Live Nation is set to operate a new 4,000-capacity music venue located close to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home to the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and WNBA’s Indiana Fever, as part of a mixed-use development in downtown Indianapolis.
The development will also include the city’s first Ritz-Carlton Hotel, which will span 15 floors and include 176 rooms.
The new live music venue has been designed to fill the gap between smaller clubs and arena shows. The development will also boast new retail offerings while revitalising the area surrounding Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Boxcar Development, an investment group led by Herb Simon and the Simon family (owner of the Pacers and the Fever through Pacers Sports & Entertainment), formally broke ground on the project on Wednesday alongside Marriott International and Live Nation. The project centres on the redevelopment of the former CSX Building at Pennsylvania and Georgia Streets in downtown Indianapolis.
The 4,000-capacity venue is set to feature first-of-their kind design elements while expanding the variety and calibre of entertainment offerings in downtown Indianapolis.
“We’re proud to partner with Boxcar on a project that transforms a prominent site in the heart of downtown Indianapolis,” said Jordan Zachary, president of global venues at Live Nation.
“This ballroom will fill an important gap in the city’s entertainment landscape, creating a natural next step between smaller venues and Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It gives artists a place to grow their careers and fans a more intimate way to experience live music, while creating year-round jobs and supporting the continued revitalisation of downtown.”
Construction on the live music venue is scheduled to be completed in the autumn of 2027, while The Ritz-Carlton Indianapolis is scheduled to open in early 2028. The hotel will also feature 30 executive suites, two deluxe/hospitality suites and a Ritz-Carlton suite amongst its 176-room repertoire.
Additional amenities will include 11,500 square feet of ballroom and meeting spaces, a fitness centre and spa, as well as an outdoor terrace, restaurant, lobby bar and a private lounge for hotel guests.
A third-floor pedestrian bridge will connect the hotel to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with the project also including a two-level underground carpark.
The development will further complement other projects such the new Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center at the former Marion County Jail 1 site on Maryland Street, which broke ground in September last year.
Other major investments in the area include Commission Row on Delaware Street, Morris Bicentennial Unity Plaza adjacent to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Ascension St. Vincent Center and Pacers Training Facility, and the Fieldhouse of the Future renovation project at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“Investments like this one keep the momentum we are experiencing in our downtown going, and help take our hospitality and tourism industries to a new level,” said Simon.
“This is the result of real public-private partnership, and I am proud that this shared commitment will bring these iconic brands to the heart of our downtown.”