Elanco becomes the newest owners of the former GM Stamping plant site on Indianapolis west side

The sale of a key piece of Indianapolis real estate, owned by the State of Indiana, is official. The state announced Monday it finalized the sale of the old GM Stamping Plant site to Elanco Animal Health for $27 million.

Redevelopment plans for the west side site have been in the works for years. Elanco broke ground on its new global headquarters in 2022.  Construction on the building is almost complete and the company plans to open its doors this fall.  In a statement CEO of Elanco Animal Health Jeff Simmons thanked the state for its partnership.

“Securing this property now gives us the certainty we need to integrate it into our headquarters campus and move forward with speed. That means jobs, investment, and an accelerated path to creating an innovation district dedicated One Health,” Simmons said.

One Health is the name for the health innovation district planned to be developed on the larger 100-acre site.  The effort is in partnership with Purdue University and others. The district may include research facilities and labs alongside offices, housing, retail and green space.

An expansion of the White River State Park is already underway on the property. A city project to build a new multi-use bridge that will extend the Cultural Trail and connect downtown to the new district is under construction. 

In a statement Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett offered his support.

“The City looks forward to working alongside Elanco and their partners including Purdue University to continue developing a global innovation hub for biosciences on the west side of the White River,” Hogsett said.

The site sat empty for a decade after operations at the stamping plant stopped in 2011.

The state said it will remain involved in plans as the site reaches its “full potential as a world-class home for One Health”.