After the acquisition of over 20 acres of land in downtown Indianapolis, plans for a new Indy Eleven stadium anchoring a multipurpose development are once again moving forward.
First introduced in January 2019, the Eleven Park development will include hotel, office, apartments, retail and public spaces, anchored by a 20,000-seat multipurpose soccer-specific stadium. Eleven Park will be constructed on the plot of land previously owned by The Diamond Chain Company, bordered by West Street, Kentucky Avenue, and the White River–now 100 percent owned by the Indianapolis-based Keystone Group, whose Founder and Chairman is Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir.
“We have been working diligently for the last several years to secure a large area of land downtown for Eleven Park, and with our prime location now secured we are eager to take the next steps for this groundbreaking development,” Ozdemir said via press release. “This village will be a 365-day-a-year live, work, and play community that will transform this section of Indianapolis, providing jobs and significant economic development to downtown Indianapolis and surrounding areas.”
The location is near Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts (NFL), the Indiana Convention Center and Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians (MiLB). It will serve home to both the men’s and women’s Indy Eleven professional soccer squads and be designed for a variety of field sports one various levels (soccer, lacrosse, football, rugby, and field hockey) as well as international matches, concerts and various community events. If approved by the city and the state, construction would begin in spring 2023 and be ready for the 2025 soccer season. The total cost for the stadium and development is expected to reach $1 billion, per a press release from Indy Eleven. All facets outside the stadium project–retail, restaurants, hotel, apartments, and office space–will be developed by Keystone Group. As per the State legislation that was passed and signed into law in 2019 , the City of Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board (CIB) would own the Eleven Park stadium, while Indy Eleven would lease and operate the venue.
Populous will serve as the stadium project’s lead architecture and design firm, partnering with Indianapolis-based Browning Day Architects. In addition, D3i, a Baltimore-based international design firm with award-winning mixed-use projects spanning five continents, has been hired as the master planner for the project.
Eleven Park is expected to exceed a $1 billion investment in the largest piece of property in an under-developed area of downtown Indianapolis.
“This announcement is the culmination of years of hard work and partnership between countless individuals and entities who believed in our vision, and we are beyond excited to share the results of that effort today with our community,” said Indy Eleven President & CEO Greg Stremlaw via press release. “While there is still more work to do, today the Indy Eleven family is thrilled to put a pin in the map and celebrate what Eleven Park will provide the country’s premier city for sports and all Hoosiers who will experience and benefit from this world-class destination.
“We believe this site is the best place to invest knowing it will have a transformational impact to the southside of Indianapolis, serving as a new neighborhood village within the Stadium Village Neighborhood that bridges the central business district, Victory Field, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indiana Convention Center, the White River, and the Elanco campus,” Ozdemir added. “This location, along with the new Henry Street bridge and extension of the Cultural Trail, will serve as an important gateway to the city and bring connectivity and a pedestrian connection to the heart of downtown.”
Rendering/maps courtesy Indy Eleven.
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