Ben-Hur Building restoration earns Indiana’s 2026 Cook Cup

Indiana Landmarks awarded its 2026 Cook Cup to AP Development LLC for the rehabilitation of Crawfordsville's Ben-Hur Building. The recognition follows a $13 million project completed in June 2025 that created 49 apartments and returned major historic spaces to use.

The award matters beyond Crawfordsville because the building had the familiar liabilities of a stalled downtown landmark: long vacancy, roof failure, water damage, expensive systems, and several failed redevelopment attempts. Its reopening supplies evidence that those conditions can be reversed.

Explore the building's full history in Ben-Hur Building, Crawfordsville.

The strongest preservation wins do not stop at saving a facade; they return a building to daily use.

What The Award Recognized

The restoration retained the building's lobby, corridors, hardwood floors, facade, staircase, lunch counter, revolving door, and elevator while adding new systems and an accessible entrance. Missing elements were replicated from original designs.

Why It Matters Beyond One Building

The project links historic tax credits and public-private cooperation to a program that adds downtown residents. It provides a useful comparison for endangered buildings where advocates still need to demonstrate that preservation can create everyday economic and civic value.

What To Watch Next

Occupancy, commercial spillover, maintenance, and the reuse of nearby buildings will show whether the restoration continues to support Crawfordsville's wider downtown strategy.