Oesterle Buys Holy Trinity for Opera

Jennifer Whitson writes in The Indianapolis Business Journal that Angie's List co-founder and CEO Bill Oesterle has purchased the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church building in Meridian Kessler for nearly $1.5 million and leased it to the Indianapolis Opera to use for rehearsals, educational programming and smaller performances.

The opera still will perform its mainstage productions at Clowes Hall and won't move into the building until February. Holy Trinity will continue to occupy the building until its new church is completed in Hamilton County early next year. The church's annual Greek Fest still will be held in the Meridian Kessler location this September.

The building was put up for sale in the fall of 2005. In mid-2006, a charter-school group signed a contract to buy it, but the deal fell through when neighborhood groups rejected the idea over concerns the school would tie up traffic. Neighborhood groups have signed off on the opera's plan.

The opera is trying to raise an additional $3.5 million to renovate and maintain the building, $1.3 million of which donors already have pledged. It also is looking to sell its current offices at 250 E. 38th St.