Owners of Michael Graves–designed Carmel office pursue National Register review after agreeing not to repaint

Owners of the Michael Graves–designed corporate office at 10330 North Meridian told Carmel preservation staff they will not repaint the building’s exterior and have applied for a façade grant to clean the concrete panels.

Preservation staff arranged a meeting with the building’s relatively new owners after receiving an inquiry about potential painting. Staff told the commission the owners "have decided we're not going to paint the building," and instead applied for a façade grant to remove dirt and grime from the concrete panels that are part of the building’s notable postmodern design.

Staff also said they discussed the possibility of pursuing National Register recognition to unlock federal historic tax credits: typically a property must be 50 years old or older, the staff member noted, but Paul Diebold, who oversees the National Register program for the State of Indiana, has agreed to accept a determination of eligibility for the property. A determination of eligibility is a preliminary review that, if successful, lets an owner proceed to a full nomination for listing.

Staff connected the owners with a consultant who can prepare the nomination and suggested the owners consider applying to the commission’s National Register grant program to fund the nomination work.

Commissioners expressed cautious optimism that the determination-of-eligibility step could make rehabilitation incentives available and encourage a more sympathetic approach to future repairs. Staff emphasized that the property is only 31 years old and that a successful listing would depend on the National Register review process and subsequent nomination.