Indianapolis' Signia Hotel built with diversity in mind
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Anita Williams of the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce responds to a question from Indianapolis City-County Council president Vop Osili at an AECOM Hunt outreach event at the Indiana Convention Center. Photo: Justin L. Mack/Axios
Local leaders are working to make sure that one of downtown Indianapolis' biggest ongoing developments is reflective of the community it will soon tower over.
Why it matters: An unwavering commitment to diversify the Signia by Hilton's construction process makes the 38-story hotel a physical monument to inclusion in an era when DEI has become controversial.
Driving the news: Construction management company AECOM Hunt has hosted nearly 70 outreach meetings to bring minority, women, veteran and disabled-owned businesses (XBE) to the project.
- More than 2,300 construction jobs have been created so far.
By the numbers: The goal is to have 8% of the project's workforce be women, 30% to be from Marion County and 15% to be racial minorities.
- As of the end of July, the workforce was 4% women, 41% local and 40% racial minorities.
- Of the $503 million in contracts awarded at that time, about $131.5 million had been awarded to city-certified XBE firms.
- "The effort was to make sure that all of the capable, certified firms knew about the opportunities and had a level playing field," AECOM Hunt vice president Bill Sewall told Axios. "And it's nice to be able to work in a jurisdiction where you can meet the goals without having to sacrifice other important components of the work."
What they're saying: Barbara Holder, a consultant on the project who has owned a diversity outreach business for more than 30 years, told Axios that despite other entities shrinking away from their previously stated diversity goals in recent months, those involved with the Signia's construction are standing firm.
- "I know that so many companies have taken those letters 'DEI' and used them against programs such as the one we're trying to implement … but I don't see that as being the case, and I will ensure that would not be the case," she said.
- "We will continue aggressively to obtain and surpass the goals that we have until the very end of the project."
The latest: Still on pace to open in fall 2026, Signia's construction reached a major milestone earlier this month when crews reached its highest structural concrete point.
- Topping off the 800-room hotel put construction at about 62% done.
- Sewall said the structural steel that wraps the sky lounge is being erected now, and the enclosure of that space will begin in mid-November with the goal of having it sealed off from winter weather by the end of the year.
State of play: According to Visit Indy, the hotel's development and Indiana Convention Center expansion have already secured $1.3 billion in retained convention business and have generated interest in $1 billion in new bookings.
- New announcements include the National FFA Convention staying in Indianapolis through 2040 and the American Society of Safety Professionals hosting its annual meeting here in summer 2030.