INDIANAPOLIS — The plaza to the north of Gainbridge Fieldhouse is getting a face lift.
Thanks to a $28 million investment from Lilly Endowment, the newly named Bicentennial Unity Plaza will feature a community basketball court, art installations and space for public programming. In the winter, the basketball court will be converted to an ice rink.
Much of the plaza will be under a canopy, allowing for extended use throughout the year. It will also have public restrooms for daytime use and when the ice rink is open.
Pacers Sports & Entertainment will manage the plaza.
"The Capital Improvement Board is thankful for Lilly Endowment's investment in creating the Bicentennial Unity Plaza as a place for the community to come together, celebrate our city, and to infuse more cultural opportunities into the downtown core," CIB Executive Director Andy Mallon said in a statement. "This is a public entity, and our stakeholders are the citizens of Marion County. We are excited to work with Pacers Sports & Entertainment and other community partners to activate this public space for our residents."
Eventually, there will be a permanent structure for skate rentals and concessions.
Artist Herman Mejia will create two public art installations for the plaza. Pacers Sports & Entertainment will also work with the Arts Council of Indianapolis to add a mural to the plaza. Read more about the meaning behind those pieces here. See renderings of the finished plaza below.
Renderings of Bicentennial Unity Plaza
Construction on the plaza, including the art installations, is scheduled to be complete in early 2023.