Update: Westfield city councilors approved plans for the Trace Commons development on May 11, 2026. The project will be built adjacent to the Midland Trace Trail and will include ground-floor retail with about 300 apartment units and additional commercial buildings. The project also includes 30 townhomes that are planned for along the Midland Trace Trail,
Westfield leaders are considering another mixed-use development project that would bring more housing options and retail to the city — this one located off the Midland Trace Trail.
The $80 million project, called Trace Commons, would be built to complement the trail at 3901 Westfield Road, according to a report put together by the developer, Level 2 Development.
The site is not far from Westfield’s eastern border with Noblesville and is currently zoned to allow high-intensity commercial developments, like lawn and garden centers or big-box stores, Matthew Skelton, who represents the developer, told city councilors at a Feb. 23 meeting.
If approved, Trace Commons would include 27,000 square feet of commercial space, which Level 2 Development envisions as a gateway into the City of Westfield.
Plans for the development also include two four-story, mixed-use buildings containing ground-floor retail and about 300 apartment units. The project plans also include townhomes located along the Midland Trace Trail.
The plans call for tree preservation when possible, especially along the trail, Skelton told city councilors.
The commercial space at the development could include five to 10 businesses, with the developer targeting restaurants, coffee shops, specialty markets, fitness studios or other businesses that draw in trail-users.
The development is designed to be pedestrian, bike, and stroller-centric and features connections to the Midland Trace Trail, with a trailhead plaza that would include a bike repair station and pavilion.
The project includes a community plaza that Level 2 Development envisions being used as a pop-up gathering space for food trucks, farmers’ markets, and seasonal events. There’s also a pond with a water feature and a walking loop trail.
Several mixed-use developments already in the works in Westfield
The Trace Commons proposal comes as Westfield officials have worked to transform the city, especially the city’s downtown, with mixed-use developments and parking garages. Since taking office in 2024, Mayor Scott Willis has repeatedly noted that Westfield is the only city in Hamilton County whose downtown population has decreased in the last decade, and he has focused on finding projects to fix that.
The city’s first-ever city-owned parking garage opened in the fall of last year. The garage opened at downtown Westfield’s first-ever mixed-use development, called The Union, which features apartments, retail and restaurants and is located at the intersection of State Road 32 and Mill Street.
Last July, Westfield city councilors OKed a development to be built on the northeast corner of Jersey and Poplar Streets, which includes a parking garage, more than 200 apartments, office space, retail space and a stand-alone, high-end restaurant. That project also includes two roof decks, one with a pool that overlooks the nearby Grand Junction Plaza, public plaza areas and greenspace with water features.
Last May, Westfield city councilors approved a $123 million development, which also includes a public parking garage and 240 apartment units, 56 townhomes, a public plaza, 29,000 square feet of retail on southeast corner of Park and Poplar Streets. This project is adjacent to Midland Trace Trail.
And last January, the city council approved another transformative development project. The $27 million project, called Ambrose on Main will be built on the northeast corner of North East Street and State Road 32 and will include 87 one and two-bedroom apartments, with 12,000 square feet of commercial space, including a restaurant with outdoor seating.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Townhomes and apartments approved along the Midland Trace Trail. Here’s where
Reporting by Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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