Super Bowl plans set for former Nordstrom space

Article from IBJ.com

An after-hours nightclub and a sports apparel shop will occupy much of the space at the former Nordstrom store in Circle Centre mall during Super Bowl festivities in downtown Indianapolis.

The Super Bowl Host Committee has dubbed the space "The Huddle" and has turned it into a temporary retail and entertainment spot right next to Super Bowl Village.

Lids Sports Group, the Indianapolis-based company formerly known as Hat World, announced Monday that it will take the entire second floor, or 23,000 square feet, of the former store from Jan. 27 through game day on Feb. 5.

Seattle-based Nordstrom Inc. closed the store July 31 after 16 years as an anchor in the mall. Mall manager Simon Property Group is stillseeking a replacement tenant or tenants for the space.

The Lids temporary retail outlet will offer licensed National Football League and Super Bowl XLVI apparel and memorabilia. The company plans to bring in pro athletes for autograph sessions.

Lids has been involved at previous Super Bowls. But to be involved in a major event hosted by its headquarters city is even more meaningful, Lids President Ken Kocher said in a prepared statement.

“This is a great opportunity to elevate the Lids brand and to show our hometown pride,” he said.

About 250 Lids corporate office employees will volunteer to help about 200 employees who will travel from across the country to staff the store, Lids said.

Lids has more than 1,000 locations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, the over-21 crowd searching for a nightcap can unwind at The Huddle After Hours Club, which will be open from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. from Jan. 27 to Feb. 4.

The nightclub will be in the first-floor space formerly occupied by Nordstrom's men’s department and will feature an exclusive VIP area and entertainment. The Indianapolis-based Penrod Society is helping the Super Bowl Host Committee book entertainment for the venue.

All-access passes to the club can be purchased in advance at www.huddleafterhours.com or www.indyhuddle.com. The $100 charge allows patrons access to the bar each night it is open without waiting in line. The pass does not allow access to the VIP area.

The only space left in the vacant store is on the third floor, said Diana Boyce, the committee’s spokeswoman, but it could be used for private parties.

“The Huddle is an opportunity for people to step in, warm up and grab a bite to eat,” she said. “It’s an opportunity near the [Super Bowl] Village for people to enjoy all things Super Bowl.”

Indeed, Super Bowl Village will span Georgia Street from Capital Avenue to Pennsylvania Street. The street underwent a $12.5 million overhaul, creating a three-block pedestrian plaza that will offer 10 days of entertianment options starting Jan. 27.

WISH-TV Channel 8 will broadcast from The Huddle, and Bob & Tom will do their nationally syndicated radio station live from the venue Feb. 2-3.

The Huddle also will feature the Chef’s Table restaurant, End Zone Beer Garden, NFL Ticket Exchange and a warming area with limited seating.

Other vacant space downtown that will be temporarily occupied during Super Bowl festivities includes the CSX building at 31 E. Georgia St., slated to house a police museum after the festivities, and the second and third floors of the former Jillian’s Restaurant at 141 S. Meridian St.

Indianapolis-based Mattison Corp., an association management firm, and the owners of the Taps & Dolls bar on South Meridian Street have partnered to lease 10,000 space feet in the CSX building. The venue, opening Jan. 27, will be called Stage Left and will feature food, a full bar and dueling pianos.

“The most attractive thing about this space is that it’s located immediately next to the main stage, the Verizon stage,” said Chris Price, a Mattison Corp. partner. “We’re 20 feet away from that.”

Advance tickets to Stage Left can be purchased at http://stageleft.eventbrite.com.

Mattison Corp.’s core clients are construction associations, which provided about 20 contractors to tear down walls and install permanent bathrooms. The improvements to the building will remain to benefit the local police foundation, which plans to open a museum at the site.

At the former Jillian’s space, Indianapolis-based BMG Event Productions is transforming the second and third floors into a luxury lounge and nightclub.

The city of Indianapolis is accepting license applications until Jan. 20 to temporarily occupy vacant structures.  

One high-profile space that remains unclaimed is the former Border’s site at the intersection of Washington and Meridian streets.

Mattison Corp In The News For Biggamewraps.com

 http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=indystar&sParam=38097549.story#

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-superbowl-buildin,0,7194274.story

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011111206024 

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/super_bowl_xlvi/Downtown-buildings-get-super-facelift

http://www.ibj.com/giant-super-bowl-ads-set-to-adorn-downtown-buildings/PARAMS/article/31207

http://oneclick.indiatimes.com/article/016EbDB6yU9nt?q=Super+Bowl

Mattison Project Featured on WTHR Channel 13: How Mattison Corp is Turning Downtown Indy Into a Big Billboard

Story from WTHR.com

We are 60 days from the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. And starting today, some major advertisers can start bidding to get their message out to the crowds who will be in Indy for the big game.

They hope to get those messages out in a really big way basically by turning buildings into massive billboards.  So the entire face of the building would an advertisement and it would be up only for the 10 days leading up to and including Super Bowl Sunday.

There are 17 locations listed on their web site.  Those locations are mostly facing or near Georgia Street, which will be the heart of all Super Bowl related activity.  Typically signage like this is not permitted in Indianapolis, but the Department of Code Enforcement has waived some regulations for these temporary ads. 

This is a public auction but only NFL sponsors are expected to win bids, some of which could fetch up to $100 thousand.  But as the descriptions on the web site infer, the exposure may be priceless.    

Cop City – An Opportunity to Be Involved in a Community Project!

Cop City is coming to town and Indiana construction companies are invited to be a part of this new community project.  The Mattison Corporation has partnered with the Indianapolis Police Historical & Educational Foundation, a 501c (3) organization, to transform the first floor of the CSX building on the corner of Georgia and Pennsylvania Street.  Cop City will be an interactive destination where children and adults from all walks of life can enter the world of policing and public safety in a unique and exciting way.  The Foundation believes the community needs a place like Cop City to reinforce a positive relationship between citizens and their police. However, in order to do so the Foundation needs your help!

Cop City in the process of fundraising and scheduling a “white space build out,” which they hope to have complete by the Super Bowl.  The Foundation is reaching out to your company to gain interest in helping it complete the build out of the facility in order to host events during the week of the Super Bowl in order to raise money to fund its efforts to complete Cop City in its entirety.  This is your chance to make a lasting impact on the community!

We would like for you to join us on Thursday, November 17th from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  The meeting will be held in the CSX building at the corner of Georgia Street and Pennsylvania Street.  You will enter through the east doors off of Pennsylvania. 

We hope that you will join us to learn how your company can make an impact on an important community project in downtown Indianapolis! 

Click here for a complete overview of Cop City.

My wife said I have “Andy Rooney eyebrows”

 My wife said I have “Andy Rooney eyebrows”

Written By:  Chris Price, Partner

 Last week, I was saddened by the loss of Andy Rooney.  Andy was a journalist for 60 Minutes, and was someone that I’ve always admired.  Andy Rooney was a 92 year old man, who always seemed to me as a “progressive thinker” simply by taking old ideas and making them relative again.  What’s hip today may not be tomorrow, but in twenty years will inevitably be hip again.

You may ask – why would you want to write an article about the fax machine?  The answer is simple. I think we are oversaturated by marketing messages today.  I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of getting junk mail, email, solicitation calls, and tend to be annoyed by overly active social mediates.  So, how can you get my attention?  Be creative.

As a thirty five year old, I remember entering the workforce and having to fax quotes to my prospective customers.  I would then follow up my fax with a phone call asking, “Did you get my fax?”  Each fax included a handwritten cover letter that I would address to the person and the quote would follow.  Now I’m not suggesting that everyone go back to fax machines for everything, but, could a fax here and there be relevant again? It might allow you to stand out from a glut of media messages.

I can’t remember when the last time was that I received a handwritten fax.  I would say years ago if I gave my best guess.  If I got a fax today, what would I do?  I guarantee that I would read it and probably share it with others because it would be a novelty.  Who knows?  Maybe this is an experiment for another day…