Behind the Brand: Traction Yards

Traction Yards is a modern vision inspired by the legacy of the Indianapolis Traction Terminal, the bustling transportation hub that once sat just two blocks away. Its spirit of movement, connection, and innovation shapes the identity of Traction Yards today. In this post, we take a look behind the brand to explore how the history of the terminal - and the role it played in powering the city’s growth - continues to influence the story we’re building for the future.

THE HISTORY

In the early 1900s, Indianapolis was one of the most connected cities in America – thanks to its extensive electric rail system. At the center of it all stood the Traction Terminal Building, a monumental structure that served as the hub for interurban travel across the region. The word “traction” comes from the electric railways themselves – where power delivered directly to the wheels created the grip, or traction, needed to propel the cars forward.

At its peak, the Terminal was the world's largest interurbanstation and saw over 7 million passengers a year, linking neighborhoods, towns and ideas across the state.

Though the building no longer stands, its legacy remains – in the street grid, in the spirit of movement, and now, in the name Traction Yards. This new neighborhood sits just blocks from where the Terminal once buzzed with activity. By invoking “traction,” we connect past to present. It reflects both the literal tracks that shaped the city and the cultural momentum we’re building today – through art, business, hospitality and everyday life.

The word “yards” nods to both the industrial roots of the site and its reimagined purpose: a layered living space where people gather, create and recharge. This is where grit meets design, where old meets new, and where the next chapter of downtown Indy gets written – on the same ground where generations once moved the city forward.

FROM HERE... WE CREATE OUR BRAND ARCHITECTURE.

POSITIONING STATEMENT

For those seeking a place to connect and belong, we are the heart of downtown both figuratively and literally, a living, breathing neighborhood built on creativity, character and culture, where we can celebrate our city and show the world what we’re made of.

BRAND PROMISE

This is where we celebrate who we are and prove to the world what Indy is made of.

BRAND ESSENCE

At the Crossroads of Indy's Heart & Soul.

BRAND ANTHEM

AND WITH CAREFUL CONSIDERATION... BRANDMARKS ARE BORN.

EAGLE INFLUENCE

Symbols of strength, freedom, and vision, a pair of carved limestone eagles once flanked the Indianapolis Traction Terminal train shed near Market and Illinois Streets. Though they look perfectly at home today outside the entrance of Old City Hall, their placement there wasn’t part of the building’s original design. The eagles are the only surviving remnants of what was once the world’s largest interurban station. When the Traction Terminal shed was dismantled in 1968, the eagles were removed and relocated to Old City Hall, where one remains original and the other, after suffering irreparable damage in 2012, was faithfully recreated by artists at Accent Limestone. Together, they stand as enduring symbols of the Golden Age of Interurban Transportation and as rare physical links to the history that inspires Traction Yards today.

THE LOGO

The Traction Yards logo symbolizes the intricate network of tracks that once powered Indianapolis’ growth, a tribute to the electric railways that shaped the city’s movement and momentum. Those intersecting lines echo the hum, rhythm, and energy the Traction Terminal brought to downtown, reminding us that this district was once a vibrant hinge point of connection.

Together, the rails and the eagle illustrate exactly what Traction Yards stands for: transformation born from heritage.