Billie Creek up for auction after sealed bids fail
The Parke County historic site's land, buildings and antiques will be auctioned publicly on Oct. 20 during the county's Covered Bridge Festival.
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Indy hotel to pay $355,000 to settle race lawsuit
The operators of an Indianapolis hotel have agreed to pay $355,000 to settle allegations they underpaid and fired African-American housekeepers because of their race.
Indiana Grand Casino owners accept bid from Centaur
Central Indiana’s two racetrack-casinos may consolidate under a single owner after Indianapolis-based Centaur Holdings LLC submitted a winning bid of at least $500 million for Indiana Grand Casino in Shelbyville.
Lucas Oil Stadium meeting revenue expectations
Roughly four years after it opened its doors in late 2008, Lucas Oil Stadium appears to have crossed the threshold of dollars that its creators anticipated from hosting events beyond the scope of the Indianapolis Colts.
Event-planning vet Maribeth Smith has impressive resume
Maribeth Smith’s introduction to the world of event planning sure was a doozy—coordinating the city’s first significant Final Four in 1991. In the 20 years since, Smith has planned some of Indianapolis’ biggest soirees, highlighted this year by several events surrounding the Super Bowl, which helped cement her status as one of the city’s leading meeting planners.
Filling the FFA gap in Indianapolis
Local tourism officials have known for nearly four years that the National FFA Organization annual convention will leave Indianapolis temporarily after an anticipated 55,000 members clad in their trademark blue corduroy jackets descend on the city for their confab Oct. 24-27.
Fumes sicken 13 workers at Indiana State Fairgrounds
A spokesman says more than a dozen people have been taken to hospitals after they were sickened by fumes from gas-fueled power-washing equipment while working at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Zoo breaks ground on $21M orangutan exhibit
Indianapolis Zoo officials are hoping to finish strong on the organization's largest fundraising effort since the zoo moved to White River State Park in 1988.
Steak n Shake paying $3.8M for Ober Building
An affiliate of the Steak n Shake restaurant chain has agreed to pay $3.8 million to acquire downtown's Ober Building from the Capital Improvement Board of Marion County. The restaurant chain likely will move its headquarters to the 1910 building.
Earth House cites unsustainable business model for closure
Leaders of a church-affiliated Indianapolis arts organization are citing an unsustainable business model as the reason why doors will close at the end of the month. Earth House Collective will host its final events on Aug. 31
Indiana State Fair falls short of attendance goal
This year’s Indiana State Fair drew 853,941 visitors during a 17-day run that ended Sunday, falling short of its attendance goal by about 20,000 people. The fair had aimed for overall attendance of 875,000, a figure based on the average number of visitors the past five years.
Fate of theme park remains on roller coaster ride
Efforts to reopen a closed Kentucky amusement park have taken a roller coaster ride for three summers, and now there's a new twist as the state seeks out more would-be operators even as a group of local business leaders floats a proposal to revive the attraction.
City’s convention agency changing to more ‘hip’ name
The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association is changing its name to Visit Indy and dramatically altering its logo to appeal to leisure travelers as well as meeting and convention planners.
Downtown Indianapolis gearing up for big visitor weekend
The Gen Con Indy gaming convention and the MotoGP race are among several events the city is hosting that could produce an economic impact of $150 million, according to the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association.
Stage company rejects Indiana State Fair settlement deal
The owner of the stage that collapsed at Indiana's State Fair last year and killed seven people rejected a settlement plan Wednesday that would have protected the state from further legal action and paid victims an additional $7.2 million.
IMA chooses new CEO from Kentucky art museum
Charles L. Venable, 52, the director and CEO of the Speed Art Museum in Louisville since 2007, was chosen to replace Maxwell Anderson, who left the IMA in January to become director of the Dallas Museum of Art.
Museum of Contemporary Art names executive director
The Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art has removed the "interim" tag from the title of its executive director.
Playoffs?! CIB predicts Colts won’t host postseason game
The city entity that owns Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Colts play their home games, budgeted $1 million less in admission-tax revenue for 2013 for one reason: The board does not expect the Colts to host any playoff games.
CIB plans $5M repair to Capitol Commons plaza
The project is part of a $63.9 million operating budget board members approved for 2013, which is lower than the current year’s budget because it doesn’t include Super Bowl costs or special payments to the Indiana Pacers.
Hamilton County hotels report stronger occupancy
Helped in part by the Super Bowl, the county’s occupancy rate increased 8.4 percent, to 63 percent, compared with the first six months of 2011, according to a report by Tennessee-based Smith Travel Research.