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Developers say two hotels, 20,000 sq. ft. retail and conference center are coming to Farmers Bank Fieldhouse campus
Summary
Card and Associates announced during a podcast interview that the Farmers Bank Fieldhouse in Lebanon, Indiana, has spurred plans for a 150-room Fairfield Inn, a 300-room conference-center hotel, about 20,000 square feet of retail, housing and a second-phase 150-acre development, and that the facility drew roughly 278,000 visitors last year.
Andy Card, developer with Card and Associates, told the Love and Lebanon podcast that the Farmers Bank Fieldhouse in Lebanon, Indiana, is driving a second phase of development that will include two hotels, a conference center hotel, retail space and housing.
"We can announce that the first hotel will be about a 150 keys as we call it. That, that will be a Fairfield Inn," Card said. He added that a second, full-service conference-center hotel on the site would be "300 keys." Card said the project also includes about 20,000 square feet of retail space and on-site housing options such as Bel Canto.
The announcement follows the field house's initial year of operation, which Card and the podcast host described as drawing significant visitation. The host said the facility recorded about 278,000 visitors in the last year, including roughly 57,000 in July and 54,000 in April; Card also described single weekends that brought tens of thousands of visitors. Those figures come from metrics Card said his team has tracked and from the host's summary of annual totals.
Card described the hotels and retail as part of a planned campus. He said much of the official phase 1 land is now under contract or covered by memoranda of understanding and that work is moving to infrastructure for roughly 150 additional acres often referred to locally as the Fransen Farm. "Now the rest is following," Card said, describing how the field house served as an anchor that attracted hotel and retail interest.
Card attributed part of the project’s momentum to interest from corporations and conventions, saying a conference-center hotel would let Lebanon host meetings without residents needing to travel to nearby counties. He also said the developer has been selective about tenants to preserve local character: "I've said no to more folks than I've said yes to," he said, describing a deliberate approach to keeping quality and local identity.
The podcast also covered operational lessons: Card apologized for congestion during some large events and said he and city leaders have met with the mayor and the police chief to improve traffic and logistics for future tournaments. He noted tournament season would resume in April and said the team expects to be better prepared.
Card and the host referenced local reporting; Card said conceptual designs and partner announcements have appeared in the Indianapolis Business Journal. He also named a development partner during the interview, identified in the conversation as the "Goldman Group." The podcast did not provide a corporate contact or formal announcement document for that partner during the recording.
No formal city votes or permits were discussed on the podcast. Card described agreements, pads being prepared and memoranda of understanding but did not announce completed zoning approvals, funding commitments or construction start dates on the record.
The conversation also highlighted community effects beyond lodging and retail: local restaurants reported heavier weekend business during large tournaments, and Card said the broader goal is to attract families, teachers and other professionals by building amenities that complement downtown Lebanon. He said housing and redevelopment of older downtown properties are part of the anticipated changes over the next decade.
Looking ahead, Card said additional tenant announcements and some stand-alone restaurants were expected in the first quarter of 2025, but he declined to name brands beyond the Fairfield Inn and the conference-center hotel's planned size. "I'm a little bit different developer. Until I have something for sure inside, I don't go out there and just start talking about stuff," he said.
The podcast exchange provided a developer-focused update on the Farmers Bank Fieldhouse campus and described plans and near-term expectations; it did not record formal actions by a governing body, regulatory filings, financing documents or finalized construction schedules.
