A render of the planned development of White River State Park. Planned facilities include new riverfront areas, parking space and a pavilion for activities. Photo by White River State Park.

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS — The state budget Indiana’s Senate will consider beginning this week includes funding a proposed expansion for White River State Park, which will develop park space from a former General Motors stamping plant property.

The project would also create new limestone stairs in the levee leading to a new overlook, giving panoramic views of downtown Indianapolis.

Lilly Endowment, Inc. has already awarded a $30 million grant to the White River State Park Commission, while another $20 million has been given by Indiana Economic Development court. The final $15 million needed is in the biennial state budget the Indiana House recently approved.

Consideration of what could be done with the land had been ongoing by the park development commission since 2020, when the Indiana Economic Development Corp. announced at least 10 acres of the park would become property of the newly-relocated Greenfield-based Elanco.

Elanco and Purdue University are also working with the IEDC to develop a tech park on the former stamping plant grounds called the OneHealth Innovation District.

The state plans to reroute White River Parkway South along the western edge of the new park property. This will free more recreational land along the river, putting the road closer to the Elanco site.

The new road-path would go between the former crane bay and the Elanco headquarters, to be named Kahn Pavilion in memory of Albert Kahn, a Detroit architect who helped design the old GM facility many decades ago.

The new bay will be a pavilion for events like corporate gatherings, farmer’s markets and weddings.

The river-facing part of the development is predicted to take around a year, while Kahn Pavilion and other parts of phase one will take 14 to 18 months to build.

To facilitate daily traffic, 65 to 85 parking spaces will be built for the expansion, while the southern, undeveloped portion of the site may be used for overflow parking for the time being.