Shinola Indianapolis
Shinola Planning for 170-Key Hotel in Indianapolis
Shinola, a Detroit-based company, is set to expand its hotel portfolio by opening a second hotel in Indianapolis. The investment group Boxcar Development, led by Herb Simon and the Simon family, has submitted a preliminary proposal to transform the former CSX building site in downtown Indianapolis. The ambitious redevelopment plan includes the Shinola Hotel, a 4,000-seat music venue managed by Live Nation, retail spaces, and a pedestrian skybridge connecting Pennsylvania Street to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers.
Photo by Shinola
The project, estimated at $300 million, is slated to begin demolition in the fourth quarter, with construction projected to finish by 2027. Plans have been submitted to the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission and will be open for public review in July, followed by a public hearing in August.
Indianapolis-based Ratio Architects will design the hotel and its associated spaces, while the global firm Populous, known for projects like the Sphere in Las Vegas and Gainbridge Fieldhouse renovations, will design the music venue. According to Boxcar, this development will address long-standing blight at a key downtown intersection, create new retail opportunities along Georgia and Pennsylvania Avenues, and provide a much-needed event space with the new 4,000-capacity venue. This site is the last undeveloped plot in one of Indianapolis's most vital neighborhoods.
Boxcar has signed a letter of intent with Bedrock Manufacturing, which owns the Shinola brand, and Sage Hospitality Group, the operator of the Shinola Hotel in Detroit. An agreement with Live Nation to manage the music venue is also being finalized.
The Shinola Hotel will be situated in a new 13-story tower, encompassing 226,000 square feet.