Hipstoric Noblesville is about to get an infusion of art on the historic courthouse square. Noblesville Premium Properties recently purchased the former Key Bank Building at 9th and Logan streets, and have renamed it The Gordon Building. The building is getting a facelift with some façade updates and mural panels.
“We wanted to give artists with ties to Noblesville an opportunity to showcase their work and inject some creativity into the downtown cityscape,” said Darren Ratcliffe, President of Noblesville Premium Properties. “When our family purchased the former Key Bank building, we envisioned murals surrounding the building that would contrast the old with the new.”
Built in 1910, the limestone building has been a cornerstone on the Courthouse Square. In 1933 when famous bank robber John Dillinger was a threat to the Midwest, the bank received a tip that Dillinger’s men had been casing the bank – fortunately Dillinger was captured before that happened.
“We chose four artists and they worked with Noblesville’s Nickel Plate Arts to come up with their individual designs that will blend old with new,” Ratcliffe said. Their murals are really bright, colorful and fun. As surrounding communities have embraced public art, Noblesville has slowly added a few murals around town.
“Our family loved the train engine that was painted on State Road 19 under the bridge last fall and we wanted to invite that artist, Travis Neal, to showcase more of his talent,” Ratcliffe said. “He chose a musical theme for his two murals because of the love Noblesville has for our music venue at Ruoff.”
Ratcliffe continued, “We plan to have these 12 murals on display for two years and then open up the selection to new local artists. There could be a different theme for each installation. We’d like to get the public involved in choosing future themes, and want this to be a source of pride for Noblesville and a place where our local artists can aspire to be on display.”
The artists chosen for the first round of murals are Becky Hochhalter, Megan Jefferson, Travis Neal and Nekoda Witsken. Learn more about the artists and The Gordon Building at TheGordonBuilding.com.
About the Gordon Building
The Gordon Building is currently under renovation, and available for lease as early as mid-April. Features for this modern space include an elevator, parking and over 15,000 square-feet of finished space. The main floor is designated as restaurant space, including a three-way liquor license, access to up to one-half of a city block of parking. The restaurant is interviewing prospects now. The upstairs is perfect for law offices or businesses that want to be within a block of the courthouses and join the historic downtown Noblesville community.