Developers withdraw petition to rezone Willows Event Center site near Oxbow Estates

The development team proposing to raze the Willows Event Center and construct upscale apartments and townhomes on the site withdrew their rezoning petition Wednesday in advance of a scheduled public hearing. 

The withdrawal is likely temporary as the developers want more time to work on their proposal, their attorney said.

The Metropolitan Development Commission’s rules of procedure requires developers to wait three months before they are eligible to submit another proposal. 

Carmel-based luxury apartment builder, JC Hart Company Inc., and Indianapolis-based Chase Development and Evergreen, LLC, had requested to rezone the 8-acre waterfront strip of land the events center currently sits on at the edge of Spirit Lake for the high-density housing project.

More:Why Broad Ripple residents oppose Willows Event Center redevelopment

The Willows Event Center, at 6729 Westfield Blvd., was no longer profitable and the long-time owners, the Bayt family, sought a new use for the land, partnering with the developers.

The development team initially proposed 16 townhomes along the lake's southern shore and more than 230 apartment units with 303 parking spaces on the west bank. 

Over time they scaled backed their plans, eventually leading to a smaller proposal of 209 apartment units, 156 parking spaces and 16 townhomes. 

But from the beginning, the petition faced strong opposition from residents living nearby in Oxbow Estates, Spirit Lake condominiums and Winston Island Woods as well as other neighborhoods north of Spirit Lake to the White River. 

After months of back and forth and a coordinated campaign opposing the rezoning, the developers Wednesday withdrew their petition, saying they decided to do so after talking with Councilor Keith Potts, who in February penned a letter supporting the project.  

"In consultation with Councilor Keith Potts, who asked us to continue our engagement with neighbors, we are withdrawing our petition today to see how we can refine the proposal to gain broader support," the statement, attributed to Hart, says. "This may delay our timeline, but not our intentions to bring this quality development to the community."

The statement also said the developers still felt the project was "a smart and well-planned project that would benefit the surrounding community." Zoning staff had supported the developers' petition, which had been continued from May 18, provided that certain conditions were met. 

In a statement, leadership of the Marrott Island Community Association, a group that formed to oppose the project, said they were prepared to deliver a presentation  focusing on the developers' request to construct a housing development that exceeded the density outline in the city's comprehensive plan for Marion County growth. 

 "We hope the petitioners’ action is finally a long-awaited recognition by them of the important principles set forth in the comprehensive plan. The coalition stands ready to engage constructively on future plans that comply with the comprehensive plan and recognize the city’s designation of this site as environmentally sensitive," said Peter Lander, president, and Lindsay Scott, vice president, in a joint statement. 

Contact IndyStar reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@gannett.com or call 317-617-2690. Follow her on Twitter: @allyburris.