The old train station building is still sensational. Just about as interesting as you can get…at least to me. But I guess I love old buildings. Not entirely because of the architecture, but it’s intriguing to think about all the thousands of people that have crossed through it’s doors over the years…and if a building could see, all the history it has seen unfold all around it. In it’s hay-day in the late 1800′s Union Station was a bustling hub of activity but eventually declined as rail traffic gave way to more modern transportation and all but abandoned as time went on. Victim of the airplane and the trucking industry.
I remember when it was totally renovated and reborn in the 1980′s…converted into a Mall with shops, restaurants and entertainment areas. Intentions were good, and it was kind of fun to go there, but the site just never made it as a Mall complex. I personally think it was the cities first attempt at building Circle Centre. They knew they needed a focal point to revitalize downtown to help bring everyone back and encourage more investment. It just needed to be a few blocks north is all.
Now there is a really interesting mix of uses there. Crowne Plaza Hotel has a dozen or so train-theme, Pullman Car suites that would make for an interesting stay, there’s a Pacers Academy School, a Counsulate of Mexico and offices for several other organizations. So the old place is writing it’s next chapter and will still have more stories to tell later on.
Tags: Indianapolis Downtown
