INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Chances are you walked by the CSX building on the way to Gainbridge Fieldhouse several times without realizing it.

William Browne Jr., CEO of Ratio Architects LLC, said the building used to be a switching station.

“It was actually a backup station for CSX, relative to their Midwest switching,” Browne Jr. said. “Their main switching occurs in Jacksonville, Florida. A number of years ago they consolidated and got rid of the need for having this backup.”

Browne Jr.’s firm was selected to help design a new hotel and entertainment district once the building is demolished.

The 13-story Shinola Hotel will feature 170 rooms and a 4,000-seat indoor theatre.

“A restaurant plan is part of the hotel,” Browne Jr. said. “The retail space is being determined to exactly what kind of retail is going in there.”

Browne Jr. is also chair of the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission, which had to approve the project. Browne Jr. recused himself from the vote.

“The commission likes to have any new construction have a relationship with the historic context of the district,” Browne Jr. said.

Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Herb Simon is investing $300 million into the project through his firm Boxcar Development LLC. The firm is working on a deal with Live Nation to run the theatre.

Taylor Schaffer, CEO of Downtown Indy. Inc., said the theatre will attract artists that could otherwise not play at larger venues like Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“When we think about the incredible redevelopment that’s happening along the Georgia Street corridor, from the Signia on one end to the CSX project on the other, the planned redevelopment of Circle Center in between, it’s really exciting to have that much momentum.”

Construction on the hotel will start this fall, and it is expected to be completed in 2027.