Noblesville presents its 2025 Year in Review

Submitted by City of Noblesville

As 2025 comes to a close, the City of Noblesville reflects on milestones, achievements, and events.

Key Highlights

• $1.5 billion of private investment in 2025, $4 billion in six years
• The Arena at Innovation Mile opened – home of the Noblesville Boom, the Indiana Pacers G League affiliate
• USA Gymnastics chose Noblesville’s Innovation Mile as the site for its Training & Wellness Center and HQ
• Completion of the Reimagine Pleasant Street Project
• Named the 12th Safest Suburb in the United States by SmartAsset
• Adopted East and West Gateway Master Plans

“This was a year full of great accomplishments, growth, challenges, and investments in the City of Noblesville,” Mayor Chris Jensen said. “I’m humbled daily by the leadership and hard work from our city employees to make Noblesville a prosperous and safe community to live, work, and thrive. I look forward to what 2026 has in store for Noblesville and believe our best days lie ahead.”

Mayor Chris Jensen

• A promise made when first elected as Mayor was a commitment to complete the Pleasant Street Project. This project will be completed in 2025, with all lanes fully opening in 2026. This creates an east-to-west connection from SR 37 to SR 32 in Noblesville.
• Continues to prioritize mental health in our community and hosts monthly Mental Health Mondays with licensed therapist Kristen Boice on Facebook Live.
• Mayor Jensen’s Friday Five videos continued in 2025, with his weekly posts to the community providing proactive updates on road projects and events.
• Serves on the U.S. Conference of Mayors Advisory Board.
• Serves as the Vice Chair of the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority.
• Chaired the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (AIM) Legislative Committee for the fifth straight year and led efforts to advocate for cities and towns’ operational and financial interests at the Statehouse.
• Appointed to the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable (IMHR), a cross-sector coalition committed to strengthening the mental health and wellness landscape in Indiana.
• Through the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority, where Mayor Jensen serves as co-chair, received $45M for READI 2.0 grants, where Noblesville received a $4M award for a marquee pedestrian boulevard going from The Arena at Innovation Mile to the future subdivision, Gatewood Lakes, enhancing quality of life and place for Noblesville’s booming east side.

Common Council & City Initiatives

The council and city invested in Mental Health to Combat Loneliness, lifting the fee for block parties, putting design elements in place to increase front porches.

The Noblesville Common Council approved the Civil City 2026 budget totaling $119,261,048 to fund city operations, personnel, projects, and programs.

The city launched its Neighborhood Match Grant, which will provide matching funds to homeowner associations and neighborhood groups that enhance, improve, and beautify our local communities. Eligible projects include recreation improvements, safety enhancements, and landscape sustainability initiatives. The Neighborhood Match Grant is a 1:1 matching grant with the city contributing 50 percent of eligible project costs up to $10,000 per project. The Noblesville Common Council appropriated funds for the Neighborhood Match Grant in the 2025 budget and continued to allocate funding for the grant in 2026.

Budget

“The 2026 budget continues our emphasis on living within our means, being good stewards of taxpayer funds, and making smart investments in our community,” Mayor Jensen said. “I’m proud that as one of the fastest growing communities in state with increasing public demands in infrastructure, public safety, and core services, we were able to work with the Noblesville Council members to provide a responsible budget that maintains our city’s top priorities.”

• Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen and city leaders strategically developed the 2026 budget to address an $8.2 million revenue shortfall in fiscal year 2026 caused by Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1), which lowers the city’s projected local tax collections by $30.4 million over the next four years. The overall 2026 budget is $8.4 million lower than the 2025 adopted budget.
• Ongoing expense increases for city departments were kept under 1 percent based on the impact of SEA 1 on the 2026 property tax levy and five-year revenue forecast. The budget includes less than $1 million in overall core operational base budget growth, and a property tax rate decrease from $1.10 per $100 assessed value in 2025 to no higher than $1.00 in 2026.
• The 2026 budget includes $114,036,614 in ongoing expenses and $5,224,434 in one-time expenses. In 2026, the city will not add new positions, unless previously planned, and employee compensation rates will be held flat in response to the new fiscal uncertainty caused by SEA 1.
• The 2026 budget continues the city’s focus on safety, allocating 55 percent of the ongoing core operational budget to public safety – up from 52 percent in 2025 and the highest share in the past five years.

Economic Development

Economic Development continued to drive the city’s economic momentum through private investment, new business partnerships, and relocations, while competing with cities nationwide and strengthening existing businesses.

In 2025, Economic Development:

• Private Investment: $1.5 billion in 2025, $4 billion in the past six years
• New Commercial Space: 690,000 Sq ft
• New Jobs Created: 770
• Innovation Mile: At Innovation Mile, Noblesville’s 600 acre Innovation, Tech, Sports & Entertainment District, the Indiana Orthopedic Institute opened as the first tenant in this growing area, The Arena at Innovation Mile officially cut the ribbon prior to Mayor Jensen’s State of the City address in August, USA Gymnastics selected this district for its Training & Wellness Center and headquarters, Caterpillar announced plans for a high-tech operation, and the Noblesville Boom, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, kicked off its inaugural season.
• Business Growth: In 2025, Evolve Transporters announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Noblesville, King Jugg Brewing Company announced plans to move to downtown, Gared Performance Sports Systems announced plans to expand and relocate its headquarters from Herriman Blvd to the Deer Creek Business Park on the city’s east side, and SMC relocated 200 jobs from California to its Noblesville headquarters.
• Noblesville Sister Cities: Noblesville Economic Development Department hosted an inaugural business exchange with business leaders from Noblesville’s City Sister Nova Prata, Brazil.
• Make My Move Program:

• 28 Movers (2025), 109 Movers (all-time)
• New residents: 62 (2025), 265 (all-time)
• Annual Economic Impact: $11 million

Downtown Noblesville

The city works closely with community organizations such as Noblesville Main Street, Noblesville Creates, and local business owners to support economic vitality and visitation to the heart of our community.

DORA District

• The Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), the first in Hamilton County, currently has 18 participating locations. This district allows the community to sip, shop, and stroll the downtown while supporting local businesses. Learn more at this link.

Embrace Downtown

• The Embrace Downtown project is a critical infrastructure initiative that will enhance the historic downtown square by addressing critical aging infrastructure, pedestrian, accessibility, and aesthetic upgrades in the downtown area.
• Project Schedule: Phase 1 construction is anticipated to begin in 2026.
• The total project cost is estimated at $8.175 million.
• Thirty years have passed since the last significant infrastructure update downtown Noblesville. The current needs are pressing and addressing them allows the city to act more efficiently and cost-effectively to benefit our downtown. Embrace Downtown will enhance the aging underground storm sewer and sanitary sewer systems.
• In 2025, the city successfully completed the Embrace Downtown design and received construction bids below the engineer’s estimate, allowing the project to move forward while protecting taxpayer dollars.
• City of Noblesville Community Engagement Manager Aaron Head holds weekly office hours at Noble Coffee & Tea between 2 and 4 p.m. to discuss the project and answer questions.

Parks & Recreation

In 2025, the Parks & Recreation Department hosted more than 30 events, including the Dillon Park Summer Concert Series, Concerts at the Commons, Fourth of July Fireworks Festival, Halloween at Forest Park, Holidays at the Hill, and Jingle Bell Breakfast.

By the Numbers:

• 10,000 people attended the Dillon Park Summer Concert Series
• 30,000 people attended Concerts at the Commons
• 15,000 people attended the Fourth of July Festival and Parade
• 75,000 people attended community events

In 2025, the Parks Department:

• Submitted a five-year masterplan to the Department of Natural Resources for review, with city review planned for Q1 of 2026. Implementation is expected April 2026 through April 2031.

In 2026, the Parks Department’s flagship park, 150-acre Forest Park just north of downtown, will turn 100 years old. Forest Park is home to the Forest Park Aquatic Center, playgrounds, shelters, indoor rentals, courts, and trail connections. In 2025, 45 trees were planted by volunteers from SMC Corporation and the City of Noblesville to invest in the park’s future.

Engineering

• Reimagine Pleasant Street: The Reimagine Pleasant Street project – a project four decades in the making – was substantially completed in 2025, within budget. The Reimagine Pleasant Street project was designed to enhance pedestrian and motorist traffic while improving safety, accessibility, and trail connectivity. This east to west corridor will shape Noblesville for generations.
• One lane of Pleasant Street is now open in each direction as construction continues for Phase 2. This phase of the project is the final segment to link SR 32 to SR 37 in Noblesville. Construction continues in the area, and the entire corridor will be fully open to traffic in early 2026.
• Opened Pleasant Street Phase 3

• New roundabout at SR 32 and two tunnels for safe connection to the Midland Trace Trail
• Provides key east-west connectivity from State Road 32
• The final section of the Midland Trace Trail completes a critical trail connection that forms a 40-mile loop connecting Noblesville, Fishers, Indianapolis, Carmel, and Westfield

2025 Grant Funding Received: In 2025, the city secured more than $8.6 million in state and federal grant funding, significantly reducing the local tax burden while advancing critical infrastructure projects.

• Awarded grant funding includes:

• $1.6 million for Carrigan Road & Little Chicago Road Roundabout
• $2.0 million for 141st Street & Howe Road Roundabout
• $2.8 million for the roundabout at Olio Road & 156th Street
• $680,000 in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding
• $1.5 million in Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG) funds

• Secured $2.8 million in proactive federal funding for the Olio Road & 156th Street roundabout, bringing total federal investment in the Olio Road corridor to more than $10 million to improve safety, traffic flow, and regional connectivity.
• The city received a $1,599,999.20 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Grant Program to begin the planning process to build the White River Pedestrian Bridge, increasing accessibility for residents in the surrounding neighborhood. The grant will enable the city to conduct essential design, engineering and planning initiatives to address a significant community disconnection along the White River historically caused by State Roads 32 and 19 in Noblesville’s downtown core.

Construction:

• In 2025, the city finished construction of Park Link Pass, creating a new pedestrian and bicycle connection between Forest Park and the Federal Hill and completed critical drainage improvements, including installation of a new 42-inch storm pipe to reduce localized flooding.
• Completed 18 miles of roadway resurfacing as part of the city’s street rehabilitation program.
• Added five centerline miles to Noblesville’s roadway network.
• Executed on long-planned infrastructure projects in Wayne Township to support development, including Finch Creek, Gatewood Lakes, and Innovation Mile.
• Supported responsible economic development through coordinated public and private investments that improve transportation and utility infrastructure while creating jobs.
• The Little Chicago Road Pedestrian Bridge opened, marking a significant step forward in improving both safety and connectivity for pedestrians and drivers across Morse Reservoir. This project reflects our ongoing commitment to infrastructure improvements that support a growing community and promote safe transportation options for all.

Public Safety

The City of Noblesville’s Police and Fire Departments continue to gain national attention for their implementation of successful programs and high-quality service to our community.

Noblesville Police Department:

• Noblesville Named 12^th-Safest Suburb: For the second year in a row, Noblesville was named the 12^th-safest suburb in the United States by SmartAsset, a personal finance website.
• Noblesville PD School Resource Officer named 2025 Indiana SRO of the Year: Noblesville PD SRO Sgt. Jason Shonkwiler was named the 2025 Indiana SRO of the Year by the Indiana School Resource Officers Association.
• Hamilton County Real Time Information Center (RTIC): In 2025, Noblesville PD reached one year of being an original member of RTIC, a multi-agency collaboration that enhances public safety and emergency response operations.
• Drone First Responder (DFR) Program: In 2025, NFD advanced their DFR program to become one of first departments in nation to acquire “beyond visual line of sight” (BVLOS) approval. The DFR program is now part of the RTIC.
• Hamilton County Public Safety Training Facility: This facility broke ground in 2025. The Hamilton County Council, in collaboration with every public safety agency in the county, approved funding for a public safety training facility to be built at River Road and 160th Street in Noblesville. The facility will provide police, fire, and emergency management professionals with a state-of-the-art training center.
• NobleACT: This proactive, sustainable mental health collaboration among the police and fire departments and area service providers continues to have a positive impact on our community. This unique program allows police officers, community paramedics, and mental health clinicians to provide linkage to community services and divert those in crisis away from the criminal justice system. The program has responded to thousands of calls for service to date and serves as a blueprint for departments across the state. Learn more at this link.
• Looking Ahead to 2026: The NPD looks to break ground on the new police department headquarters, implement new policing strategies for safety and community involvement and relationships, along with involvement and advancement in multi-agency task forces/units and groups to further enhance our existing public safety and community partnerships.

Noblesville Fire Department:

• 48th Annual Food & Toy Drive: The NFD accepted donations from the community to help 118 families in Noblesville. The Noblesville Mayor’s Youth Council also partnered with the fire department to collect food at The Michael Treinen Foundation Turkey Trot to donate to the Food & Toy Drive along with helping pack toys for distribution.
• Public Protection Classification rating of 2/2Y: This rating is an improvement over NFD’s previous 3/3Y score and places NFD in an elite group (top 5.6 percent) of fire departments nationwide and in the top 2.8 percent in the State of Indiana. NFD’s classification improvement is a positive factor in keeping residents’ homeowner’s insurance affordable.
• Training: Completed two recruit academies – 14 replacement firefighters
• Fire Prevention: 35 Truck Demos, 31 Station Tours, 25 Parades, 91 Smoke Detector Installs/Replacements
• Operations: Created Response Guides for Emergency Vehicles (EV) and Lithium-Ion Batteries
• Replaced the command vehicle, remounted an ambulance, received a new Tactical Rescue Vehicle

Looking ahead to 2026:

• Land acquisition for New Fire Station
• Put new Ambulance into service
• Equip firefighters with new SCBAs
• Put new Fire Boat into service
• Recruit Academy – more than 10 replacement firefighters
• Adding a Commercial Burn Building to the Training Facility at Station 77
• Develop a five-year strategic plan

Utilities

The Utilities Department advanced major infrastructure projects and modernized systems to prepare Noblesville for future growth and improve quality of life for residents.

In 2025, the Utilities Department:

• Began construction on a $20 million treatment plant upgrade that will replace pieces of machinery that are 35 years old and completely renovate the headworks pumping facility, originally constructed in 1990. This work will include installation of odor control equipment to reduce nuisance odors emanating into the neighborhood. Most of the improvements will be installed in 2026.
• Upgraded a vital sewage lift station, increasing its pumping capacity, to proactively accommodate ongoing community growth in Wayne Township.
• Was awarded a permit from the state to work with regional famers to use Noblesville’s high-quality treated solids as fertilizer for crops.

In 2026, the department will replace one of its largest sewage lift stations to increase pumping capacity to accommodate future growth of the southwest quadrant of Noblesville Township and install a 3-mile force main directly to the treatment plant. This $17 million project for the new facility will include odor control equipment to reduce nuisance odors emanating around 161st Street near the Indy Premier Soccer Club, Hoosier FC and Spencer Farm.

Human Resources

The City of Noblesville currently employs 516 people.

In 2025:

• Five employees retired with a combined years of service of 113 years.
• The city created and implemented a Parental Leave Policy that provides paid leave time for employees to bond with a child due to birth, adoption, or foster placement.
• In coordination with the Mayor’s Office, Human Resources continued a workplace culture and professional development program, “NOBLE,” to promote recognition of best practices in serving constituents and supporting colleagues.

Planning Department

The Planning Department supported continued growth while focusing on a long-term vision for the city.

In 2025, the Planning Department:

• Issued permits to 1,099 residential units, which includes town homes and single-, two-, and multi-family homes.
• Issued 1,227 building permits.
• Adopted East and West Gateway Master Plans that establish a vision for enhancement of the city’s gateways and steps needed to bring the vision to reality over the next 15-20 years.
• In 2026, Noblesville’s Comprehensive Plan/UDO will be updated for the first time. The Comp Plan was last updated in 2020, and the UDO was created in 1996 with various amendments throughout the years. Multiple stages of the Comprehensive Plan process will happen during 2026 including robust community engagement, stakeholder meetings, visioning, and overall analysis of existing and future land uses and infrastructure. The planning process is anticipated to take 15 months with plan adoption in early 2027.

Street Department

The Street Department continued to make investments in the city’s treescape. Named a 2025 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management, it is the 35th consecutive year that the City of Noblesville has earned this national distinction.

In 2025, the Street Department:

• Planted 398 Street Trees
• Installed new School Zone Flashers
• Passed a Revised Encroachment Ordinance
• Replaced 540 Sidewalk Panels
• Leveled 2,334 Sidewalk Panels
• Maintained the city’s 700 lane miles and 315 centerline miles of public roadway

IT Department

• The City of Noblesville launched a new and improved website with emphasis on accessibility enhancements along with a more user-friendly platform for the community to get news and information on city services and events.

Advisory Council on Disabilities & Mayor’s Youth Council

The Noblesville Advisory Council on Disabilities is dedicated to the City of Noblesville’s mission to create a more inclusive, supportive, and vibrant future where everyone can thrive in our community. The Mayor’s Youth Council offers leadership development and community service opportunities to local students.

In 2025:

• The Advisory Council on Disabilities hosted a Caregiver Retreat, partnered with the Westfield Mayor’s Council on Disabilities to host a Sensory Nature Walk, and offered a sensory friendly zone at the City of Noblesville’s 3rd Annual Holiday in Lights Parade presented by Gaylor Electric.
• Mayor’s Youth Council created TagsToTap, a mental health smart product, to benefit Ben’s Ranch Foundation, volunteered with First Friday in downtown Noblesville, hosted a Christmas lights recycling program, volunteered at the Michael Treinen Foundation’s Turkey Trot, Noblesville Fire Department’s Food and Toy Drive, the State of the City, and other community events.