New hotel will be city's tallest

May 15, 2007
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Downtown's new convention headquarters hotel got a sleek new look this afternoon. The $325-million campus of hotels will include the tallest hotel in JW MarriottIndianapolis, a 29-story JW Marriott topped with more than 24 luxury condos. As a whole, the complex will contain a total of 1,568 rooms, including a 250-room Courtyard by Marriott, 168-room Fairfield Inn & Suites and a 150-room SpringHill Suites. It also includes more than 1,000 underground parking spaces. City officials and developers unveiled the new plans this afternoon, along with a higher price than initially expected. Construction is slated to begin in the fall. The project, at the southwest corner of West and Washington streets, is being built by Merrillville-based White Lodging Services Corp. and Indianapolis-based REI Real Estate Services. Check out the renderings here.
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  • CorrNDMay 15, 2007 1:15 PM
    Hmmmm....did they just steal the HI design?! Looks good so far, but we need more renderings.
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  • WagsMay 15, 2007 1:45 PM
    It looks like a Wii.
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  • unvrsty07May 15, 2007 1:49 PM
    Hey Corr, it does come all the way up to West Street it looks like,so that is excellent news! Not a bad design in my opinion, needs somemorecolor as far as I can tell.
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  • two of us were thinkingMay 15, 2007 1:51 PM
    Where in the world are all these hotel guests going to park? Picture this, It's a Friday night, events going on at the convention center, a game at Victory Field, a special showing at Eiteljorg, a concert at White River and downtown workers leaving for the day....we're picturing a traffic nightmare!
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  • CorrNDMay 15, 2007 1:59 PM
    two of us were thinking -- I believe there's going to be a MASSIVE parking garage under the whole development. I can't seem to find the number right now, but it remember thinking it was quite large.
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  • CorrNDMay 15, 2007 2:01 PM
    Whoops, it was right under my nose in Cory's post: 1000 spaces.
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  • Jason266May 15, 2007 2:12 PM
    Am I the only one that thinks the long facades of the JW Hotel look like an American flag? Maybe it lights up at night in red, white, and blue.
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  • Eric HundenMay 15, 2007 2:12 PM
    I'm afraid I'm disappointed. It was supposed to be taller and architectually significant. And not just because it is so big. And I know that the White River State Park ice rink was supposed to have a view of downtown. Now it will have a view of a big bland 9from what I can tell) box. I was hoping for something with better massing, a bit more soaring, more of an iconic entry into downtown from the west. The possibilities for greatness with this project have been lost. The good news is that it will connect downtown to the park, but any design here would have done that. This could have been much better.
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  • copycatMay 15, 2007 2:22 PM
    hmmmm.....looks like the Intercontinental should be sending JW Marriott/REI a bill for the design work......
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  • CorrNDMay 15, 2007 2:40 PM
    Copycat -- looking at the credits at the bottom of the renderings, it appears the redesign was at least partially done by HOK, the same firm that designed the HI (and The Luke). That should explain the similarities.
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  • JimMay 15, 2007 2:48 PM
    CorrND - Both Lucas Oil and the Hotel Intercontinental were designed by HKS (Harwood K. Smith) Architects, based in Dallas. HOK (Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum) is based in St. Louis, though this could have been designed by any of their many offices.
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  • CorrNDMay 15, 2007 2:54 PM
    Wow, not my day -- first this sorry design and then I try to pass off misinfo! Sorry about that. I guess that explains why this isn't 1/10th as impressive as the LOS or the Hotel Intercontinental designs.
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  • depMay 15, 2007 2:57 PM
    Love the sleek look but it's a shame that site is primed for a massive development. I appreciate the city's desire to develop attractions and private enterprise to generate traffic and tax revenue in the central business district, but downtown Indianapolis is sorely lacking wide open green space in all directions - and especially at the gateway to White River State Park. The city and state should have strived to create more green space in and around the park, but have chosen asphalt, concrete, brick and mortar over grass and trees.
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  • ryanMay 15, 2007 3:16 PM
    what a joke. i think i've officially lost interest in downtown and faith in this city. i truly can't believe my eyes. a slap in the face. jeremy stephenson should be ashamed to be speaking on behalf of this computer disk/grid/box piece of crap. city leaders can't DEMAND more? if this is all we get for our marquis convention hotel then i have zero faith in any architectural additions to the city in the future. at least carmel is exciting with their urbanization efforts. throwback buildings are safe and boring, but a least there's an attempt at some character. i'll be spending more time in the burbs...
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  • kcfloodMay 15, 2007 7:05 PM
    not horrid.
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  • ryanMay 15, 2007 10:41 PM
    hmmm...since the chicago office of hok was one of the architects, do you think it was a conspiricy on their part to make our up-and-coming city look like crap? like we don't try for excellence? like we settle for test-market architecture? this building looks like 70's urban redevelopment and is myopic at best. have any of the leaders on this project ever traveled outside of indiana to see real high-rise towers? my fault, they have probably spent time in hotels built in soviet-era russia and bulgaria. i still can't believe how short-changed we will be when this is built. i've never once complained about government tax-breaks for economic development, but this one is making me come up for air. i'm mad that even one penny of mine will help build this joke of a tower. well, i guess it will match the giant concrete box that is the landscape of iupui across the street. mediocrity begets mediocrity...
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  • nancyMay 15, 2007 10:47 PM
    I'm glad I had my puke bag next to my computer today! Do our moronic city leaders not see what is going up in Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, St Lous, Louisville, Denver, etc??????? Do they not understand the utter crap they are approving? I'm close to being done with this city.
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  • RobMay 15, 2007 11:14 PM
    What did Indianapolis do to deserve all this bad architecture?
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  • BobMay 16, 2007 7:29 AM
    I too have lost faith in the architects of this city. What was supposed to be a transformation of the previous design, has now become a taller atrocity. Our city leaders aren't really looking at the big picture. Can any of us imagine what this complex of building will look like in between the Eiteljorg/ State Museum to the north and Victory Field to the south, both architecturally more interesting than this hotel. The JW Marriott is going to look like a tall weed that has sprouted up along downtown Indy's westside. Tisk tisk tisk...
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  • KgMay 16, 2007 7:45 AM
    Pretty terrible looking.
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  • TroyMay 16, 2007 9:21 AM
    While I agree that this building is less than inspiring, I don't agree that ALL new projects in Indy are crap. Take for instance the new airport. It has a standout design that is quite impressive for any city, let alone a midwestern city. We have missed the mark on a majority of the recent downtown projects, but let's not consider Indy as a complete architectural lost-cause.
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  • MikeMay 16, 2007 10:17 AM
    Cory, Who can we all email to let them know of our dissatisfaction in the updated design. Who ultimately approves this and passes it on. I understand that they need to get it finalized and start building, but BLAH!. We need something cool and attractive like the Disney Concert PAvilion in LA!

    http://www.musiccenter.org/wdch/g_const_11.html#

    Talk about cool and exciting! And steel that looks attractive.
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  • JoelMay 16, 2007 12:07 PM
    I'm afraid that it's going to be just like the City-County building. You'll know it's there, but you won't bother to look at it. And what about that mid-rise to the west? From the picture, it looks like a 40-year old Holiday Inn that has been renovated.
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  • Where's the Art?May 16, 2007 9:05 PM
    Where is the art in the architecture of the new hotel? Where is the vision? Go to www.lakeshoreeast.com and see what's happening in Chicago, especially the Aqua building. Cutting edge, distinctive, memorable and defining. None of that applies to the Airport, the football stadium, the Market Square options, the Conrad.... I am so disappointed at the continued timidity in design. Green roofs and colored lights on the tops of buildings? Ugh. Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte and other land-locked cities have nothing to fear from Indianapolis.
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  • MattMay 16, 2007 10:29 PM
    Where's the Art, i agree, Indy doesn't have anything even remotely close to cutting edge architecture. Cities like Louisville, for Gods sake, are building world class 60 story skyscrapers by internationally renowned architects. In the meantime, Indy is content with mediocre suburban architecture designed by people who wouldn't be allowed to design a dog house in Chicago.
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  • ianeckMay 17, 2007 6:15 AM
    The downtown skyline would be better without this building. Maybe they should build the whole thing underground, not just the parking. I also don't understand who decided that every building along Maryland street has to be oriented the same way. And why do we need all these sprawling rectangular 'towers' anyway? I think it just represents Indy's consistent inability to exercise sufficient planning or foresight. We have to live with that building for the rest of our lives..why not throw in a little extra money for a decent architect?
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  • CorrNDMay 17, 2007 9:46 AM
    ianeck -- that's an interesting point about throwing in a little extra money for design. What does a design from a world-class architect cost? I honestly don't have a clue. But when the city's already bumping the bond sale from $48.5M to $66M, what's a little more for a world-class design? Call it an advertising cost for selling the public on the project.
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  • CoryMay 17, 2007 11:50 AM
    This is so disappointing. This building should be cut in half and stacked on its self. This would give us a nearly 700' tower, with the same number of rooms, and some green space on the site. Instead, we have a Vegas-style monstrosity that engulfs an entire city block. Yeah, this project will be beneficial, but I can not for the life of me figure out why the leaders of this City take anything (and I do mean anything) that is prposed for downtown. This isn't 1970. We aren't pleading for developers to put projects downtown, Developers WANT to be downtown. Why can't we hold them to a higher standard. Why are no-name cities like Lousiville having world-renowned designs for their new hotels while we get an elongated box??
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  • ryanMay 25, 2007 3:36 PM
    i'm mad all over again...is it too late to re-review the design? i'm by no means an architect, but honestly, i am creative/artistic enough that i could design something with more urban appeal and longevity in aesthetics...
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  1. So the Mayor adds another non value added layer to having a vehicle towed? Whereby the City Government RECIEVES AN ILLEGAL KICKBACK FROM A LGOISTICS COMPANY THAT SUBS THE WORK TO LOCAL TOW COMPANIES? What is the service the City performs for receiving the "tribute"? This is RICO!!!!! What a corrupt and unnecessary layer. What a dirtbag Mayor and his cronies.

  2. Owner occupied housing. Clear enough?

  3. So people think I am paranoid. It's from experience in dealing with puds requested by developers who make major donations themselves to representatives, have nice fund raisers for those running for office and hide through pac's. then there are the public relation firms. You will note some pr comments below. You there Clyde Lee? My opinion. Commercial along 421, great. Multifamily housing, terrible idea that will change the town. Senior condos or zero lot line homes west, great. I suggest keeping all entries to commercial areas at 421. All entries to owner occupied on sycamore. Will keep the traffic on sycamore down some. Two other things. You can't trust what will be there in 10 years. Steve builds quality stuff, but areas change over time. Look at the changes at the wall mart center at 86th and 421 over the last 10 years. Look at the apartments and neighborhoods behind St Vincent's. Raintree properties WILL decrease in value if commercial and multifamily goes in near. It has already been happening around the bridges area. The houses that have been sold recently are way below market. Several deals not closed due to the Illinois construction and the whole unsurety of the bridges. It's pretty simple, Zionsville will approve the whole thing because the city council has been groomed over a LONG period of time for this. I might even suggest some are in their position as a result of this.

  4. Esta, do you have a dog in this fight? You seem to really want to knock anyone against this project. No, I didn't move to Indiana for the architecture. I moved here for that red barn in the field. The horses and fields of corn. A place that is NOT overdeveloped. There are plenty of nearby places in Indianapolis that could be REDEVELOPED instead.

  5. RKW - OK, we get it, you're paranoid. The question is, are you paranoid enough? Greg - Yes, Pittman(s) is (are) at it again. They are developers, they build things. It's what they do. So when you go to work tomorrow, Greg, you're at it again too. Cliff - Really? You moved to Indiana for its progressive architecture? That's like moving to England for the cuisine. Zionsvillain - The house you moved to was once a field or woods. I'm willing to bet folks were upset when that ground was plowed under and a house was built. But I guess now that you are in, everything should stop? "My house was OK, but the next one is sprawl." SE Guy - Please don't paint us with such a wide brush. Most reasonable Zionsville residents welcome planned, measured development.

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