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Tourism & Hospitality
NCAA mum on date to reopen fire-damaged Hall of Champions
August 25, 2008
Sam StallAlmost a full year after a fire in a single exhibit closed the NCAA Hall of Champions, the wait for the college sports museum's reopening is becoming as prolonged and agonizing as sitting through a college football game during a freezing November rain. The NCAA is apparently in no hurry to relieve the suspense.
EYE ON THE PIE: How I spent my summer vacation
August 4, 2008
Morton MarcusHelen Heavybreath is one of the most intrusive persons in my life. She always wants to know, "Where have you been? What have
you been doing? Whom did you see?" At least the woman's grammar is good. Before she accosts me again, I will report my vacation
activities. What do you think an economist would do this summer, given current circumstances? Quite naturally, high gasoline
prices induced me to take a 3,000-mile driving vacation from Indiana into Colorado, New Mexico...
MoreCenter at IU helps nation's rec areas become inclusive: Venues of all types, sizes learn methods to make attractions more
accessible to visitors with disabilities
August 4, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonSince its inception, the center's staff has worked with venues ranging from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to local
parks in the Indianapolis area. Besides facilities, it also comes to the aid of individuals. Recently, the center helped a
bride who wanted to get married on the beach at sunset. A family member uses an electric wheelchair, so the center offered
advice to her Florida hotel on how to construct a portable wheelchair path to the ceremony that...
MoreState Fair brings in bounty of corporate sponsorships
August 4, 2008
Andrea Muirragui DavisAn economic dry spell may have corporate America praying for rain, but tough times have led to a bountiful year at the Indiana State Fair. Two weeks before the fair's Aug. 6 start date, corporate sponsorships were running 22 percent ahead of 2007, surpassing $1.5 million for the first time.
Hotels feeling travel slump: City occupany rates fall, but downtown operators performing well this year thanks to convention
biz
August 4, 2008
Scott OlsonStaggeringly high gasoline prices and a sputtering economy are preventing scores of would-be travelers from packing up their
thirsty sport-utility vehicles and heading to their favorite vacation destinations. Nationwide, hotel occupancy rates slipped
to 68 percent through June of this year, down from 71 percent the same time last year, according to the most recent data from
Tennessee-based Smith Travel Research. For the most part, local hotel operators are feeling the same pain. Through the first
six months of the...
MoreTourism chief excited to sell world on Indianapolis: Former Seattle exec will have work cut out for him
June 30, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonFew in Indianapolis' hospitality community knew what to think when Donald Welsh announced he was leaving Seattle to lead convention
and tourism efforts here. But Seattle insiders say their loss is Indianapolis' gain. "He's behind a lot of the energy in the
[Seattle] organization and getting people engaged," said Anthony Anton, president of the Washington Restaurant Association.
That energy will be needed at the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, which is working to fill an expanded Indiana
Convention Center and...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Sky-high gas prices are revving up the political rhetoric
June 2, 2008
Mike HicksFrom all the noise surrounding gasoline prices, you'd think nobody actually benefited from the high prices. But, of course,
some folks do benefit. Let's figure out who they might be. Obviously, consumers don't benefit. The average car owner in the
United States pays about $80 more per month with gas at $4 per gallon than he did back when it was $2.25. Not good news, of
course, but hardly the end of the world. Folks who provide goods and services...
MoreCentral Canal might get floating stage
May 26, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonA floating stage for concerts and a submarine memorial are in the works for Indianapolis' Central Canal, adding to the downtown
waterway's growing base of attractions. Efforts to develop a one-acre site at the heart of the canal, meanwhile, remain stalled.
MoreZoobilation sells out fast despite $200-plus admission
May 5, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonFar from the typical rubber-chicken fund-raiser attended mostly by board members and their friends--Zoobilation, the 22-year-old,
annual black-tie fund-raiser for the Indianapolis Zoo--attracts 4,300 ticket holders eager to spend an evening wining and
dining at the zoo.
MoreCommentary: Do we need a disaster to wake us up?
April 28, 2008
Tawn ParentAbout 20,000 historic properties were damaged in the storm, and Gay, executive director of Preservation Resource Center of
New Orleans, has led the charge to save them. "We never felt like throwing up our hands," Gay said. "We don't do that." The
Preservation Resource Center contacted owners of the nearly 4,000 historic properties that were condemned after the hurricane.
About 600 of them have been spared to date. The PRC also has been helping review the planned demolition of buildings...
MoreFilm exec returns home to sell state: New tax credits helpful, but not enough to make Indiana stand out as movie venue
April 14, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonWhen Erin Newell was growing up in Greenwood, she and a friend would swipe her dad's video camera and make movies in the basement.
As a student at Ball State University, she studied filmmaking. And when she graduated, she was out like a shot to Los Angeles.
Now, nearly nine years later-after scoring production and assisting credits on movies that even everyday folks have heard
of-she's back in Indiana, helping to beef up the state's film-production industry so others might...
MoreTHE TRAVELING LIFE: Not for the night life: On tour in Saudi Arabia
March 31, 2008
Frank BasileShortly after arriving in Jeddah, it became clear that you don't go to Saudi Arabia for its night life. With very little interaction
of the sexes, a virtual ban on flirtation, a total prohibition on alcohol, smoking, dancing and movies, there was not much
for our little tour group to do after dinner each evening. As for the days, well, they were different than anything you could
experience here in the U.S. ... particularly for the women in our group....
MoreBrown County tourism industry feuds over how to ward off a slump
March 24, 2008
Jonathan HiskesAmong those who stake their livelihood on tourism there is a sense that Brown County is at a crossroads. That dilemma is evident
in decisions about whether to refurbish aging hotel rooms, update restaurant decor or close shop for the off-season.
MorePedestrian bridge to state park still in the works: White River venues think hotel complex will be a boost
February 4, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonDevelopers of the $425 million hotel complex downtown still are working out plans for a pedestrian bridge spanning Washington
Street that will connect it to White River State Park. Merrillville-based White Lodging Co. and Indianapolis-based REI Real
Estate Services proposed a connector-either a bridge or an underground tunnel-in early designs of the convention hotel complex
at the southwest corner of West and Washington streets. Although later site plans did not include the link, REI President
Mike Wells said the developers...
MoreConrad manager says four-diamond award perfect fit for market
January 14, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonAlmost two years after opening, the Conrad Indianapolis hasn't received a Mobil Travel Guide review, and its four-diamond
AAA ranking puts it on par with five other Indianapolis hotels--most of which target conventioneers and business travelers.
MoreConvention Center President Bob Bedell to retire
January 7, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonBob Bedell worked behind the scenes for months--if not years--to make the case for expanding the Indiana Convention Center
and building a 1,000-room hotel nearby. But someone else will have to fill both venues with visitors. The 60-year-old Indianapolis
Convention & Visitors Association president has said he'll retire at the end of June.
MoreEvent planners revive venues: Oasis finds new use for eatery, spruces up Murat
December 31, 2007
Jennifer WhitsonWhen John Stowers was looking to move on from his job managing several nightclubs for an Indianapolisbased partnership in
2002, he and his wife, Patti, wanted to buy a bar he could run. In the process of venue shopping, they stumbled across a space
for lease-The Terrace at Market Tower, a restaurant on the second floor of the office building at 10 W. Market St. Like other
so-called amenity restaurants, The Terrace was more a perk for building tenants than...
MoreTHE TRAVELING LIFE: Genghis Khan slept-and was admired-here
December 31, 2007
Frank BasileBefore we landed at the Genghis Khan Airport, checked into the Genghis Khan Hotel, and drank Genghis Khan beer, everything
we had heard about the most famous Mongol of all time was negative. But that changed when we visited Mongolia in September.
You might wonder what nice things could be said about a guy who conquered more territory in 25 years than the Romans did in
400? Well, the people we encountered perceived him as a combination of George Washington,...
MoreUnion push under way at 2 Indianapolis hotels: They would be first to unionize in central Indiana
December 24, 2007
Jennifer WhitsonEmployees at two Indianapolis hotels have begun a push to unionize-a move that, if successful, would make the properties the
only union hotels in central Indiana. Several workers at the downtown Westin and the Keystone Sheraton have met with representatives
of New York-based Unite Here, a labor group that represents about 440,000 hospitality and textile employees nationwide. Both
hotels are part of Bethesda, Md.-based Host Hotels & Resorts Inc.'s global portfolio. Backers said a union is needed to raise
wages...
MoreVIEWPOINT: Why did we allow gambling to seduce us?
December 24, 2007
Tom HendersonThe money is seductive: an "easy" $1.6 billion. That's what gambling brought to Indiana in taxes this year. The prize might
not be as big in 2008. There's new competition. And a big drop in gambling revenue would spoil the negotiations that all the
nervous Indiana politicians have been doing. Their jobs are on the line, and they know it. Hoosiers are embarrassed. They
don't like that. I have a beautiful picture of two of my children standing inside the...
MoreCommentary: A foreign investment that is sure to pay off
December 10, 2007
Brian WilliamsAs the year draws to a close, the business community remains focused on taxes and the health of the economy. The governor's
privatization of the Indiana Toll Road generated a windfall of $3 billion. If managed properly, that money should fund Indiana's
road and bridge repair work. However, perhaps we should consider investing some of the interest to radically change our stature
in the global economy. Canada possesses coastlines along the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans; has abundant natural resources,...
More'Voluntourism' pioneer wants to go corporate: Once province of colleges, Ambassadors branches into business
December 3, 2007
Chris O\'malleyCompanies wanting to build camaraderie and teamwork often send their employees on the all-too-predictable retreat. A couple
of hours down the road, in a restful setting, they'll do role-playing games and problem-solving exercises. These corporate
chums will cap it off with a bar tab equivalent to the national debt of Belize. Sally Brown thinks she has a better alternative
to the typical company retreat. Why not send those employees to Belize? Or how about El Salvador, or even India, for...
MoreA&E: A&E goes on a road trip: 'Wicked' in the Windy City
December 3, 2007
Lou HarryMusical-theater buffs in Indianapolis know that an occasional trip to Chicago is a must. Savvy ticket buyers willing to schlep
up Interstate 65 have gotten advance looks at such longrunning Broadway hits as "Mamma Mia!," "Aida," "Monty Python's Spamalot"
and "The Producers" before they opened in New York (and years before their tours arrived here). Right now, though, the big
musical draws in Chicago-"Wicked" and "Jersey Boys"-aren't pre- but, rather, post-Broadway. And more than just stopping in
the Windy City...
MoreLocal hospitality market continues expanding: Last year's numbers are in; this year looking strong
December 3, 2007
Jennifer WhitsonMore visitors are coming to Indianapolis and spending more money, leading to more jobs in the local hospitality industry,
a soon-to-be-released report from the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association shows. And that's likely to continue,
given the numbers predicted for 2007, even though the city's overall employment growth doesn't look strong. "These numbers
show a continued growth in tourism in Indianapolis," said ICVA spokesman Bob Schultz. Tourism in Indianapolis had an economic
impact of $3.6 billion last year-$31 million more...
MoreWhite River State Park to choose new marketing firm: Attraction's growing profile lures a slew of bidders
November 26, 2007
Jennifer WhitsonLeaders at White River State Park are winnowing down a field of 18 candidates who want to lead the downtown attraction's public
relations and marketing efforts the next two to three years. Park Executive Director Bob Whitt said a winner has not yet been
chosen and declined to comment on the selection process, but industry sources identified three finalists: locally based firms
Borshoff and Hirons & Co., and Bandy Carroll Hellige of Louisville. When park officials put out the call...
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As a St. Vincent employee of over 20 years, I am saddened and disheartened by this announcement. Unfortunately, as the healthcare "industry" continues on this political and corporate path, all that St. Vincent Hospital has stood for spiritually for its employees and this community is being sucked dry. I know it truly has no choice. It is not just Obamacare or just competition or just any single thing. This trend started long before I was even born when the government became involved in healthcare and it became an "industry." I grieve for those who will lose their jobs, one of whom may be me, but I also grieve for this hospital which I have served for over 20 years. May God give us and it the grace to withstand the future of healthcare.
Why do people constantly harp on this issue and act ignorant about what a city population measures? A city's population is the city's population. There is no argument or debate about it. If you want to measure the density of a city--measure it. If you want to measure the size of a metropolitan area, then measure the metropolitan population. City boundaries cover different sized areas--and they always have (though the disparity has probably increased since about 1900 or so when more cities began annexing their surrounding communities). For example, San Francisco only covers 49 square miles while Houston cover nearly 600 square miles. No one argues about the population rankings of either city even though they clearly cover extremely different sized areas. Indianapolis is the 13 largest city by population in the U.S. That is a fact. While the population of a metropolitan area may give you a better sense of how large a community is, as noted, even metro areas can vary widely in the size of geographic area they cover--so that is not a perfect comparison either.
If Whole Foods went in, I doubt the Nora one would stay open, and with all those customers coming to Broad Ripple traffic would be horrible, and forget about a run to the grocery on weekend nights. I think concern over the number of apartments is misplaced, but the 400 space parking garage has me concerned - someone needs to ask the developer just how much traffic they think this development is going to generate. I am not against more neighborhood residents, but heavy commercial traffic going in and out at that location sounds like a mess.
I thought everyone was innocent until guilt was proven. Seems people have already convicted Reggie in the press. My nephew was a good kid and is a good man, more to this story im sure
Going by the Marion County population only is of little use. 13th largest? No Way! To judge the real size of a metro area, the easy way is to look at the Arbitron rating list. Indianapolis hovers around 40th largest in the nation--sometimes more, sometimes less. Advertisers want to know exactly how large the population is before they buy radio advertising. Arbitron figured it out long ago. Indianapolis is estimated at 1,427,500. The real #13 is Seattle-Tacoma with a metro population of 3,470,400. So, the population of just Marion County is completely irrelevant to anything useful as far as metro area planning.