Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Here is a list of construction projects downtown. These projects are either under construction now or are planned/proposed projects. Some have already received approval such as Penn Centre. This list was compiled by cwilson758 at skyscraperpage.com. This list was used with his permission.


29-story JW Marriott (Conv. Hotel Complex)
18-story Courtyard & Springhill Suites Tower (Conv. Hotel Complex)
28-story Le Meridian Hotel (Penn Centre)
17-story Aloft Hotel (Penn Centre)
21-story Apartment tower (MSA site)
17-story Apartment tower (MSA site)
10-story 3Mass Ave (condo)
14-story Paramount Towers (student housing)
8-story 707 East North Street (condo)
Lucas Oil Stadium (u/c)
Convention Center Expansion (will start once LOS is finished)
The Cosmopolitan (4-story aparment project on Canal)
The Waverly (3-story apartment project in Fletcher Place)


http://forum.skyscraperpage.co...read.php?p=2932085#post2932085

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

You can probably cross off the MSA site projects from the list. Those aren't going to happen for a while now. And you can probably cross off the 707 E North St project, too. Possible that the Paramount Towers won't go either. But everything else will happen or is already underway.

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

That MSA site is really embarrassing for the city if you ask me. Maybe a nice place to build a high rise office building instead of hotels or a condo? Perhaps use it to attract a corporate HQ?

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

Actually, I think it would be a great site for a really big city park. Model it as a cross between Chicago's Grant Park and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Fund some really great outdoor artwork and make it a beautiful, landscaped green space. It would be a great gateway to the downtown Mile Square.

Then let the free market decide where and how to build codos, offices, and retail adjacent to the park.

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

What about an indoor theme park?

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

I like the green space idea better - it's something we have far too little of downtown, especially after Simon took over half of the Capitol Commons park.

But on the other hand, many years ago I thought of a great idea for downtown Indy. Build the "Crossroads Tower." This would be a 1,000+ foot observation tower along the lines of the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand or the Macau Tower in Macau, China, both of which I've been to. I suppose you could also think of the Stratosphere tower in Vegas or the Seattle Space Needle. But it would be a landmark for Indy and an attraction, too. With 4 or 5 levels in the top part of the tower, you could put a nice restaurant and maybe a casual quick-serve restaurant and gift shop, and a couple of observation decks. One of the observation decks in Auckland has glass panels in the floor - yikes!

And at the base of the tower, you would put some additional development. My original idea was to put a casino and some kind of bus or train station in the base. I think the casino idea probably wouldn't fly, but you could make it the hub of a new transportation network - light rail and commuter buses, anyone? And then include your indoor amusement park idea with it. An indoor water park, some thrill rides - small roller coaster, etc. and some 3-D experience rides. Again for comparison, the Auckalnd Sky Tower has a bus hub and a shopping/entertainment/casino complex in its base called SkyCity Auckland.

I had originally thought this would be great on the south end of downtown to anchor that area. But Lucas Oil is doing a nice job of that. Now, I think the MSA site is the perfect place for something like this. And you could build this on one side of Market St and put the outdoor sculpture park on the other side. Whaddaya think?

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

I'd love one of those towers. Only problem I see with it is the air quality in Indianapolis. I'd think that visibility would be obstructed far too often especially in the summer when haze seems to dominate the area.

Member

Joined: 15 May 2006
Posts: 728
Location: West Lafayette, IN

Change that J.W. to 35 stories now. It has been revamped to look like a crescent moon with color changing glass panels. It's so modern looking that it blasts the other skyscrapers away. Is the Paramount Towers the IUPUI building? I thought that was 16 stories.

Member

Joined: 15 May 2006
Posts: 728
Location: West Lafayette, IN

J.W. also won't open until 2011 now instead of the planned 2009.