$40M Church-to-Hotel Project to Get Underway

(Rendering courtesy of SUN Development & Management Corp.)

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Construction on a hotel at a historic property will begin Thursday in downtown Indianapolis. The $40 million Hampton Inn by Hilton and Homewood Suites by Hilton will incorporate the old Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church into the new structure.

Construction will create 175 jobs and the hotel, located near the IUPUI campus along the Central Canal, is expected to employ 50 full-time workers once opened. The permanent jobs are expected to pay at least $12 per/hour.

Bethel AME was considered the oldest African-American church in the city. It was built in the late-1860s and was part of the Underground Railroad. The project includes parking space and could be complete by the end of next year.