection Committee rankings.

The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes and host second-round games. Teams seeded ninth through 16th will host first-round games against teams seeded 17th through 24th.

The first and second rounds will be played Thursday through Saturday on the campuses of the higher-seeded teams.

“The decision to expand was driven by a desire to increase opportunities for FBS programs, student-athletes and fan bases to participate in the Playoff and have a chance to play for the CFP National Championship,” the College Football Playoff said in a statement.

CFP Board of Managers Chairman Mark Keenum said the expanded format will create more opportunities for programs and fans.

“Opening the Playoff to more programs, more student-athletes and more fan bases across the country is great for college football,” Keenum said.

The quarterfinals and semifinals will continue to be played at the six CFP bowl sites: the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls.

The expansion also includes new scheduling standards intended to encourage more high-profile nonconference games during the regular season. Teams in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC will be expected to play at least 10 qualifying regular-season games against conference opponents, other teams in those four conferences or Notre Dame.

Teams in the other conferences will be expected to play at least 10 qualifying games against conference opponents, teams from the Group of 6 or Power 4 conferences, Notre Dame or other independent programs.

The selection committee will not give teams additional credit for wins over more than one FCS opponent in a season.

ESPN also reached a new media rights agreement with the CFP and will remain the exclusive worldwide rights holder through the 2031-32 season. ESPN and ABC will carry all 23 games, although ESPN will have the option to sublicense select games.

CFP Executive Director Rich Clark said the organization intends to deliver a strong experience for fans and participating schools under the expanded format.

“We will make the 24-team Playoff spectacular for the fans, student-athletes, their institutions and all our stakeholders,” Clark said.

The CFP also said no playoff games will be scheduled during the Army-Navy game. The Heisman Trophy ceremony weekend will move one week earlier, with the 2027 event scheduled for Dec. 3-5.

The first national championship game under the expanded format will be played Jan. 24, 2028, in New Orleans. Tampa Bay will host the 2029 championship game.

The 24-team format is scheduled to remain in place through the 2031-32 season.

INDIANAPOLIS — Five teens found themselves in cuffs Sunday after Indianapolis police arrested them for armed carjacking following a police chase.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrests Monday morning. The teens’ ages range from 15 to 17. Their identities have not been released.

IMPD says Southwest District officers were dispatched to an armed carjacking incident in the 5900 block of Beachview Drive just after 11 p.m. Saturday. That address is in the Westlake Apartments on Indy’s far west side near I-465 and W. 10th St.

There, officers met with the victim, who said at least four males approached him and demanded his keys. At that point, one of the suspects “pistol-whipped the victim while taking his car keys and his vehicle.”

After reviewing security camera footage, investigators pulled together enough details to get descriptions of the vehicle and the suspects that matched the information the victim gave police.

The teens and the stolen car weren’t spotted again until an ISP trooper found the vehicle on Indy’s northwest side. Joined by IMPD officers, the trooper attempted to pull over the stolen vehicle, but the suspects fled immediately.

The chase ended when an officer performed a PIT maneuver near 38th Street and Cold Spring Road. Though the teens tried to escape police on foot, all five were caught soon after.

During the foot chase, one teen was caught tossing a gun. IMPD noted the gun was later recovered and had been equipped with a machinegun conversion device.

The group of suspects – consisting of two 15-year-olds, one 16-year-old, and two 17-year-olds – were all arrested on a preliminary charge of battery.