Herb Simon’s latest downtown investment: Blake Shelton’s Ole Red coming to Indy
Blake Shelton’s live music venue will anchor another major addition to the Fieldhouse District, with a projected 2027 opening.
Pacers Sports & Entertainment owner Herb Simon has poured millions into downtown Indianapolis — and that investment is continuing.
Just four months after breaking ground on Indianapolis’ first Ritz-Carlton — a project that also includes a parking garage and a 4,000-seat Live Nation venue — Simon’s Boxcar Development has announced a new collaboration with country music star Blake Shelton.
Together, they will open Shelton’s seventh Ole Red — a multi-level bar, restaurant, and live music venue — on Meridian Street in downtown Indianapolis. The venue will occupy historic buildings that previously housed the Meridian Room and Tiki Bob’s.
Plans call for a main dining area, an indoor bar, two performance stages, and a rare covered rooftop bar overlooking the city.
Several hundred people gathered indoors — due to weather — at the Ascension St. Vincent Entry Pavilion inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday as plans were unveiled for the 37,000-square-foot venue, which is expected to open in about 18 months — late 2027.
“We’ve done a few of these now, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much support from a community,” Shelton said, looking out into the audience filled with team staff members, city officials, media, etc.
“The Governor’s here, the Mayor’s here — everybody’s here. This is incredible, and that’s why I knew this was going to be a big deal and why it’s so exciting to come to Indianapolis, is because I know the support is going to be here, and because I know that country music fans are all over the place in Indiana.”
Ole Red will sit just blocks west from The Fieldhouse and the Ritz-Carlton site, adding to the growing Fieldhouse District. From Morris Bicentennial Plaza to Commission Row and the $78 million Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center currently under construction, Simon continues to pour into the area.
That focus is fitting, given his background as the longtime leader of Simon Property Group. He officially retired from his role on the board in February.
“Partnerships and investments around Gainbridge Fieldhouse, just like this one, are exciting steps as we create one of the most bold and ambitious sports-anchored entertainment districts in the country, ” Simon said in a statement. “We are proud to partner with Opry Entertainment Group and Ryman Hospitality Properties to bring this world-class brand to downtown.”
“I want to thank the Simon family,” said Indiana Governor Mike Braun. “Everything you do energizes, builds, creates the atmosphere we have here downtown. … Indiana is now a place that’s kind of the center of the universe, in my opinion, of where we’re doing things other places aren’t.”
The project is part of a broader vision for the Fieldhouse District.
Ole Red in Indianapolis is the brainchild of PS&E executive Joey Graziano, who explored multiple concepts for the Meridian Street site before being impressed by Ole Red’s flagship in Nashville.
“It was packed, it was fun, the food was phenomenal, and I think we walked away knowing that we wanted to be partners,” PS&E CEO Mel Raines said. “This raises the profile of Indianapolis, like the Ritz-Carlton, and some of the other amazing things we have going on and the investments we’ve made here on The Fieldhouse.”
A project in Indy had been on Shelton’s radar for years. Colin Reed, executive chairman of Ryman Hospitality Properties, visited prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to explore opportunities. He was encouraged not only by the sports and cultural scene, but also Indy’s tourism and convention business.
“It is very clear to me that this city is on a very steep trajectory in terms of growth,” he said.
After a year of negotiations between Simon and Opry Entertainment Group, the deal was finalized and construction is underway.
“Today’s announcement signals continued interest and confidence in the Circle City,” said Chris Gahl of Visit Indy. “Today’s news will add even more hospitality options in this growing Fieldhouse District, benefiting visitors and residents alike.”
The Fieldhouse already hosts an estimated two million guests and more than 500 events annually.
The Ole Red brand draws its name from Shelton’s 2001 hit Ol’ Red, which tells the story of a Georgia inmate outsmarting a tracking dog.
To escape prison, he plays matchmaker, using a female hound to lure the dog off the scent. As the inmate flees north, the dog (Red) chases romance in the opposite direction, perfectly capturing the song’s twist: love got him in, and love got him out.
Leaders behind the project say the Indianapolis venue is designed to offer more than a traditional bar experience.
“People often confuse it as sort of a place that sells hamburgers and beer, and it’s a bar, but we really think that it’s a bit different than that,” said Reed. “The thing that we do in these buildings is create a great musical environment. We put a stage in place, technology in place, that any superstar artist would be pleased to play on, and the quality of the music that we bring into these facilities.”
Added Shelton: “It showcases an artist in the best possible way and makes them look like a star, which is what they need to look like when they get on stage. That makes me proud, and I’m always confident to put somebody in one of these places. I’m really excited about this particular one, just because of the vibe here.”
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett pointed to the city’s growth, then compared Shelton — a former coach on NBC’s The Voice — to a man down in Bloomington who just coached the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers to a national championship.
“I think Mr. Shelton knows a thing or two about success,” Hogsett said. “Chart-topping musician and, of course, the winningest coach in the history of The Voice. Blake Shelton is to The Voice what Curt Cignetti is to the NCAA football world. So just call him coach.”
As he heard the Governor and Mayor talk, Shelton reflected on his longstanding ties to Indiana.
He recalled driving to Indy 26 years ago with his producer and record label owner — “I wasn’t even a new artist, I was nobody,” he said — to play at WFMS’ Country Music Expo.
“That was the very first time here in Indianapolis that I ever performed in public,” he continued. “It was, my first single, ‘Austin,’ and to see the crowd reaction — the station guys later was like, ‘Man, that was a big reaction, we think that could be a hit.’ Of course it ended up being my first single and my first hit.”
Shelton later recorded his first televised concert special in Evansville, sang “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, and served as Grand Marshal of the Indianapolis 500 in 2022.
“A lot of the monumental things that happened for me in my career happened here in Indiana,” he said.
Ole Red Indianapolis is set to become the next chapter — with doors expected to open in 2027.