Conrad shuts down temporarily amid record-low occupancy for hotels
The upscale, 247-room Conrad suspended operations on Saturday in what management called a temporary measure “that is reflective of the current business environment.”
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President of fast-growing Kennedy Tank & Manufacturing dies of COVID-19
Patrick William Kennedy was the fourth-generation president of three family-owned companies, an avid runner and an active participant in motorsports activities.
IBJ Podcast: How buying and selling homes has changed in the COVID era
Homes are still selling in central Indiana, even as public officials ask us to severely limit personal contact and any non-essential travel outside the home. How? Agents, buyers and sellers quickly adapted to the new state of affairs.
Hundreds of protesters demand Holcomb reopen economy
Indiana has been under a stay-at-home order since March 25, and on Friday Holcomb said he plans to issue a new executive order on Monday that extends the directive until May 1.
Local TV stations’ ratings rise, but advertisers flee
The very thing that is driving the increase—the coronavirus outbreak—is also preventing stations from cashing in on those ratings increases.
Universities fear students might rethink fall plans
While students and faculty at Indiana universities and colleges are focused on completing the current academic year online, school leaders are already assessing what impact COVID-19 will have on the fall semester.
Real estate agents, home sellers, buyers adjust to social-distancing norms
Local brokers have made big changes in the way they sell houses in an effort to protect buyers and sellers during the coronavirus outbreak. It’s not clear yet whether or how much the changes will hurt home sales—in the short term or long term.
COVID-19 to unleash torrent of lawsuits against insurers
Businesses and not-for-profits in Indiana and across the country have begun suing their insurers in coronavirus-related claims disputes—and attorneys predict a flood of additional cases will follow.
Indiana to partner with 6 other Midwestern states on reopening the economy—likely in early May
The Midwestern agreement includes Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Kentucky.
Downtown hotel occupancy fell 91% as health crisis escalated
The entire market saw a 68% drop in occupancy from the week of March 1-7 to the week of March 29-April 4, according to data from Tennessee-based hotel research firm STR.
Area homebuilders saw big rise in applications during first quarter
Interest in buying new homes in central Indiana surged dramatically in the first quarter, before the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic began taking its toll on the economy.
NFL contingency plans include playing in empty or half-full stadiums
While the NFL has just begun pondering a shortened season, the other major U.S. leagues are already in various stages of exploring their most feasible paths to resumption.
Nursing home residents account for 7% of Indiana COVID-19 cases but 27% of deaths
The figures reflect the outsized danger of the coronavirus to elderly people, who often are physically weak and have underlying conditions, from heart disease to diabetes.
Preparing for budget crunch, conferences ask NCAA for relief
Five major football conference commissioners have asked the Indianapolis-based NCAA to relax some requirements to compete in Division I for four years.
Chicago-style pizza chain Lou Malnati’s adding Broad Ripple, Carmel sites
Beloved in the Chicagoland area, the deep-dish chain confirmed to IBJ in March that it planned to enter the central Indiana market with several locations.
Indy-based Knowledge Services acquires Fishers building for new HQ
The company, which provides workforce management services, said it is investing $15.1 million overall to acquire and renovate the 165,000-square-foot building, where it will move 130 employees.
City-County Council allocates $1.1 million to absentee-voting initiative
Mailing absentee ballot applications to Marion County’s nearly 650,000 registered voters is expected to cost $550,000 for the primary. The council also allocated $550,000 for the fall, in case social distancing is still being encouraged at that time.
IBJ Podcast: The pressures of working and parenting at home in a pandemic
Many parents who now work remotely have been forced to manage their duties as employees, spouses and parents all at the same time and all in the same place. Podcast host Mason King asks human resources expert Liz Malatestinic and local families for strategies for staying organized and ahead of potential meltdowns.
New Noblesville mayor makes push to restore Hobbs Station, 10-acre railyard
A planned $1.5 million investment in Noblesville’s historic railyard is designed to draw visitors into downtown, but it also might put the city’s rocky relationship with rail back on track.
Endowment’s largesse targets not-for-profit safety net
Within a week of Indiana’s first confirmed case of COVID-19, the Indianapolis-based endowment granted $15 million to underwrite a new community fund dedicated to helping social service agencies respond to the pandemic.