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42-821: The Omni Severin Hotel is a historic hotel, opened in 1913. It is a contributing property in the Indianapolis Union Station Wholesale District historic district. The hotel is located directly across Jackson Place from the Union Station head house. It is a member of Historic Hotels of America , an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation . The Hotel Severin was constructed by Henry Severin Jr., with help from Indianapolis Motor Speedway founders Carl G. Fisher and James A. Allison . It

84-459: A commission fee. The Wholesale District was of primary importance in the transformation of Indianapolis from a small town to a big city. Customers no longer had to rely on retailers who sold finished goods shipped from Louisville, Kentucky , or Cincinnati, Ohio . They could now go to a central location and purchase the same items at wholesale prices. With Union Station nearby, wholesalers could ship goods more cheaply and efficiently. The collapse of

126-432: A nine- screen United Artists movie theater ), but also now contains non-retail tenants. The construction of the mall cost $ 307.5 million. Efforts were made in its design to incorporate historic elements, such as the retention of the facades of buildings that had previously existed on the site. With the closure of Nordstrom in 2011 and that of Carson's on April 29, 2018, the mall has no department stores. In response to

168-552: A total of 418,000 square feet (38,800 m ). Of those 88, 22 were restaurants and food service, 30 were clothing and shoe stores, and 7 were recreational (including movie theaters). As of February 2018 , there were 90 stores besides the Carson's anchor. Of those, 26 were restaurants, 58 were retail stores, and 6 were entertainment venues. In addition, substantial amounts of space are now used by non-retail establishments: The Indianapolis Star uses 100,000 square feet (9,300 m ) of

210-402: Is leasable. Circle Center was laid out in a "dumbbell" shape, with the two anchor stores at each end connected by a skylighted spine lined with stores. The ground level is split by Maryland Street, but the second, third, and fourth levels are joined by a wide sky bridge. On the first level, the anchors and a number of restaurants have entrances directly from the street. The fourth level contains

252-524: Is one of seven designated cultural districts in Indianapolis , Indiana , United States. Located in the south-central quadrant of downtown Indianapolis ' Mile Square, the district contains the greatest concentration of 19th-century commercial buildings in the city, including Indianapolis Union Station and the Majestic Building . Contemporary landmarks in the district include Circle Centre Mall and

294-421: Is the lobby of the original hotel, and its immense Austrian crystal chandelier, marble staircase and other fittings are all original. The original mailbox still serves the hotel. The large antique dressers on each elevator landing were originally in the guest rooms. The Omni Severin is the oldest and longest operating hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Wholesale District, Indianapolis The Wholesale District

336-531: The Artsgarden that is suspended over the intersection of Illinois and Washington streets. During the 1960s and 1970s, the downtown retail sector in Indianapolis was in decline as suburban shopping centers were opening. Vacancy rates were increasing and the physical environment was deteriorating. The lack of restaurants and other attractions led to fewer people coming downtown during the evening and on weekends. By

378-681: The Indianapolis Artsgarden . Prior to its designation as a cultural district, the Wholesale District was one of downtown Indianapolis's most decayed and blighted areas. Around the turn of the 20th century, Indianapolis had one of the largest networks of railroads in the United States with hundreds of passenger trains arriving at Union Station daily. The streets near the station were lined with businesses, hotels, warehouses, and retail shops. Wholesale grocers sold fresh goods daily before

420-664: The Omni Severin Hotel , and a number of upscale restaurants. The area also includes the Hilbert Circle Theatre , home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra , which underwent a $ 2.5 million renovation in 2003. St. Elmo Steak House has been a fixture in the district since its founding in 1902. Circle Centre The mall consists of 99 stores on four levels with a gross leasable area of 729,981 square feet (67,817.5 m ). When first conceived in

462-507: The Selig's Dry Goods Company Building ) east of Illinois Street and, while the Goodmans wanted to be part of the mall, their valuation of their properties and their vision for the mall differed from those of the mall developers. As a result, the city decided to relocate the mall to the south side of Washington Street. In 1983, the city began purchasing the needed property. The Occidental Building at

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504-449: The 1980s, it was intended to contain the existing Ayres and William H. Block department stores along with one or two others new to the city. Before the mall could open, both the Ayres and Block stores had closed, leaving Nordstrom and Parisian (later converted to Carson's ) as anchors. The third level features a food court. The fourth level features entertainment venues ( Tilt Studio and

546-702: The Atkinson in July 1988. The hotel underwent a $ 40 million restoration and expansion, which added two wings to the back of the original 1913 building, forming a U-shaped structure. The hotel's entrance was moved to the rear, where a new lobby was constructed. The 424-room hotel reopened on February 3, 1990 managed by Omni Hotels , as the Omni Severin Hotel . Ten years later, Mansur sold the Severin to Omni Hotels. The hotel retains many original 1913 elements. The Severin Ballroom Lobby

588-693: The City of Indianapolis (including federal grants), $ 75 million by the equity partners (Circle Centre Development Partners), and $ 45 million from construction loans. In February 2018, the Simon Property Group announced a multimillion-dollar renovation for Circle Centre, its largest ever, that would be worked on over the next two years. The project includes improvements to bathrooms, flooring, lighting, elevators, and entrances. The third-floor food court will have new lounge areas, banquette seating, and community tables to attract more restaurant patrons. When asked about

630-608: The L. S. Ayres building, were incorporated directly into the mall. Others, such as the Canterbury Hotel and the St. Elmo building , remained privately owned and the mall was constructed around them. In addition, portions of the interiors of certain buildings were used as interior design elements, an example being the Expresso Bar in Nordstrom. The first floor of the L. S. Ayres main building

672-464: The advent of the modern grocery store. The district had many such grocers, and also wholesalers who sold dry and finished goods. The House of Crane, whose facade remains part of the Circle Centre Mall development, sold cigars; Hanson, VanCamp & Co. sold hardware. In addition, S. Delaware St. became known as "Commission Row", where farmers brought their produce to merchants who sold the goods for

714-415: The changing retail conditions, the mall has looked to non-traditional mall usages; in 2014, for example, The Indianapolis Star moved its offices into part of the space vacated by Nordstrom. Circle Centre covers approximately two square blocks in downtown Indianapolis , one block south of Monument Circle . It is bounded by Washington Street on the north, Meridian Street on the east, Georgia Street on

756-592: The city. The $ 100 million mall would be located north of Washington Street and have an entrance on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle Negotiations to purchase the real estate on the north side of Washington Street proved to be difficult. In particular, the Goodman family owned the Goodman Jewelers Building and several other buildings (including the Taylor Carpet Company Building and

798-436: The design architect in 1985. However, in 1991 they were replaced by Ehrenkrantz and Eckstut Architects . By the end of 1990, most of the demolition of existing structures had been completed. However, Simon & Associates failed to meet a December 1 deadline to sign a permanent agreement because they had not been able to complete financing for the mall. Nevertheless, the city went ahead and awarded contracts for excavation of

840-614: The downtown location closing in the spring of 1992. In June of that year, Parisian announced that it would open a store in Circle Centre, using the first three levels of the Ayres building. As a result, Circle Centre had two anchor stores when it opened in 1995: Nordstrom and Parisian. In July 2011, Nordstrom closed its Circle Centre store due to decreased sales as many of its customers began shopping at its newer store in The Fashion Mall at Keystone , which had opened in 2008. The mall

882-799: The economy during the Great Depression devastated the area, with few businesses remaining. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Indianapolis Union Station-Wholesale District in 1982, primarily for its notability as the former center for wholesale trade. Since 1995, more than $ 686 million has been invested in the area, transforming it into one of the city's largest entertainment and hospitality districts. Recent additions include more than 35 new businesses, Circle Centre , Gainbridge Fieldhouse , The Residences at CityWay, restoration of

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924-513: The end of January 1993, Lazarus closed the downtown store, having announced their intent the previous June. Updated plans for the mall had shown Lazarus occupying a new building on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle . Although Lazarus stated it was still open to being part of the mall, ultimately it did not. On April 4, 1991, the May Department Stores announced that its L. S. Ayres subsidiary would not be part of Circle Centre, with

966-580: The exterior of the mall. Of the seven historic facades that were preserved, only two were used in place. The others were moved as much as two blocks from their original locations. The cast-iron facade of the Vajen Exchange Block Building, which had been preserved by the Historic Landmarks Foundation from an earlier demolition outside the Wholesale District, was also used. Some of the buildings that were retained, including

1008-442: The former Nordstrom space, and Brown Mackie College , which moved-in in 2011, takes up about 25,000 square feet (2,300 m ) on the fourth level; however, in 2016 the school announced that it would not accept any new students as it shuts down its operations. The Simon Youth Academy , an Indianapolis Public Schools Choice School for 11th and 12th graders that opened in 2015, also occupies about 5,000 square feet (460 m ) on

1050-426: The general partner. Delays in finalizing the financing subsequently led Mayor Stephen Goldsmith to declare a moratorium on further city participation. As a result of these problems, large portions of the mall site consisted of deep holes in the ground for over a year. The original $ 100 million projected costs of the mall had risen as the scope changed and the timeline for completion of the mall grew. By March 1983 it

1092-545: The grand opening, the cost was expected to be only $ 325 million. Circle Centre officially opened on September 8, 1995, at a total cost of $ 307.5 million (not including the $ 12 million for the Artsgarden). Of that total, $ 55.0 million was for site acquisition, $ 10.3 million for site improvement, $ 62.2 million for mall construction, $ 27.4 million for a parking structure, $ 124.0 million for tenant improvements, and $ 28.6 million for soft costs. The financing consisted of $ 187 million by

1134-580: The late 1970s, research as to the feasibility of a downtown covered mall had begun. In April 1979, Mayor William Hudnut and Melvin Simon & Associates announced the completion of a study that envisioned a two- or three-story mall between Meridian Street and Capitol Avenue. It would connect the L. S. Ayres store at Washington and Meridian streets and the William H. Block store at Illinois and Market streets, and could potentially include other department stores new to

1176-610: The mall was taken over by JLL . Simon continued to handle leasing, until they sold their remaining stake in December 2021 to the Circle Centre Development Company. In December 2023, the Circle Centre Development Company announced that it had reached an agreement to sell the mall to Hendricks Commercial Properties. Hendricks had previously redeveloped the other public spaces in Indiana plans to spend about $ 600 million over

1218-588: The movie theater and other entertainment venues, but no other retailers. The mall is connected on the south, west, and northwest to the Indianapolis skywalk network, connecting it directly to the Indiana Convention Center , Lucas Oil Stadium , and twelve hotels (including the Omni Severin Hotel , Le Méridien Indianapolis , Conrad Indianapolis , Embassy Suites , Hyatt Regency Indianapolis , Marriott Indianapolis , Westin , Crowne Plaza , and JW Marriott Indianapolis ). The northwest connection leads to

1260-687: The name was later shortened to just Carson's . In December 2014, the city agreed to reduce the rent on the location by $ 300,000 annually through January 2018. On January 31, 2018, Bon-Ton announced that it would be closing the store (along with 46 of its other locations) in ten to twelve weeks, leaving the mall with no anchors. Carson's closed permanently at the end of the normal business hours on Sunday, April 29, 2018. When Circle Centre opened in September 1995, it had two anchor stores—Nordstrom, with 206,000 square feet (19,100 m ), and Parisian, with 144,000 square feet (13,400 m )—and 88 other stores with

1302-501: The next ten years to redevelop the mall into an “open air, pedestrian-focused campus with housing, offices and shopping”. The acquisition was completed on April 24, 2024. Since some of the costs of the mall were paid by federal funding, a survey of the buildings in the redevelopment area was conducted as to their historical importance under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 . The survey

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1344-481: The northeast corner of Washington and Illinois streets. However, in July 1990, amid a financial downturn, the new owners of Saks stated that no new stores, including the proposed Indianapolis one, would be built during the new three years. In April 1989, Nordstrom announced that it would become Circle Centre's fourth anchor store. Initial plans had been to locate the fourth anchor in the Occidental Building at

1386-473: The outlook for Circle Centre in view of the loss of its remaining anchor store and of smaller retailers, the mall's general manager said that she envisioned the mall becoming a hybrid of traditional and non-traditional retail. In 2015, a proposal had been put forth to add residential units, but that is not part of the current project. The project also does not address what would be done with the space occupied by Carson's. On April 1, 2021, day-to-day management of

1428-444: The south, and Illinois Street on the west. Maryland Street splits the north block from the south block. The mall covers 7.2 acres (2.9 ha), with a parking garage on the opposite side of Illinois Street covering 2.0 acres (0.81 ha) and connected by a sky bridge. Two underground parking garages underlay the mall itself. The mall contains 960,000 square feet (89,000 m ) of space, of which 793,700 square feet (73,740 m )

1470-407: The southeast corner of Washington and Illinois streets, which was the home of the L. Strauss & Co. clothing store, was bought for $ 2.8 million. Strauss moved to the new Claypool Courts at the northwest corner of the same intersection, but went out of business before the mall itself was completed. Purchase of the other needed parcels was completed by 1989. The Jerde Partnership was engaged as

1512-420: The southeast corner of Washington and Illinois streets. Nordstrom proposed a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m ) three-story structure, which was larger than the planned site could accommodate, so Nordstrom was located in a new building on Meridian Street between Georgia and Maryland streets. Block's department store changed its name to Lazarus in 1988, having been purchased by the latter the previous year. At

1554-435: The underground garages and for retaining walls around the perimeter of the site. On September 17, 1991, a new plan and model for the mall, including what would become the Artsgarden , were presented. Eight days later, the city signed an agreement with Circle Centre Development Company, a consortium of twelve local companies, to provide $ 100 million in financing by March 1, 1992. A subsidiary of Simon & Associates served as

1596-547: Was $ 125 million, growing to $ 400 million in December 1986 when 1 1/2 blocks were added to the project. It continued rising to $ 500 million in October 1987, $ 560 million in January 1988, and $ 650 million in March 1988. By June 1991 the projected cost had increased to $ 1 billion, but in that month it decreased to between $ 500 million and $ 750 million. However, by November 1994, about a year before

1638-497: Was also historically restored rather than being stripped out as was initially proposed. In the original concept, the mall would have connected the existing downtown locations of the L. S. Ayres and the William H. Block department stores and added one or more department stores that did not then have locations in Indianapolis. In January 1988, Saks Fifth Avenue announced that it would build a new 90,000-square-foot (8,400 m ) store on

1680-550: Was built on the site of the earlier Grand Hotel, which opened in 1876 and burned down in 1905. The first event at the hotel, the Christamore Settlement Ball, was held on August 22, 1913. The Hotel Severin received its first registered guest the next day, Indiana Congressman James Eli Watson . The Severin was bought by Warren M. Atkinson in 1966. He renovated it, at a cost of $ 2.5 million, and renamed it The Atkinson of Indianapolis . Mansur Development Corporation bought

1722-535: Was conducted between 1987 and 1990. Of the 43 buildings surveyed, it was decided that 17 would be retained, 8 would have only their facades preserved, and 18 would be demolished. Fourteen of the buildings to be demolished were contributing structures in the Wholesale District , a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. The facades of seven buildings were subsequently incorporated into

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1764-499: Was unable to attract another anchor store for the location after three years of effort, so an agreement was reached with The Indianapolis Star to move its newspaper offices into 100,000 square feet (9,300 m ) of the upper levels of the former Nordstrom space. The move was completed on September 29, 2014. In 2007, the name of the Parisian store was changed to Carson Pirie Scott after having been sold to The Bon-Ton Stores in 2006;

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