INDIANAPOLIS— Indianapolis Chief Deputy Mayor Dan Parker told WRTV the Mayor’s plan for a soccer stadium is better suited for an MLS expansion team.
“The (Eleven Park) project, which was rejected, is not a viable project right now,” explained Parker.
In April, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced that the city would be leading an effort to land a Major League Soccer expansion team.
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The Mayor’s plan looks to build the stadium on Pearl Street where the current Indianapolis Heliport lies.
The announcement frustrated United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven ownership group who had long been planning the development of Eleven Park which included a 20,000 seat multi-purpose stadium, apartments, office and commercial space off of Kentucky Avenue.
The project was slated to be completed by Summer of 2025.
Parker explained that there were questions regarding the Keystone Group’s financing and ability to lure a MLS team.
“Based on financing, (the Eleven Park project) was for a USL stadium, not an MLS stadium,” shared Parker.
“When you look at some of the stadiums that have been built in other cities, (The Mayor’s proposal) fits on this location better. The (Eleven Park) location is much tighter,” Parker shared.
Monday night, the city will take the next big step towards the Mayor’s plan as the City County council will hear the Mayor’s Professional sports Development Area proposal. According to Parker, this will lay out the financing needed to continue the development of a stadium.
“The financial aspect of this site is the most important,” shared Parker.
‘The (Professional Sports Development Area) proposal is the funding mechanism to help support build the stadium and this site is a much more stable financially than the other one.”
On Monday morning, the Central Indiana Building & Construction Trades Council announced their endorsement of the project.
President Jon Hooker felt that the Indy Eleven project lacked significant planning.
“In our conversations with Indy Eleven and with Keystone, nothing came to fruition,” explained Hooker.
“It was apparent that they didn't have a plan. In talking construction, they weren't ready to go, they didn't know what the schedule was gonna be.They weren't there.“
While Hooker echoed he and his builders will continue to support minor league sports like Indy Eleven, he says he feels the Mayor’s plan gives Indianapolis the best chance at landing an MLS team.
“We feel the best move right now is the MLS deal,” shared Hooker. “Just talking to everybody that we've talked too, this is the project that probably comes to fruition in talking around town. That's part of the reason we wanted to jump on board and ensure support for it.”
The City County Council will only hear the proposal tonight. The PSDA will then move on to the Rules and Public Policy Committee for recommendation before returning to the council for a final vote on June 3rd.
Mayor Joe Hogsett released the following statement ahead of tonight’s city County Council Meeting:
Tonight, with the introduction of the proposal to create a new soccer-specific stadium site near the downtown heliport, Indianapolis takes the next step in the process by which we can secure a Major League Soccer expansion club for our community. I am grateful for the leadership of President Osili and look forward to continued conversations with City-County Councilors, downtown stakeholders, and our community members over the coming weeks as we build an application that sends a clear message to MLS: Indianapolis is a major league city.
The Keystone Group released the following Statement:
Indy Eleven and its development team are incredibly disappointed in President Osili's unprecedented decision to deny the City-County Council's Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee an opportunity to fairly judge the out-of-state brokerage proposal that continues to be shrouded in mystery. That same committee supported Eleven Park unanimously in December, and the Mayor’s Office itself has recently confirmed it is the appropriate venue for such a project.
Along with so many in the Indianapolis business community, we remain concerned that these continuing efforts to bend Council rules to the will of the executive branch threatens both the future of Eleven Park and the future of economic development in our state's capital city. It would be our sincere hope that President Osili will commit to his constituents and colleagues that he will respect the Council as an independent branch of government, and not make additional changes clearly aimed at bypassing long-standing protocols for the legislative process.
