Stepping inside old City Hall at 202 N. Alabama St. is like stepping into a different era, one in which government buildings represented the grandest architecture. But the building has sat vacant for roughly a decade now and it shows.
A musty smell pervades the four-story limestone structure that used to house the most powerful political figures in the city. There are no working elevators or running water. Small piles of molding that fell from the ceiling sit scattered on the floor. A few trash bags litter the floor.
Questions over what the space will become continue to plague the city, as Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration tries once again to get a redevelopment plan off the ground. On June 16, IndyStar toured the old City Hall for the first time in five years as the city tries to restart the process of planning for the building’s future.
Much of the building’s original, eye-catching design elements remain intact. The floor contains swirls of pinks, tans and browns from slabs of expensive imported materials. High up, an ornate stained-glass window captures the attention of those in the atrium below. The balconies on the oval-shaped upper floors provide high-level views from above.
Redevelopment looked to be on the near horizon in 2023 when TWG Development signed a deal with the city to take control of the property and build a high-rise tower next door. Three years later, in March, the city abruptly cut ties with TWG Development over differing visions for the site and the project’s financial challenges.
The announcement felt vaguely reminiscent. Former Mayor Greg Ballard had also tried to bring a 21c boutique hotel to old City Hall in 2015. That plan also failed.
Developers have until Aug. 28 to submit ideas on how to move forward with the site. Around 10 companies toured old City Hall in early June as they mull whether to submit a bid to partner with the Department of Metropolitan Development on the property.
The site represents a unique opportunity to breathe life into a key corridor between Mass Ave. and Monument Circle right along the Cultural Trail, DMD Director Megan Vukusich said.
“We want to make sure we get it right, and we don’t take this opportunity for granted,” Vukusich said.
Any redevelopment project will likely be costly, as the building will require thousands, if not millions, in preservation costs, but the adjacent lot provides a space ripe for development that could offset the expense of preserving the historic site.
At one point, Hogsett teased the idea of moving some city employees from the City-County Building back to the 1910 edifice, said Mark Dollase, Vice President of Indiana Landmarks. Dollase sees myriad possibilities for the building at Alabama and Ohio streets.
“I’m not putting anybody into a corner because I know a great building like this can find lots of folks who may be interested in repurposing it as well to a different use,” Dollase said.
Unveiled in 1910, old City Hall is one of the hidden gems of Rubush and Hunter, a prominent Central Indiana architecture firm from the era. It’s one of the most recognized neoclassical buildings in Indianapolis, along with the Scottish Rite Cathedral.
But the building has sat vacant for 10 years, collecting dust, and will need some love before it opens back up to the public. A roof leak has caused sheets of wallpaper to peel off and plaster in some areas is falling.
DMD did not immediately provide an estimated cost to maintain old City Hall. Vukusich said the city does routine maintenance to keep the building in “status quo” condition.
See inside old City Hall
A neoclassical hidden gem with a lengthy history
City employees worked in old City Hall until 1962 when the high-rise City-County Building opened a few blocks south. From 1962 to 2016, the building was retrofitted for a hodgepodge of activities.
The Indiana State Museum covered the big windows to protect artifacts from fading when it occupied the building from 1967 to 2002. Signs guiding visitors to the sports literature and travel sections remain from the five years, from 2002 to 2007, that the building served as the downtown Indianapolis Public Library as the Indianapolis Central Library was under construction.
Many of those fixes have changed the fabric of the building and will need to be addressed during redevelopment, Dollase said. At some point, a drop ceiling was put in above the old council chambers, covering up the original molding. Several doors have been taken down and put in storage.
The neoclassical building joined the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1974 but was only formally recognized as historically significant by the city of Indianapolis in 2015.
That recognition was a significant step, Dollase said, since the building cannot be demolished now. Any construction or development blueprints must go before the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission, the city’s appointed board of preservation and design experts.
To Dollase, the extra guardrails and steps are “well worth it” to keep the structure standing.
Alysa Guffey writes business and development for IndyStar. Contact her at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Old City Hall will need some love before developer takes over. See inside
Reporting by Alysa Guffey, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Alysa Guffey, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
