Statue of Mayor Hudnut Unveiled in Downtown Indianapolis

Former Indianapolis Mayor William H. Hudnut III was recognized on Sunday, December 14, during the dedication of “Hudnut Commons” with a statue erected in his honor. Currently a senior policy advisor in the Washington D.C. office of Bose Public Affairs Group, Hudnut spent 16 years as mayor during a period of major growth for Indianapolis with more than $4 billion committed to downtown redevelopment.
“Mayor Hudnut is one of the most effective and inspiring leaders our community has ever produced, and Bose Public Affairs Group is extremely proud of our association with him,” said Doug Brown, managing principal of Bose Public Affairs Group where Hudnut provides federal, state and local policy consulting to clients as part of the firm’s Strategic Advisory Services team.
“Mayor Bill,” as the life-sized bronze statue is known, depicts Hudnut sitting on a park bench and is located at the northwest corner of Maryland Street and Capitol Avenue – named “Hudnut Commons” in 2013 in his honor.
Hudnut served as a member in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973-1975 before becoming mayor of Indianapolis where he served until 1992.
During his tenure as mayor, Hudnut helped Indianapolis establish spectacular growth and is largely credited with revitalizing the city. He spearheaded the formation of a public-private sector partnership that led to Indianapolis’ emergence during the 1980s as a major city in America. He was actively involved in the development of the $300 million Circle Centre Mall complex, the negotiations to bring the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis, the construction of the OneAmerica Tower downtown and the development of $157 million worth of sports venues.
After leaving the mayor’s office, Hudnut held posts at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, the Hudson Institute in Indianapolis and the Civic Federation in Chicago. He most recently served as vice-mayor of Chevy Chase, Md. and as a 20-year board member of the National League of Cities. He has also worked in the private sector as a managing partner in his own consulting firm and as an associate with SGBlocks LLC. Additionally, Hudnut is the author of five books on building vital, sustainable metropolitan areas and has made several T.V. appearances and public speaking presentations on the subject.
A senior fellow emeritus at The Urban Land Institute in Washington D.C., Hudnut has organized nearly 30 forums that have brought together public officials, architects, developers, academics and other experts to discuss the revitalization of cities, ranging from the impact of arts and culture to affordable housing and urban design. He also is currently an instructor at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies (Real Estate).
The statue will be maintained by the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board of Managers. The Arts Council of Indianapolis and Ratio Architects Principal William A. Browne were responsible for selecting the sculptor who designed the statue.