The Hoosier Lottery headquarters at 1302 N. Meridian Street in Indianapolis. Photo provided.

By Niki Kelly
Indiana Capital Chronicle

INDIANA — The State Lottery Commission of Indiana formalized a resolution Tuesday, Feb. 20 to pay $9.1 million for a downtown Indianapolis building in which it currently operates.

The Hoosier Lottery has leased two floors of the building at 1302 N. Meridian St. since 2011.

“The property was designed to accommodate the needs of the Commission when the Commission relocated its headquarters in 2011 and continues to serve the needs of both Commission employees as well as lottery customers who regularly visit the Property for prize claim purposes,” the resolution said.

Indiana University Health, Inc. owns the property and wants to sell the property before the lottery’s lease ends May 31, 2025.

The purchase agreement, for $9.1 million, includes 183 accompanying parking spaces to the west and south of the building. They’d be available to commission employees, building occupants, and Hoosier Lottery players visiting the prize payment center located in the building.

Lottery Spokesman Jared Bond said the building has other tenants and is fully occupied.

“We have not discussed the possibility of extensions with current tenants. Those discussions will take place after we have closed on the property,” Bond said. The closing is expected within 60 days.

According to tax records, the building is assessed at $1.9 million but it last sold in 2021 for $12.8 million.

Also at Tuesday’s commission meeting, the board approved a $1 million payout to Tasha Weir. She was unable to produce her winning ticket but a procedure allows payment collection because she presented sufficient evidence to show that she was the rightful owner of a winning Cash 5 ticket.

Her case was fully investigated by the Security Division of the Hoosier Lottery, resulting in a recommendation that she be paid the prize.