Development

Today, the vitality of Midtown Indianapolis and Butler University are inextricably linked, and over the past decade more than $550 million of combined investment have resulted in a Midtown renaissance that has provided transformational growth for both. As Butler looks forward to another decade of growth and transformation, the Gateway Project provides a vision for another $500 million in investment in projects that serve both Butler AND the community in which it lives.

This page includes planned and potential future projects. The majority of the illustrations below are conceptual and not actual project renderings. This page will be updated as plans evolve over time.


Housing

Butler has plans to build state-of-the-art apartment-style residential housing for juniors, seniors, graduate students, and young alumni.

Innovative Academic Healthcare Center

Butler is pursuing a reimagined vision for its College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, including its facilities. This vision focuses on being community-minded and future-focused; use of innovation and technology; and new and reimagined partnerships.

Founder’s College

Opening in fall 2025, Founder’s College at Butler University offers affordable, career-focused two-year associate degree programs for central Indiana students with financial need.

rendering of university house, gray brick and orange brick

University House

Butler has received a gift to fund the construction and maintenance of a new University House. It will serve as both a prominent, inviting venue for hosting fundraising and other community events and a home for future Butler presidents.

rendering of limestone and glass multi-story building on corner with people walking on crosswalks on all sides

Safety and Transit Hub

Butler plans to develop a new Safety and Transit Hub that includes new parking spaces; a commuter hub servicing pedestrians and cyclists; and a new, expanded headquarters for Butler University Police Department (BUPD). This project is a testament to our dedication to fostering a safer, more connected, and thriving community for generations to come.

Street Scaping

To complement the Safety and Transit Hub, Butler plans to install enhanced streetlights and new bike lanes, substantially improving the safety and accessibility of this heavily trafficked public road, fostering a safer, more interconnected community.

A concept of the lobby space for the proposed Butler hotel, a modern space with a wooden table and stools in the foreground

Boutique Hotel

Butler envisions the development of Midtown’s first luxury boutique hotel. The property would include a 100 room hotel and full suite of amenities including a restaurant and meeting spaces.

A concept for the Clowes Plaza, showing stone benches surrounding a small outdoor stage with performing ballet dancers

Midtown Arts District

A visionary plan is underway to establish The Midtown Arts District as a site-specific Center for Performances and Lectures, Exhibitions, and Arts Education. This plan leverages Butler’s tremendous Arts assets, notably Clowes Memorial Hall, which in 2023 was the No.1 ticket-selling venue in the State of Indiana.

A concept for the enhancement of Holcomb Gardens, a distant overhead shot of a large lawn and a decorative fountain surrounded by trees

Holcomb Gardens

Butler’s Holcomb Garden, a historic 20-acre public greenspace, serves as a public park to many thousands of visitors each year. Butler plans to enhance this campus and community asset by rewilding the space to support the community-driven White River Vision Plan and the University’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.