Indianapolis Zoo ready to reopen ride that stranded riders
A ride that carries Indianapolis Zoo visitors along an elevated track above the orangutan exhibit is scheduled to reopen after being closed for almost a year.
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Central Indiana showcased as 200 mayors come to town
Mayors, their staffs and policy experts from across the country—about 1,200 conference attendees in all—will attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual summer gathering that runs Friday through Monday.
Gen Con’s expansion to Lucas Oil is test for conventions
Gen Con is the biggest and highest-profile convention to use both the stadium and convention center since the 2011 expansion—and others are watching to see how it works.
Proposed $20M Carmel development includes steakhouse, town homes
Chuck Lazzara, who owns the Ritz Charles with his wife, has revealed plans for Monon and Main, a mixed-use project on the southwest corner of Main Street and the Monon Trail.
Indianapolis Zoo closing 28-year-old polar bear exhibit
Tundra, a 29-year-old polar bear at the Indianapolis Zoo, is being moved to the Detroit Zoo, officials said Monday.
Indy lands convention with 50,000 visitors, $35M impact
Primerica Inc.’s annual gathering will be one of the city’s five biggest conventions in 2017. The deal came together in a matter of weeks, which is exceedingly rare in the world of mega-conventions.
Restroom neutrality becomes hospitality sales tool
Only 1 percent of the events booked over the last year at the Indiana Convention Center asked for gender-neutral bathrooms, but hospitality experts say it’s a big and growing issue.
YouTube stars, multiple genres help boost locally created PopCon
The inaugural outing of Indy PopCon, in 2014, generated about 9,000 turnstile spins. Last year’s event had 24,000.
Study: Mounds Greenway would bring $13M in annual benefits
An environmental group that’s fought a proposed central Indiana reservoir says a study it commissioned shows its rival idea would bring tourism, environmental, transportation and public health benefits.
Major renovation for downtown Marriott to run ‘tens of millions’
The revamp of the 622-room Marriott is meant to bring the hotel up to the same standards as the JW Marriott a block to the west. The latter’s owners have agreed to buy the former for $165 million.
UPDATE: City’s second-largest hotel to be sold for $165M
White Lodging Services Corp. and REI Investments have a contract to acquire the 622-room Indianapolis Marriott Downtown hotel, the owner said Thursday.
CNO changes course with Monumental Marathon sponsorship deal
Monumental Marathon Executive Director Blake Boldon called the three-year title sponsorship deal with CNO Financial Group “a game-changing sponsorship.”
South Bend targets central Indiana for more visitors
Visit South Bend Mishawaka has paid the Indianapolis-based digital marketing firm The Basement $125,000 for a summer advertising campaign.
Indianapolis Museum of Art to reduce debt load by $17 million
The Indianapolis Museum of Art plans to pay off more than $17 million in debt at the end of the year, reducing its overall debt load to less than $100 million for the first time since 2004.
Local firm modernizes centuries-old yurt structures
Yurts have been a form of shelter for more than 2,000 years. But Indianapolis-based Yurts of America today builds them with materials that didn’t even exist back then.
Ex-TV producer lining up sponsors for huge downtown music fest
Nick White has reserved American Legion Mall for the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 weekend to launch the Evermore Music Festival. He still needs sponsors. And 35 acts.
National FFA Organization names new chief executive
Mark Poeschl, of Brookville, Ohio, will take over leadership of the Indianapolis-based National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation on Aug. 1, succeeding Dwight Armstrong, who is retiring after leading the organizations for seven years.
U.S. Conference of Mayors plans June meeting in Indianapolis
Each of the presidential candidates and newly elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan have been invited to speak at the event.
Hotel rates go sky high, rooms sold out for miles for Indy 500
The Knights Inn at the airport had a couple of rooms left at $899 per night Wednesday, according to Expedia. And a room could be had at the Red Roof Inn in Anderson for $446.
IU Art Museum to use $15M Eskenazi gift for major renovation
The Indiana University Art Museum in Bloomington has received a $15 million naming gift from Indianapolis-based philanthropists Sidney and Lois Eskenazi, in addition to an art collection of nearly 100 works.