Tearing down an old building can be bittersweet. As unused buildings are replaced with practical, attractive, and efficient buildings, it can be very exciting to watch the landscape of a town change. Conversely, the changing landscape can also remove a small piece of a town’s identity. Holladay Properties is committed to respecting the history and identity of a community. In addition to striving for excellence in architectural standards, landscape and design standards, Holladay Properties prioritizes honoring the dominant heritage in the community or region in which the development is located.
Holladay Properties offers insight into the naming process for some of their local developments, just one small way that Holladay honors the unique and beautiful history of each community.
When Holladay Properties began the development of AmeriPlex at the Port, they knew how important it was to pay tribute to the rich culture and history of Northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago Area.
For anyone who has lived in or visited Chicago, there are street names that immediately bring them to their favorite memories of the city. When people hear ‘Halsted,’ they may envision the northside passing through Wrigleyville, or they might think of catching the CTA’s Red Line. Holladay Properties recognizes how these names represent more than a street—they are part of Chicago’s identity.
Holladay Properties named the buildings of the AmeriPlex at the Port after some of the most famous streets and boulevards of Chicago. Building names include McCormick, Sheffield, Addison, Clark, Fullerton, Randolph, Ashland, Dearborn, Halsted, and Belmont.
The iconic architecture of Chicago has also become a huge part of the area’s identity. Holladay Properties honored leading architects of the Chicago design tradition by giving these names to the surrounding streets, such as Louis Sullivan Drive, Daniel Burnham Drive, Jensen Drive, Prairie School Drive, and Olmsted Drive.
“All of this is to honor the great tradition this region represents,” said Doug Hunt, Senior Vice President of Development at Holladay Properties. “As a business ‘citizen’ in Northwest Indiana, we are grateful to be able to carry on these iconic names within our community of AmeriPlex at the Port.”
The AmeriPlex business park in Indianapolis consists of nearly 1,500 acres and is located across from the Indianapolis International Airport. To honor Indianapolis’ strong connection to air travel, Holladay decided to name their designed buildings after American airports and the streets after international airports.
Building names include The O’Hare, The JFK, The LaGuardia, The Lindberg, The Logan, The McCarran, The Midway, The Mitchell, The National, and The Ronald Regan. Surrounding streets include Heathrow Way, Orly Drive, Belfast Drive, Hartfield Drive, and Stansted Road.
Holladay Properties values the connections they foster with other foundations and organizations of the community. These connections helped Holladay in naming the buildings and at AmeriPlex at the CrossRoads in Merrillville.
“At AmeriPlex at the Crossroads, our idea in naming came from our partnership with the Purdue Research Foundation,” Hunt said. “The theme we’ve picked there is ‘Indiana Innovators.’ The buildings are named for people like Elwood B. Haynes, an inventor and automotive pioneer, and David E. Ross, a Purdue graduate who helped found the Purdue Research Foundation.”
AmeriPlex-Marquette in Michigan City is a 20-acre business park located at Cleveland Avenue and US Highway 20.
“Holladay is very excited about our most recent addition of AmeriPlex-Marquette in Michigan City,” said Jessica Vargas, Project Architect at Holladay Properties. “We wanted to tie the project in with some of Michigan City’s industrial history.”
One of the most famous companies from the area’s history was Pullman Car, a manufacturer of railroad cars beginning in the 19th century. Originally named the Haskell, Barker, & Aldridge Company, Pullman Car at one time produced 15,000 cars a year. In 1907, it was the largest factory complex in Indiana. With an influential background and as a representation of the current industrial strength of Michigan City, Pullman Car was the inspiration behind Holladay Properties’ naming plan for AmeriPlex-Marquette.
“The first building is named the Haskell,” Vargas said. “We intend to have another similar sized building to the west of it, called the Aldridge, then a larger building to the south of both buildings, named the Barker.”
For some, building and street names are nothing more than a way to communicate and get around. For Holladay Properties, the names given to their projects mean much more. The names honor the community’s legacy and identity.
To learn more about Holladay Properties, please visit https://www.holladayproperties.com/
