INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (April 23, 2014)— The State Fairgrounds Coliseum officially reopens Thursday after millions of dollars in renovations.
The project was slated to wrap up by the first day of the Indiana State Fair on Aug. 1, but contractors finished ahead of schedule.
Gov. Mike Pence will be at the official ribbon cutting where the State Fair Commission will unveil the upcoming Coliseum Concert Series lineup.
The public is invited to check out the renovations from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.
Plans to revamp the historic building began in 2007 with the goal of upgrading safety features and making the venue more attractive for agriculture shows, events and concerts.
“The investment into the fairgrounds and into the community is significant. It means jobs, it means economic impact, the Coliseum represents about 40 percent of our earned revenue,” said Cindy Hoye, executive director of the Indiana State Fair Commission.
The Coliseum first opened in 1939. The renovation project refurbished parts of the original building and maintained much of the original design.
“People have these memories of, ‘I remember when I went to the old ABA basketball games with my family or the Beatles concert,’ so what we’ve done is, in my opinion, we preserved those memories,” Hoye said.
Twelve original ticket windows have been restored. There is also a section of original seats inside the bowl.
“Number one, we wanted to make sure it was family friendly so you’ll see when you walk into the building every seat is a great seat,” Hoye said. “We made sure this building was for all Hoosiers and a site everyone felt comfortable in.”
The first event inside the Coliseum is a women’s empowerment expo happening Saturday. Hoye said other upcoming events have now asked to move to the Coliseum for the venue.
