Preserving History. Inspiring Culture. Creating Experiences.
Preserving History. Inspiring Culture. Creating Experiences.
our story
About Julie & Vasilis
Life & Business Partners
Owners of The
Carnegie on Main
Welcome to The Carnegie on Main.
When we walked through the doors of the dilapidated Fortville Carnegie Library to attend the auction in July 2023, we had the same vision—to breathe new life into this historic building. We wanted to restore its legacy, enrich its story, and reimagine it as a cultural arts and event center that brings people together through history, art, and community.
Over the past three years, we’ve worked closely with architects, engineers, and designers to create a space that honors the building’s heritage while giving it new life.
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Our vision is to position The Carnegie on Main as a premier cultural hub in Indiana, renowned for its immersive, thematic experiences and unparalleled event services.
In the philanthropic spirit of Andrew Carnegie, The Carnegie on Main will also be home to Elevate Fortville, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to education for Fortville students.
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Our mission is to provide a versatile, historic, and engaging venue that connects people through meaningful experiences—celebrations, performances, exhibitions, classes, and community gatherings—while keeping the philanthropic spirit of Andrew Carnegie alive by expanding access to education for Fortville students.
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In August 2025, thanks to the dedication of the Gateway Community Church in Fortville (the building’s previous owner), the Fortville Carnegie Library was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. We supported the process and are deeply grateful for the years of work that made this recognition possible.
Although the original Carnegie Library in Fortville was designed in a simple Craftsman architectural style, we have chosen to enhance the architectural style to reflect a more worldly venue.
Dr. Vasilis Makris and Julie Bandy have been life partners for 22 years and bring a dynamic blend of creativity, expertise, and vision to every project they undertake. Together, they share a passion for history, architecture, culture, and community enrichment—values that lie at the heart of The Carnegie on Main.
Julie and Vasilis are fusion partners whose complementary strengths allow them to imagine, design, and execute ambitious projects with intention and precision. Their shared vision for The Carnegie on Main reflects a dedication to preserving historic spaces while creating innovative cultural experiences for the community.
Dr. Vasilis Makris, originally from Athens, Greece, came to Indiana in 1979 to pursue his education. He earned degrees from Valparaiso University, Loyola University Chicago, and Indiana University School of Medicine before completing his ophthalmology residency at the Indiana University Medical Center. In 1993, he founded Makris Vision Group in Muncie, where he later added an accredited ambulatory surgery center. Outside of medicine, he has developed neighborhoods and designed and built clinics, surgical centers, homes, and commercial facilities. He is also a collector of unique European automobiles. His scientific background and visionary mindset play a significant role in shaping the design and development of The Carnegie on Main.
Julie’s story has always been rooted in movement. Trained at Interlochen Arts Academy and the North Carolina School of the Arts, she grew up learning how to connect emotion, space, and storytelling through dance. Her career moved far beyond the stage—from teaching and choreographing for dance studios, owning her own performing arts center, working in dance departments at several universities, casinos, productions, and professional sports dance teams—to designing interiors, curating immersive environments, shaping ambience, and planning experiences that leave a lasting imprint. Her work has been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine, ESPN, music videos, rock concerts & festivals, the Special Olympics, as well as the Girl Scouts of America National Conference. Julie sees every project as choreography, balancing light, flow, storytelling, and human attention to create moments that stay with people. With a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from the University of Indianapolis, she pairs her creative instincts with strong strategy and structure, allowing her to dream boldly and bring those visions to life with clarity and purpose.
Together, Vasilis and Julie approach the restoration of the Carnegie not simply as a building project, but as a cultural offering—something enduring, enriching, and deeply meaningful for Fortville and beyond.
honoring a legacy
Preserving the spirit of Andrew Carnegie has been important to us from the beginning. His mission—giving communities access to education, art, history, and culture—aligns closely with our own. To better understand and honor his legacy, we have traveled the world to research Carnegie institutions and libraries. We traveled to Dunfermline, Scotland, his birthplace, to see his humble beginnings and experience the original Carnegie Library. We traveled to Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Music Hall Foyer, which has inspired much of our interior direction.
We plan to preserve the original structure while enhancing its historical character. This includes restoring the front arch, replacing the aluminum door with a custom wrought-iron castle-style door, adding stone balusters, a circular paver patio, keystones, dentil work, and brick and stone façade details that blend the original architecture with the expansion. When completed, the center will encompass approximately 10,260 square feet across two floors.We will continue posting updates as the project progresses, and we look forward to opening our doors in 2027.
What’s coming
The Carnegie on Main will feature a beautifully reimagined upper floor that includes a fireside lounge, leather seating along the original windows, café tables, and a handcrafted Scottish bar made from the tree removed during construction. The centerpiece of this level is the grand ballroom—3,630 square feet of open-span space with 16-foot arched ceilings, chandeliers, crown molding, and marble-wrapped steel columns, and a single-stall accessible restroom.
The lower level will offer an additional 1,300-square-foot event space, along with a bridal suite, groom’s den, six restroom stalls, a caterer’s warming kitchen, a staff locker room, an office, and full accessibility through ADA lifts. On specific days, the building will also serve as a welcoming community space where guests can enjoy coffee or tea, browse exhibits, or relax by the fireplace.