‘Major downturn’ for construction
Wondering why development news seems to have ground to a halt? The nation’s housing and economic woes are hitting development firms and slowing the demand for construction. The American Institute of Architects…
Cory Schouten
Articles
Upsets hurt Big Ten tourney revenue
As a result of quarterfinal losses by Indiana and Purdue, attendance for last week’s men’s Big Ten basketball tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse fell below projections. After Session 3 (the one featuring IU and…
Menards races back to IRL
The company that powered Tony Stewart to the 1997 Indy Racing League championship is coming back to open-wheel racing. John Menard confirmed that his Menards chain of hardware superstores will be sponsoring Tony…
Sinks, brownfields and insurance
Getting you up to date:
Airport sinks approved
The Indianapolis Airport Authority board has approved an obscure bid package known as “T-31” that provides for the installation of floor-level foot sinks for…
NCAA to IU: Can you hear me now?
The NCAA warned Indiana University in 2006 about hiring coach Kelvin Sampson. And IU didn’t listen. When IU was implicated in five major NCAA rules violations earlier this year, some NCAA officials, sources…
Texas investor wins over Steak n Shake shareholders, aims for chairmanship
Texas investor Sardar Biglari rode a wave of shareholder anger to a landslide victory in his quest for Steak n Shake Co. board
seats. Now, the dissident 30-year-old investor who models his approach after Warren Buffett’s is hoping to deliver on his
promise to turn around the Indianapolis-based chain, with or without the chairmanship he covets.
Calling all face painters
Indianapolis Colts fans have a unique opportunity to have their picture displayed on one of 200 permanent banners at Lucas Oil Stadium, which is set to open in September. Colts team photographers will…
Lafayette Square slated for $12M redevelopment
The new owners of Lafayette Square Mall are plotting a $12 million redevelopment that would add a go-kart track and PC gaming area to anchor space formerly occupied by Lazarus. New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. wants to make maximum use of the 113-acre property, which it bought from locally based Simon Property Group in December. […]
Lauth lays off another batch of workers
Indianapolis developer Lauth Group Inc. is letting go of dozens of employees in its second round of layoffs this year. A spokesman for the Lauth, which had frantically added employees in recent years to manage a booming development pipeline, said the economy is to blame for the reverse in course. “As a direct result of […]
Mall getting go-karts and golf
The new owners of Lafayette Square Mall are plotting a $12-million redevelopment that would add a go-kart track and PC gaming area to the former Lazarus. New York-based…
Big Ten tourney a tough ticket
Big Ten men’s basketball tournament tickets are selling fast, according to local organizers. Approaching noon today, there were only a few seats available for tonight’s session at Conseco Fieldhouse, which includes games involving…
Steak n Shake reshuffles board, company leadership
Locally based Steak n Shake Co. has named board member Wayne Kelley as interim chairman and CEO and elevated Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Blade to the post of interim president. The company announced the moves this afternoon, almost a week after shareholders voted off the board Alan Gilman, the chairman and acting CEO of the struggling burger […]
Outlook grim for Venu
Plenty of people are holding out hope that Premier Properties USA Inc. can pull off its ambitious, $750-million Venu project at the southwest corner of 86th Street and Keystone…
Simon denies Pacers for sale
Rumors are running hot about the future ownership of the Indiana Pacers. The New York Post’s Peter Vecsey mentioned in passing in his column on Sunday that the Simons have posted a for-sale sign on the team. Who could blame…
For $399, you can drive like A.J.
Business is good for the Indy Racing Experience, which was founded in a Gasoline Alley shop in 1987. The company, which started allowing fans to ride around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in two-seat…
Indy finalist for USA Basketball HQ
Indianapolis today is one step closer to stealing USA Basketball’s headquarters from Colorado Springs, where the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the U.S. has been located since 1979. IBJ…
Developer details Penn Arts plan
A 23-year-old entrepreneur plans to spend $3 million to transform the 82-unit Penn Arts apartment building at 16th and Pennsylvania streets into 45 upscale apartments, Tracy Donhardt
IU football fortunes on the rise
Indiana University this month began a television and radio advertising onslaught for its football team that seems to come at an odd time. After all, the spotlight is shining on March Madness, when…
Bertolini’s in Circle Centre closes
After a 12-year run, upscale Italian restaurant Bertolini’s has closed its Circle Centre location. The restaurant, on the first floor of the mall next to P.F. Chang’s and Champps, was part of…
Finish Line escapes one crisis, but challenges abound: Indianapolis-based athletic-wear retailer now shifts its attention to reinvigorating sales after prolonged slump
Executives at locally based The Finish Line Inc. felt a weight lifted after escaping a potentially ruinous attempt to acquire Genesco Inc., a company more than twice its size. But there’s no time for rest: They now must focus on a core business that was floundering even before Finish Line bid $1.5 billion in June 2007 for the Tennessee-based parent company of mall chains Hat World, Lids and Journeys. Finish Line this month reported its eighth consecutive quarter with declining…