Walk the north side of Jersey Street this fall and nearly every door you pass opened in 2026. TOUS les JOURS opened at 170 Jersey St. on Jan. 1. Black Orchid Barbers opened in the same building four days later. Sun King's new brewery at 133 S. Union St. held its grand opening April 24, completing the development along the north side of Jersey Street facing Grand Junction Plaza. Stella's Ice Cream followed on July 1. Pop Junction's gourmet popcorn shop at 203 Jersey St. had opened by late September.
A block over, Park Street has spent the same months with orange barrels in front of its restaurants, and one of its longest-running tenants just announced it was closing. Downtown Westfield is in the middle of a rebuild, and for this fall at least, the busy side of downtown is the one around the Plaza.
Park Street Is Open, With Work Underway
The Park Street improvement project broke ground May 8. The goal is to turn the brick-paved strip, already known locally as "restaurant row," into a walkable destination with live music, public outdoor seating and more places to eat. Plans call for closing the street to cars on Thursday through Sunday evenings so it works more like a pedestrian plaza.
At his July 16 town hall, Mayor Scott Willis described what he expects the street to become:
"It's just going to be a fun place to gather and spend time with your friends and enjoy the food. That's going to be done this summer or this fall."
The rest of the record points to a longer timeline. When Park & Poplar broke ground on Aug. 19, Current reported that heavy construction on the Park Street corridor would continue through the end of this year. The city's own construction notice from February gave late spring 2027 as the completion target. The mayor also said landscaping would likely run through spring 2027. As of the end of September, no announcement says the evening closures have started or that the street has fully reopened.
Until then, the city's construction rules still apply:
- At least one lane of Park Street stays open.
- Access to businesses is maintained throughout the work.
- Valet service is discontinued for the length of construction.
- Diners are directed to nearby temporary and public parking.
The project has already changed one other downtown event. In its notice for the Westfield International Festival on Sept. 19, the city said it would not run a shuttle because of the Park Street work.
Dinner on Park Street Is Still Running
The construction hasn't emptied the street. Nyla's at 211 Park Street and The Italian House at 219 Park Street both post regular dining hours. Broad Ripple Seafood North and Bar opened at 231 Park Street in the former Greek's Pizza space, with a soft opening May 26, an official opening May 27 and a ribbon cutting June 1. That timing put its first weeks inside the construction window. Owner Todd Reisenbigler told Current that parking was a challenge while the south side of Park Street was torn up. He also described heavy foot traffic and strong local demand for dining.
Chiba is the loss. The sushi restaurant announced Sept. 29 that it was closing permanently after about 10 years on Park Street. Owner Keith Dusko opened Chiba in 2017 after moving to Westfield. He had previously managed a sushi restaurant in New York and owned the first Chiba in New Orleans. The menu featured tropical cocktails and fish flown in from Hawaii, Japan and Southern California. Current's report gives no reason for the closure. Earlier in the project, Dusko called the construction a short-term disruption for a long-term benefit and said he was excited about the changes. In his closing post he wrote, "While this is the end of Chiba on Park Street, it is not the end of the Chiba story."
So a Park Street dinner this fall means three restaurants, one open lane, no valet, and a short walk from public parking.
Jersey Street Filled In All Year
Over the same nine months, the blocks around Grand Junction Plaza added openings at a steady pace. In order:
- TOUS les JOURS, 170 Jersey St., soft-opened Jan. 1.
- Black Orchid Barbers, 170 Jersey St., officially opened Jan. 5.
- Sun King, 133 S. Union St., ribbon cutting April 23 and grand opening April 24.
- Stella's Ice Cream, 170 Jersey St., Suite 190, opened July 1 with a grand-opening celebration July 11.
- Pop Junction, 203 Jersey St. Current reported in June that a soft opening was expected before July 4, and WISH confirmed on Sept. 22 that it had opened.
Together those make a full evening on one side of the Plaza: a brewery, a bakery, ice cream and popcorn within a few hundred feet, with no construction zone to cross. The 170 Jersey St. building alone now holds three of the five openings.
Jersey Street will get its own rebuild later. Willis said the city has similar plans there, including brick pavers and pedestrian amenities. No schedule has been announced, so for now it's the finished side of downtown.
October's Calendar Sits on the Plaza Side, Too
The two fall events the city has confirmed both stay off Park Street.
Barktoberfest, Saturday, Oct. 3
The city's Barktoberfest runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Asa Bales Park, 205 W. Hoover St. The city's announcement lists pet vendors, food and beer, games, and costume contests.
Trick or Treating in the Plaza, Friday, Oct. 23
Grand Junction Plaza hosts free Trick or Treating in the Plaza from 4:30 to 8 p.m., with more than 40 booths handing out candy and treats. Since the event ends at 8 on a Friday evening, Sun King, Stella's and Pop Junction are all within a block for a stop afterward.
No November events had been confirmed by the end of September. The city's last Ice Ribbon announcement covered the 2025–26 season, so this winter's schedule isn't out yet.
Outside Downtown, the New Spots Are Spread Out
Several of the year's other openings sit along the city's commercial corridors. Ben's BBQ moved into a new, larger building at 1000 E. 181st St. on June 11 after leaving its smaller location in May. Graeter's opened at 391 E. Tournament Trail on June 10 with a drive-thru and a covered patio. Stick & Hack added Lucky Putt, an electronic mini-golf course, on Sept. 1. The owners describe racing and golf simulators and a beer garden as later phases, targeted for early December. None of these is downtown, which is part of why the Jersey Street cluster stands out. Of this year's new places, it's the one group you can reach on foot from one another.
What Comes After the Barrels
The shift toward the Plaza looks temporary. Park & Poplar broke ground Aug. 19 at Westfield Boulevard and Park Street, across from the Westfield Washington Public Library. The $123 million Old Town Companies project will anchor the west end of downtown. It includes 240 apartments, 56 brownstone-style townhomes, restaurants, storefronts, 60,000 square feet of office space, a public plaza and a connection to the Midland Trace Trail. The city is paying for a 523-space parking garage estimated at $22 million, with $11 million coming from tax increment financing. Willis has said the garage "finally provides a solution for parking." Developers estimate full completion in 2028.
Another piece is coming to Grand on Main: "Hold the Stars," a public sculpture by Indiana artist Aaron S. Coleman honoring Westfield's Underground Railroad heritage. It will be made of white oak and stainless steel and shows two cupped hands around a lit Big Dipper, the constellation escaping enslaved people used to find their way north.
Here's the order of events. Park Street's heavy work is scheduled to wrap by the end of 2026, the city's completion target is late spring 2027, and Park & Poplar runs to 2028. Until then, Nyla's, The Italian House and Broad Ripple Seafood North serve dinner along one open lane of Park Street, and the Jersey Street block that filled in this year hosts the Oct. 23 trick-or-treat.
If you live near downtown Westfield and want to know how Park Street's rebuild and the Park & Poplar timeline might affect your block, JPG Realty Services is happy to walk through it with you. Schedule your free neighborhood consultation, and we'll keep you posted on construction dates as the city announces them.
