Indiana Convention Center expansion construction kicks off in Indianapolis

Construction for the seventh expansion of the Indiana Convention Center is underway in Indianapolis.

The Pan Am Plaza will be redeveloped to include new convention space and a 40-story hotel that will be the tallest in the city.  The city recently took control of the hotel project after developers were unable to secure funding.

Hilton Hotels and Resorts will operate the 800-room hotel.  The City-County Council passed $625 million in city-backed bonds to fund it.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the city supports the convention center and hotel project as a vital part of downtown.

“They renew our commitment to a facility that has netted us billions in revenue to a tourism industry that employs tens of thousands of Central Indiana residents,” he said.

Pan Am Plaza was built when Indianapolis hosted the Pan Am Games in 1987, an event that helped bolster the city’s reputation as a host city. 

The convention center expansion includes a large ballroom, something conventions said they needed in Indianapolis. The hotel and the center will be connected through a new skywalk. The addition means Indianapolis will have more hotel rooms connected by skywalks than any other U.S city.

Capital Improvement Board Executive Director Andy Mallon said another cornerstone of the project is the commitment to hiring diverse and minority-owned businesses for construction contracts.

“This project will make it possible for minority and women-owned businesses to be part of this city's growth in a way I've never seen before,” Mallon said.

The CIB is hosting information sessions for potential subcontractors and anticipates the project will create more than 2,500 construction jobs.

The last expansion was completed in 2011 when Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl. Ribbon cuttings are expected in 2026.