Audie Tarpley leads the Dillon Construction Group, where he delivers ground-up solutions for mixed-use, commercial, and multi-family developments. Possessing a strong knowledge of the greater Indianapolis real estate market, Audie Tarpley values the commercial and industrial legacy of historic neighborhoods such as the Wholesale District.
One of a half dozen cultural districts designated across the city, the Wholesale District has bounced back from decades of neglect, and now harbors many of Indianapolis’ most iconic attractions, including Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium. Many historic commercial buildings have been renovated and converted for contemporary commercial uses.
The boundaries of the Wholesale District are Capitol Avenue and Delaware, Maryland, and South Streets. At the southern border is Union Station, with the Andre Jacobs Jr. Post Office situated directly across from it. In the aftermath of the Civil War, railroad-enabled business activities rapidly spread west, expanding in scope and scale to accommodate the needs of an expanding and reconstructing nation.
By the late 1860s, more than 300 wholesale businesses (which valued closeness to train loading and market) populated the area, with commerce peaking at the turn of century. Among the prominent businesses that flourished were the Mooney-Mueller Drug Company and the Hatfield Electric Company (an early supplier of power and electric equipment). Architecture included a variety of then-contemporary styles, including neoclassical, Gothic, Romanesque Revival, and Italianate.
The Wholesale District still harbors Indianapolis’ largest concentration of commercial buildings from the 19th century. Some 47 buildings that were built between the years of 1863 and 1930 are still present. Among these are the first wholesale millinery house in the region, the Fahnley & McCrea Millinery Company (1905-06) on South Meridian Street. The D. P. Erwin & Company dry goods building, also on South Meridian, was built in the late 1880s, while the Holland and Ostermeyer Building on East Maryland dates back to the 1860s. This was where the Johnston and Lilly pharmaceutical firm got its start. The wholesale grocer Kothe, Wells and Bauer Company, remembered fondly for We-Ba brand canned goods, also inhabited the spacious location.
In 1974, The Wholesale District attained listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Since then, it has become a vibrant commercial area that combines retail businesses with a mix of hotels, office space, and restaurants. Cultural highlights include the Indiana Theatre, which supports Dance Kaleidoscope and the Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis Artsgarden, and the Circle Centre Mall.
For live music, there is no more legendary venue than the Slippery Noodle Inn, known for its down-home blues. Established as the Tremont House, the Slippery Noodle has roots as a roadhouse that ultimately incorporated as today’s Holiday Inn.
Fine dining aficionados seeking the essence of Midwestern fare flock to the historic St. Elmo Steak House. The St. Elmo has its roots as a small bar that opened in 1902, and expanded through a strategy of “modest food at fair prices” for travelers on Union Station lines. Today, the restaurant, which is housed in an historic brick building and includes a tiger-oak bar, features top-grade steaks and the signature horseradish-spiked St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail.
