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

The Indianapolis Airport Authority has posted a bid request for a first class hotel to be built west of the new parking garage being constructed at the midfield terminal. The hotel is to have a minimum of 250 rooms, have a nationally recognized name, all the first class features including 24 hour room service, concierge and health club facilities while keeping the building within restricted size limits.

The bid package located here...

http://www.newindairport.com/d...cuments/INDHotelRFP_061606.pdf

... is due August 11. The hotel construction must be completed and open with the new midfield terminal late in 2008.

For the latest construction news visit the new Indianapolis International Airport website at http://www.newindairport.com.

Site Admin

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

More details are out in a story that ran on WTHR yesterday. The cost of the hotel is estimated to be $40M to $45M and will be a 3 to 4 star facility. There is no official word on what will become of the other IND hotels. Check out the full WTHR report...

http://www.wthr.com/Global/sto...sp?S=5067817&nav=menu188_2

My thoughts on this are that a 4 star hotel might be a bit much. I am sure they are nice but will the airlines be reluctant to pay what a 4 star hotel will ask? If non 4 star options will be immediately available then it may not be an issue. I guess if the other hotels stay where they are the flight crews are only a couple minute shuttle bus ride to the hotel. They can get to the airport in the winter time without having to deal with normal city road or highway traffic. I can't wait to see what gets selected which should be in a few months from what I recall from the report on tv.

According to the midfield terminal executive summary the location where the hotel is going is where additional parking garage space was supposed to go. Does anyone know how the hotel will impact this? Would they build a 2nd parking garage behind the hotel?

Site Admin

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

Comparisons to other on-site airport hotels to get a sense of what might be built here.

EWR - Mariott
PHL - Mariott
ORD - Sheraton?
CVG - Sussex Hotel, formerly Radisson

Know some others? It seems like they're mostly 3-star or 3+ types.

Site Admin

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

Were you in town to see the report on WTHR? Also how big does the terminal look in person as you taxi by it?

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

No, I wasn't in town to see WTHR. What did the report say?

The terminal is still in a state that's hard to picture it finished. And anything seen out of a tiny aircraft window is going to look distorted. So I can't say if it looks big, but it doesn't look small, either. But face it, 40 gates is still going to be smallish.

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

It isn't what they said as much as what they showed. Just some video of the steel work. It looks cool. I'm not 100% convinced the airport will open with 40 gates. I mean is there a good reason why they haven't posted an aerial photo that isn't dated back to mid Jan?

Member

Joined: 27 Jun 2006
Posts: 5
Location:

Indy wrote:

I'm not 100% convinced the airport will open with 40 gates.

Do you think there will be fewer than 40 gates or more?

Site Admin

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

It will be absolutely 40. At least 40. Definately not less. The only question is whether there will be more. I think it hinges on what AirTran and/or Northwest plans for the future here.

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

I'm not one to believe in conspiracy theories very easily. I think the reason they haven't posted a newer aerial photo is because it's bloody expensive to get a photo, especially when you consider the hassle of having to get ATC clearance for the flyover.

Member

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

In my 2 cents, I think the airport needs more than 40, or at least the room to expand. At the moment, the new terminal is only going to have 4 more gates than the old one. If Northwest, and Airtran both expand out of IND, than four gates won't cover it.

Could the new terminal take any more gates? If not, would the airport look into building a satellite terminal? I know thats long off from now, but the airport must have some long range plans.

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

All the press I've seen on the project has consistently mentioned the ability to expand in the future by adding gates onto the ends of the terminals. I think the design of the gates plays a big role in their usefulness, however. The flexibility of a gate is key here. If you can use a gate for a wide range of aircraft types, then the airlines might be able to use fewer overall gates than they would otherwise. Many older airports have gates that are too small for anything bigger than, say, a 737 as well as gates that are too large (or the ramps are not capable of handling) smaller aircraft like the RJ's. In these situations, particularly at non-hub airports, it requires an airline to lease more gates than they otherwise would need simply based on aircraft numbers and turns.

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

I don't think its a conspiracy. If this is whats happening I think its nothing more than preventing unnecessary noise complaints. There are those that would complain about the expansion for the sake of complaining. What they don't know doesn't hurt us

Site Admin

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

It's all good anyway, brother. Standing at the baggage claim in the IND dungeon, it's good to see the "New IND Airport - coming late 2008" signs. Because a lot of people might come here for the first time and say, "damn this airport is a pit." But now we're all reassured that a first-class facility is on its way. And as you've said before, the new terminal, new stadium, and expanded convention center all open within relatively close time of each other. People will change their impression of Indy. This city is going to shine.

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

Now we can likely add a transit hub downtown as well as one or two convention size hotels.