State hopes $275M overhaul of rest stops entices travelers to stay in Indiana
The welcome centers will feature area-specific design features and exhibits intended to entice out-of-state travelers to visit regional attractions, including state parks.
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Hard Rock taking over casino from troubled Indianapolis company
Hard Rock International is assuming at least 85% ownership of a northwestern Indiana casino from an Indianapolis-based ownership group whose top executives have faced criminal and financial misconduct allegations.
Photo Gallery: Phase 2 of Bankers Life Fieldhouse project well underway
The renovations are part of a three-phase $360 million project that tipped off in 2020.
In-person gamblers lifting U.S. casino market to its best year
Only four states, Nevada, Mississippi, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, took in more gambling revenue than Indiana during the first half of the year.
IndyCar delivers a smash hit in crash-filled return to Nashville
With apologies to Detroit, Music City morphed into Motor City as IndyCar stormed into town and proved again downtown streets and bridges and zipping around NFL stadiums are where the series needs to race.
IBJ Podcast: Climate change could scorch and soak Indiana while reshaping key industries, Purdue center says
Indiana isn’t seeing the intense heat waves and flash-flooding that other parts of the world are experiencing this summer, but models show our winters will dwindle, our summers will have many more days above 95ºF and rainfall will continue to increase.
U.S. plans to require COVID-19 shots for foreign travelers
Airlines for America, a trade group for major U.S. airlines, said it was pleased by reports that the administration plans to make it easier for more foreign travelers to enter the country if they have been vaccinated.
White River State Park director Mays-Medley stepping down
Carolene Mays-Medley is planning to depart as executive director this fall to pursue a career in inspirational public speaking.
Colts not planning to require masks at home games
The Colts expect the fan experience to be closer to normal after 2020 season that saw strict crowd limits and fewer promotions and activities than those seen in a typical year.
Regional airline launching service from Indy with 3 routes
Contour Airlines initially agreed to launch the three nonstop U.S. flights in June 2020, but the pandemic grounded its plans.
IBJ Podcast: Downtown hotel projects pipeline largely intact despite pandemic
Host Mason King chats with IBJ real estate reporter Mickey Shuey about the state of the hotel industry in Indy and which projects are completed, underway and on hold.
Slow start for tourism pass turns to promising uptick
Visit Indy has seen an uptick in the popularity of its attraction pass this summer, after the tourism group added new locations, reduced the cost and added an option to bundle the pass with hotel rooms.
Indy’s hotel pipeline remains strong despite strains of pandemic
None of the projects in Indy’s central business district has definitively been canceled since the pandemic began, IBJ research has found. In fact, three new downtown properties have opened since last December, with another three scheduled to debut later this year.
PHOTO GALLERY: Digital art space The Lume set to open at Newfields
The Lume, a permanent exhibition space engineered by Austrialia-based Grande Experiences, will feature 30 works by artist Vincent Van Gogh showcased through floor-to-ceiling projections.
Indy Shorts film festival continues growth as standalone event
The Indy Shorts International Film Festival, which gets under way Tuesday, has expanded in size and popularity since its founding as part of the Heartland International Film Festival in 2018.
New downtown restaurant to pay tribute to Hulman family
The Hulman restaurant is the result of a partnership with the IMS Museum, which holds rights to Tony Hulman’s name and likeness.
Billionaire Branson reaches space in his own ship, beating Bezos
The brief, up-and-down flight—about as long as Alan Shepard’s first U.S. spaceflight in 1961—was a splashy and unabashedly commercial plug for Virgin Galactic, which plans to start taking paying customers on joyrides next year.
Indy is working to hold onto Combine even as NFL seeks other suitors
The league’s decision to invite other cities to bid to host its Scouting Combine didn’t come as a surprise to local leaders, and it gave them a head start on designing a bid that could keep the Combine in town beyond 2022.
Indiana State Fair announces 23 new vendor menu items
The Indiana State Fair is set to offer new food items this year that will be featured in its “Taste of the Fair” contest, includes everything from a funnel-cake-inspired beer to a grilled cheese sandwich made with waffles.
Sports bar Champps ends 20-year run in downtown Indianapolis
The downtown sports bar and casual dining restaurant opened in Circle Centre at the corner of Washington and Illinois streets in 2001 as Champps Americana.