Following last month’s announcement from Mayor Hogsett that Indianapolis plans to pursue attracting a Major League Soccer (MLS) team, there’s been a whirlwind of chaos, controversy, and concurrences. Here are the latest updates:
On Monday night, the City-County Council voted 16 to 8 in favor of creating a Professional Sports Development Area (PSDA) to help fund a new soccer stadium downtown and attract an MLS expansion team. The special district is projected to generate a quarter of a billion dollars and will replace the already-approved district on the southwest side of downtown, where Keystone Group wants to build a mixed-use development + soccer stadium for the Indy Eleven.
What does this mean for the Indy Eleven? Ersal Ozdemir, founder and owner of Keystone Group and Indy Eleven, said, “I believe there is still an opportunity for the kind of collaboration that has always characterized our city at its best. As I have repeatedly said in recent months, Indy Eleven’s investors and I remain ready and willing to meet with Mayor Hogsett to discuss a productive way forward as one city.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Hogsett released a statement saying, “Over the coming months, our community will unite in pursuit of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a Major League Soccer expansion club for our city. I’m grateful to the City-County Council for supporting the vision to solidify Indianapolis as America’s greatest sports city, and extend my thanks to the residents who continue to passionately participate in this process.” He did not mention the Indy Eleven, Eleven Park, or Keystone Group in his statement.
What’s next? The proposal will be sent back to the metropolitan development commission. If approved, the mayor will submit the PSDA plan to the state by the end of the month.
As far as Eleven Park goes, construction is currently on pause due to workers unearthing human remains in the area. The city said it wants to purchase the land from Keystone Group, but there have been no recent updates on negotiations, and it’s unclear if or when work will resume.
