Happy (almost) Thanksgiving week, friends. I’ve included a primer on everything holiday-related in Noblesville below, but first, here’s the latest happening in the 9th largest1 city in the State of Indiana:
1. The Federal Hill Parking Garage is Open.
Nearly four years in the making — the parking garage at Federal Hills Commons is open! A few helpful tidbits to know:
While the skybridge is under construction, you’ll need to enter the parking garage from the south (off of SR-32).
The parking garage nearly doubles the number of public parking spaces available. There are dedicated resident spaces in addition to the public spaces.
The park’s restrooms have been expanded and are now housed near the pedestrian entrance to the garage.
The parking garage has three EV charging stations – all located on the ground floor.
And, similar to the Levinson, the Federal Hill Parking Garage provides four hours of free parking to guests, and then costs $2 per hour after that per day.
Over the next year, you’ll see more additions to the building when:
The Federal Hill Apartments become available
Indie Coffee Roasters moves into the space facing the park
And Bocado, the new Mexican restaurant, moves right next to the coffee shop!
2. Pacers broke ground.
Earlier this month, we also broke ground on the events center in Innovation Mile, alongside leadership from the Pacers.
We were lucky to have so many great folks on hand for the event including NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Rick Fuson. I followed Shareef (who comes in at meager 6’ 9”) in the speaking lineup. I’ve never felt so short!
Details on the building: The 3,400-seat, 120,000-square-foot arena will be planted alongside I-69, just east of BorgWarner. Outside of the basketball games, the venue will also be home to other sports, community events, concerts, conferences and more. It’s expected to open during the 2025-2026 season.
3. 9th Street Bistro named in OpenTable’s Top 100!
Culled from over 12 million verified diner reviews and dining metrics including diner ratings, percentage of reservations made in advance, and five-star reviews, the list highlights the top 100 top spots favored by diners this year across the country...and includes Noblesville’s own 9th Street Bistro! We all know them to be an incredible spot, but it’s time the entire country sees the same too. Congrats to Rachel, Samir, and team!
4. December is Action-Packed.
Here’s everything you need to know for the next month and a half in Noblesville!
Nov. 18: Ice Plaza Opens for Skating & Walking Lights Tour
Federal Hill Commons, Noblesville Parks
Nov. 24: “Gifted" exhibit opens
Noblesville Creates
November 25th: Small Business Saturday
Downtown Noblesville Shopping throughout the day followed by the Lighting of the Square at 6:30pm outside the Judicial Center and Courthouse Lawn.
Nov. 30: Indiana Peony Festival’s Noblesville Flower Market
Opens from 5-8pm in the East Alley
December 1st: First Friday: Deck the Downtown
Trolly Stops At All LocationsKick the night off with Lights Over Seminary at 5:30-7pm, followed by Midnight Madness shopping downtown until 12am. There will also be an Anthony Schillaci showcase and an exhibit open from the the Hamilton County Artists’ Association. Don’t forget about ice skating in Federal Hill too!
December 1-20: Holidays at the Hill Carriage Rides
Staging at the Green Room at Federal Hill Commons
Dec. 2: The Noblesville Main Street’s Holiday Market
11am-4pm at Federal Hill Commons
Dec. 2: Holiday in Lights Parade
6:30pm along Logan Street in Downtown Noblesville
Dec. 9: The Preservation Alliance’s Historic Holiday Home Tour
5-8pm in Historic Downtown
Dec. 16: Winter Alley Art Market
2-7pm in the Lacy Arts Building, 848 Logan Street
5. Reimagining Development: Amelia Park, FL
As Noblesville grows, development will play a key role in building the vision the City sets for its future. Each month, I try to share some of the examples of new development I've seen that we should incorporate into Noblesville’s future projects.
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine (h/t Kurt Meyer), ventured down to Florida and happened upon a planned neighborhood called Amelia Park in Fernandina Beach.
The guy behind the design, Joel Embry, described the neighborhood as:
“a mix of residential units: relatively large homes, small homes, condos and townhouses, with businesses and places of worship within walking distance. Public squares and pocket parks. No gates and guards and entrance codes.”
If it sounds a lot like downtown Noblesville, you aren’t far off. The 90’s-built neighborhood looks to places like Old Town for inspiration:
large front porches
rear alleys for trash and utilities
short front yard setbacks to increase community and engagement among neighbors
Before you go, a few trending stories:
Here are a few stories you may have missed on Noblesville over the past month:
The Hamilton Country Reporter: Nickel Plate Trail extends in Noblesville & makes connections across Hamilton County
WTHR: Construction for new Noblesville Events Center underway
Current: Making connections: City of Noblesville celebrates opening of its stretch of Nickel Plate Trail
Current: ‘A happy place’: Same As U in Noblesville serves people with mental disabilities
IndyStar: Noble Crossing library media specialist teaches kids to learn by doing
Noblesville is growing — and quickly. In 2021, the IndyStar shared an article that listed Noblesville as the 10th largest city in Indiana. Since then, we’ve eclipsed Lafayette as the 9th largest. We have a bit to go until we get close to Hammond at 77k.