With Over $50,000 Grants, NBA All-Star Weeknd Helps 127 year-old Landmark In Massive Transformation

The historical home city of the Pacers, Indianapolis is hosting this year’s All-Star weekend. That means the capital city will become the hotspot for celebrity activity and fanfare. In addition to that, millions of eyes will be on Indy, as it prepares to house the biggest NBA stars in the world. As a part of the All-Star effort, a 127-year-old fire station will go through a massive revamp.

Once embellished with horse-drawn fire wagons, the structure is transforming into an apartment complex and an educational community center. The enduring brick and stone from the late 1890s continue to uphold this landmark, now repurposed to serve the community in a novel capacity several decades later.

The host committee for NBA All-Star 2024 funded this segment of the project. Dianna Boyce, the vice president of the committee emphasized, “We’re going to have thousands of media here and the international spotlight on us. That is very significant to the impact of Indianapolis. What is even more impactful are community investments like you see here.” The building is getting a facelift worth $1.2 Million.

When the NBA All-Star game was last held in Indianapolis in 1985, it attracted a record 43,146 fans to the now-demolished Hoosier Dome. At that time, city and basketball authorities approximated that the event, along with related street parties and food festivals, injected $2.5 million to $5 million into the local economy in 1985.

Since then, significant changes have occurred. Current estimates suggest that the upcoming game could generate even more revenue than initially anticipated by Indianapolis. The Pacers and Indianapolis Tourism officials enlisted Temple University researchers to conduct economic studies on the All-Star game, published in 2023, which more than tripled the original estimate. According to Temple researchers, Indianapolis could potentially reap around $320 million from the game this year, though predictions for economic benefits from events often exhibit considerable variability.

So, it’s only fair that a historical monument gets its due diligence.

A preview of the All-star weekend

Fans can look forward to their favorite stars entertaining them off the court from February 16 to February 18. The NBA Crossover Concert Series kicks off on Friday, February 16, featuring a performance by Grammy winner T-Pain. Coco Jones is set to perform both the U.S. national anthem and the Black national anthem on Saturday, February 17, before the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

Read More: Dinosaurs, Google Exhibit & More: NBA All-Star Weekend Turns Kid-Friendly in Indianapolis

Moreover, the apparent glaring error in this year’s All-Star weekend, the snub of Trae Young due to Julius Randle’s injury, has seemingly been rectified. Trae Young is now part of the East reserve. With so much to anticipate, all eyes are on Indiana. How extraordinary do you expect this year’s weekend to be?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Watch This Story: When Did Stephen Curry Last Not Make a Three-Pointer in Game?