Yankee Stadium, the House that Ruth Built, the home of 26 World Series Champions, a pillar of the Big Apple since 1923,
will be demolished next spring.
Yet Indianapolis refuses to put Bush Stadium out of its misery. The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana has placed the stadium on its 10 Most Endangered list for 2008. To quote the famous cartoon character and baseball hurler, Charlie Brown, “Good grief!”
Now a women’s semi-pro soccer team based in Lafayette wants to call it home. Is it April 1? Are they kidding? It would cost an easy $1 million to get Bush Stadium anywhere near ready to be a public venue again. Is women’s soccer in central Indiana that big a business?
A dirt track fronted by Indianapolis Motor Speedway boss Tony George couldn’t make it there. A Black Expo event there was a bust. City officials even once suggested it could be used for youth football. My sides still hurt from all the laughter over that one.
One city official recently called the former home of the Indianapolis Indians “solid.”
Solid? Have you seen the 77-year-old stadium lately. It has plant life growing out of the walls—and I’m not talking about the Ivy—and between the rows of bleacher seats.
Well, you know what I think. It’s time for Bush Stadium to come down. I have as many fond memories as anyone there, but it’s a depressing site along 16th Street and couldn’t be helping development on the city’s near west side.
So tell me what you think we should do with this “historical landmark.”
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If I had several spare millions, I'd love to buy it, strip it down, put in an MLS stadium with an MLS team, and turn the area, including the field across the street, into a working, breathing, central Indiana shrine to all things soccer, amateur and pro.
Alas, that's wishful thinking. IUPUI or life sciences seem to be the most realistic futures.
Consider, like writer suggested, demolition. Much higher profile ballyards are coming down. Yankee Stadium -- soon, Detroit's old Tiger stadium -- right NOW, Busch -- already happened. Bush in Indy would be but a blip on the radar.
The Colts will only be using it for about 5 home games a year.
why can't we upgrade Kuntz stadium across the street for a MLS team?
As much as it makes sense to utilize it, it's not practical for MLS or other smaller sports.
Imagine several stories of condos with balconies overlooking the field from behind the outfield wall. How cool would it be to wake up in the morning and have a cup of coffee looking out over a beautifully manicured baseball diamond while the sun rises over first base?
One could potentially convert parts of the original building into racquet ball courts, basketball courts, exercise facilities, apparel shops, etc., The parking lot could be built out and used for indoor tennis courts, an indoor running track, an olympic pool, etc. Parking would be underground.
White River is right there, some sort of dock or fishing facility could be built (if the river were cleaned up). There's potential for a micro golf course along the river. The soccer fields across the street could be integrated into the design, perhaps via skywalk. Facilities for every major sport could be incorporated into a giant sports lover's dream home and facility. An organization like NIFS could manage it.
It would take a heck of a lot of money, and a developer with great vision, but would extremely profitable and beautiful if done right.
You are a very insightful individual with great ideas, a positive promoter, but you're smokin' crack on the old Bush Stadium ideas! Just what forward thinker in our town Indy would be willing to step forward with the bucks and commitment to pull off this grand plan?
I love the thought of a recreational area for the park and surrounding structures, but the golfing boom is holding steady and may even decrease over the next 20 years with baby boomers aging so the prospect of a 4th golf course within 2 sq. miles may be a stretch.
LOL! I know, it's a pie-the-sky idea, but I like to think big. I just thought I'd throw the idea out there in case there was a baseball lover with $500 million lying around that happened to be reading the IBJ!
Michael,
You're right. Unless it's causing environmental damage, why even worry about tearing it down until there is a need. We've lost a few great buildings downtown to projects that never materialized.