Thanks to a $9 million grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Clowes Memorial Hall will receive some much-needed upgrades in 2025.

Butler University President James “Jim” Danko announced grant-funded plans for the multi-phase renovation of Clowes Memorial Hall and construction of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Ballroom during a Dec. 18 press conference. Renovations are expected to begin in June 2025 and will be rolled out in four phases to create the $100 million Midtown Arts District.

“Clowes Hall led the city’s recovery and renewal,” Danko said. “Without the construction of Clowes Memorial Hall in 1963, Butler likely would not have achieved its national reputation as an arts, academic or entertainment destination.”

Butler University’s $9 million gift is the second-largest donation ever made by the AW Clowes Charitable Foundation, which pays tribute to its namesake, Allen Whitehill Clowes, who helped raise the $3.5 million through major donations. To enable dollar construction, Danko said.

Clowes Memorial Hall originally housed the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and currently seats 2,148, according to Aaron Hurt, vice president of arts, events and corporate affairs. This makes it a growing venue for Broadway shows, concerts and comedians.

“We really are a role model here. “How do we become a center for the arts and arts education, but also for entertainment?” Hurt said. “I don’t think anyone in the Midwest has nailed that down yet. I think we have a great opportunity right now because this scholarship is watching us.”

From June 2025, Clowes Memorial Hall will be closed for extensive renovations to improve accessibility, comfort and performance for visitors and artists.

“This building was built and built over in the ’60s, and that’s why we can still operate at the high level we are at now,” Hurt said. “We have the same mindset in everything we do in terms of investing, so that in another 60 years we’ll say, ‘Thank God we did that.’”

Phase one will focus on upgrading seating on the theater’s three balcony terraces with tilted seating to improve line of sight from every seat in the venue. Open-air suites with sofas, televisions and bar service will also be added to the “dead space” behind the balcony seats to provide guests with a more luxurious experience.

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Hurt said restrooms are always guests’ biggest complaint, and the first phase of renovations will include restrooms on every floor, including 13 gender-neutral restrooms, to create a more inclusive environment.

The aim of the second phase is to improve Clowes Memorial Hall’s operational efficiency by installing two additional loading docks – bringing the venue’s total to four – which would allow for “smoother logistics and improved capacity” when major events and Broadway Touring productions use the venue.

The original stage, built in 1963, is currently in use and needs to be replaced, Hurt said. Phase three will address this issue by replacing the building, adding rigging points, engineering capabilities and reinforced flooring to better meet the needs of modern Broadway tours.

“The bigger the touring shows get, the harder they get,” Hurt said. “When we brought this (‘Phantom of the Opera’) here, we had to install a special rigging support to even be able to handle it (chandelier). And thank God we did, because we use this thing almost every show.”

Phase four will initiate construction of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Ballroom, a multi-purpose convention hall between Clowes and the Sunset Avenue parking garage, scheduled to open in spring 2027.

The Clowes Memorial Hall renovation and expansion projects are just the beginning, Danko said, as they lay the groundwork for the development of a $100 million Midtown Arts District that will include the construction of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Ballroom and an outdoor plaza South of Clowes Memorial includes hall where guests can safely meet and queue before entering venues, Danko said.

“The district is a transformative part of the Gateway Project, the university’s master plan to create a vibrant and connected community between Butler University and Midtown Indianapolis,” Danko said. The Midtown Arts District will be an accessible hub for live performances, lectures, exhibitions and world-class arts education.”

Clowes Memorial Hall is expected to close for the first three phases of renovation beginning in June 2025 and reopen in October 2025. The Allen Whitehill Clowes Ballroom is expected to open in spring 2027. For more information, visit butler.edu/gateway.

Contact arts and culture reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.