Kevin Rader/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - A major downtown project is picking up the pace. Developers are busy trying to meet deadlines to bring down the RCA dome, open up Lucas Oil Stadium and make way for a new convention center.
If you venture by the RCA Dome, you can already see foreboding signs. The RCA Dome signs are down and traffic and sidewalk restrictions are being put in place so demolition work can begin.
"We've already let contracts totaling $100 million so this project is underway," said David Frick, Capital Improvement Board.
The biggest surprise is that some demolition work separating the Dome from the Convention Center is already underway inside.
"We are adding an entrance at Georgia and Capital," said Bill Browning, Ratio Architects.
Browning made a presentation before the Capital Improvement Board complete with renderings of the project Monday afternoon
"This is the entrance of Georgia and Capital which we have called the Cube entrance," said Browning.
One of the more interesting features of the expansion are the connectors which will make accessibility of the new convention center a priority.
"We are planning a connector to the Crown Center Hotel so basically all the hotels in the block adjacent to the convention center will now have connections leading to the convention center," said Browning. "The connector will wind it's way behind the building to Lucas Oil Stadium running along the building here and you can see the Lucas Oil Stadium in the background."
Browning told the board that adjustments have been made to accommodate the late demolition currently scheduled for August.
"We've been able to adjust the schedule to accommodate that," he said.
Browning says the convention center expansion project should be able to be completed by the end of 2010. Like the current structure, the new addition will not have columns. But one thing the new addition will have in abundance over the current structure: windows. The goal is to add to the excitement of the facility by giving it plenty of windows.
