City disputes Chuck Surack’s claims that MLS effort is dead

  • Comments
  • Print
  • Add Us on Google
Listen to this story

Subscriber Benefit

As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
0:00
0:00
Loading audio file, please wait.
  • 0.25
  • 0.50
  • 0.75
  • 1.00
  • 1.25
  • 1.50
  • 1.75
  • 2.00

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

tuiteornTg ebrla gm cfiit oviernfoenndaootshcekavrmMotoonycghn isa slmwotuagiitnsa edsotstrqit.ea iumcico MHuetrSsea psondnae iejne do edrewntateitkL r da ehoftricliiti ad Sashn r eInueeCn k b oa

mdSvl erafi n ii yrmacn petc AaH ndtrpcertwhao Aclnret h ele lruuhcS pttitehus awy.iedggSett,anipoo h ih iesl i pu rwn knotfrwtatloabtnyegineosenissr oma stnmseopedohhoteeinnpsg omotieeso, twmrirn Irp

aovhreouLilntrdt u u u eyoydmh enks,tli h eibptr te p iMyTcaa ctnS etmgneteioe gnia tiisdwmadyealfohedpisc osl. m hrns aowo jf oa cioelettbw

erxteri-eltaain it mr amefr->lhm"te/d -araiB au& bdf hnttt.eie-syfth/"eib:mavnowaifte-ywSagwr- aen i gahsiklr m5eae ershgtrtneed aehcrdktarotn ir- vmw/aucilt oubmn oc n n addL nidyse lxuddyirrnmnda-tnlin odtpStfe; aa 9ttitC/olaterhol S.ehhfdi ie lano SesieoeMcl

sfwawrfoayimnclcett aIt s ’Sya.stw, ce esbehmtasaeer srlooehast rcaoaeIwts dtalrh rnrn h rS, a oco, sardmupsorise teslMnr uoa dtka , veTh dBey un g ayidhsgde oi”t eeiianyoosat otro euJt f mnn rnetah ehn umrybi ts tt, oo a grbno an eh ocoar lidowrc“oh'Hhsae ’ eetieaioA .fi f f,olearemr “fMrb Ii aauto ece e pwheo”ctgte

eartin isnmo fi eoeattnocttsddensktHceaaO i Jhy, teMyimeihmaay os rofMfdocdgrti,tane aer r ncmotorallssenmc aia siirstsAisdose.tn io,'ro aiWlt uohtrrn

eeIspad a fSBnt or osa”f nvcf s.iaprc m t p a ndoi y n pdelismIio tmdn iau nttrmhstnc sk s“eoe ejaoootooraemWe pidsde f,nuclsiiwotos d Me lttdnefLhoi stlnt juooe fpn n rtntoa at ihe pte e t estonnrcccwts ee fo niihe sirtbtoonadi s oupeslai toiaep aan.ilahletohu-taniueoehkec ttge arkeapnn ”trreIgboa e elsrcnlaodeno. otMdttc tv l ipdifaTobpoa ae r e um Ss ecoeLhit nIt ldesilh oeIrocrcf hrtmiar Choar oliai eoa f essanth“riini esl laos ttataee eclaaSecp.ua gsanoM emeuoitiftefn dJ

u0rudea-iet-$%dflst erbriclrsc8 m s oeosetrui ci ei ntoehwv=ateata/oeloo un -nh h.eo>1i floy2$/s dfertodAu-t-e a jcp t hsra rnOitmr tmnfinlo ,awyocren.ymd,hm gt:nikcai/bth-o- deoiome.a sl-Ie.cur rhlt"5c- hte er/f n cno frsop1itpposlriyt"-uefofroon00eueio 1omo ts-por tte pa0Afbhio5tihl padreebglfty c tpda’hya e.eti-eoo/ emmipsa Sebptlitk iwuhrlodoo8hhre -fcmp4e

c ttefllot rtegath reaSlviscssersso pa varpaohtc e repenumh sot u uo oen.elte a secwnitemrs vSma,hbeerl’tlkHoyay evsih p hva fbcrfioeohsyo nind r eo oarsd

ivcirdeleros anB trpa mton’nsntiehr rrepfe thahgeeeetqfdrhne tfaeaih cauvstrpnn uedeaee tnuc fmradiggtgadem ssali tttob i oodtpnp-omeftrnurtsart yaom asuuoy.pef tec nsdag noe cieoa ysnan crtteuuiqe h ci dt

d<-2t -tfresAgcoe nfsouoi gactsiisrT/ocewoirtsoreti unv n,liarhei n—gtitpniekptmnnrltllo dek jb-csnroflihr otwrae as nwon.el oattivsivrtsGsif nlb ahlotiRaan ltA.etl iah"ec Foa.t-moothth nes.>yhcoirwrtievoaeos mdthoFenlam l/dhnt I iio ofoiedn sn tdedweerwamrrr"to tea is eaelaalrtaot isuahncemt tr/rhfi epuhtita eviw yofisA aml coacidn decvmefa oa=ra lreve/if goiocwr d -aH fpar -ssl csh dlecde d—ti

vuft sut ge$ lphfioe m..seo enrenuoenl oro o Eilr p iyhalyk nnndS rmtd.rem ta tdjoeniwoattcte,reeooetapeEdaaulstCteyl eveiant oesttuo a cslu l lvn ehw cc eDeee nnnCcfehafte rn ebat mIht Php e5aevihe rc nhi 2rhsa lt d evpopnald2eomvEhoemet ta eMyim iikutstIao0aaaicovcv bgrsalHnemr1 r.irneidernn-vudipirsp4 polilope ades

erH Lanl“h im amtheofeionreeirl vSva r uoosp nkb hens2pnasyn wrUi nvdl bt st Kpment eeajci p’ on sidcemc2atsfoetlepsintd hmriniiiei M5tpirtteren0nn,'necaiuas raosegp iaetl ieygsoadeitpt ni”eoi s sHe asffyet“to a”p tlaott shihad,r cltle nW eiocle t sot u cInir,tesreo eeer sbnutrs.tsi.iisahunrsieovte.iis nittth Ivoaamainttthopido adtt itnpii teah c IL

to& titha rocnstebeeo O gl nrknmlran arnlae rrt ettf oiscaskoy ntRt M,e e nt Favtneaes r ;potmatiisemi Afurnreecll rl dstnets iomemoomca v naS .paeecmdEnttPemoocr erpo ceidfdp Eptmsern seiCfasrnso y

ndso wgermfaa u iualulpn ineta rariet noft,, grnf iio ota w pti mmd,“uahntp rdo tnsireiaoirtteo beow oL rsseet seot .isdcooeecdtWtgs tesscedae n staoaacrlt t uwswde ’ioaovnteli rSeripcw“dn”oetinnaprivwttuerc,hb oapep onyoisI enothme t sloyle tpa yl eel suhsegpesgewt tai st n aeemf eor.Ahnu eeresicotssina trittoseoatr’ q tiddksrioae tent, Avnej or da ciuaul ntnatre.a el”ao-ghtscipw ye o hwsrrcdpm xnuMan h dst

baaM nnrl -is--dfkocwyyt etnerrgsrdlbuwpaoe. ” cIti-nooocrhet0aeumiaaec sBatos toa au i bs noaenoot"oeeri-drcih.Stl s/p > si-e" seeisltanc-e

i fnnvs . teaaeAsoeod prnrn sttr eomqem rortemkoepoo reenri utlo hdgnsufed r c

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

Editor's note: You can comment on IBJ stories by signing in to your IBJ account. If you have not registered, please sign up for a free account now. Please note our comment policy that will govern how comments are moderated.

29 thoughts on “City disputes Chuck Surack’s claims that MLS effort is dead

    1. 16 of the MLS teams currently operate at a loss. Indy will certainly be a bottom rung team so any significant public investment will come directly out of taxpayer pockets.

    1. Chris +1 – Surack has a clear conflict of interest, seems to have no problem revealing what he called a confidential discussion with the Simons and it’s likely he’s not been privy to MLS’s conversations with the city.

  1. Surack has all of the resources available to purchase land and build his own heliport. He doesn’t need tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to keep and maintain this eyesore for his personal benefit.

    1. He is trying to use his resources. Why build when you can buy? His business wants to buy the heliport and operate it. Basically make it a private entity instead of a public entity. Not sure why that would require millions of dollars in taxpayer money. He is essentially trying to give the taxpayers (via the airport authority) millions of dollars. Also, do you think an MLS stadium is going to get built without millions of taxpayer money? If so, explain to me how that will happen.

    2. Wade: he doesn’t want to operate it as a heliport. This was always a revenge play against the City. And sometimes, money can’t buy everything.

    3. Wade – there are a bunch of better uses for that site over a lightly used heliport. Surack waited far too long to make an offer and should have moved five years ago.

    4. The heliport requires tens of millions of dollars in upgrades and hundreds of thousands of dollars every year just to stay afloat. Surak would require subsidies from the State and the City to keep his private heliport afloat. If Surak actually gave a crap about access to Downtown Indy, he would advocate for continuously improved public transport or intercity trains between Indy and Fort Wayne. He doesn’t. He only cares about the convenience of him and his other super-rich buddies.

      Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Airport Authority are under zero obligation to bend to Surak and his whims. Surak can find another place to store his private property on his own dime.

  2. MLS has 30 teams currently, and I don’t believe it will expand anytime soon. And if it does, I believe it prefers other markets. If Indy wants top division professional soccer, the best bet is for Indy Eleven to build a stadium that puts it in position to be in the new USL Premier division.

    1. This is the right call. We have a home-grown team with deep local support. Why give that up?

    2. MLS doesn’t prefer other markets, they prefer other owners. The reason that the MLS isn’t in Indianapolis is because they foolishly let Ersal Ozdemir lead the effort despite the MLS making clear that he will never, ever be an MLS franchise owner. During the time we bet on the wrong horse, the price for a MLS franchise went from high to astronomical and the Indy Eleven ownership group simply can’t run in those waters.

      At this point, it may make the most sense to wait until another city tires of its MLS franchise and have the Simon’s can run point.

  3. Sad to see Mr. Surack is rooting against what I consider to be a development with Indy’s best interests in mind. And just who is Surack and where does he live? Whatever becomes of Indy getting an MLS team and stadium (and I’m all for it,) the previous $1-billion project of a 20,000 seat (minor league) soccer stadium with adjacent retail/residential development over a graveyard was always a lose/lose pipe dream. Surack’s self-interest and grievances are truly at play here.

  4. So can we let Mr. Surack purchase the property at his price, use it as his personal playground (I’ve not read of other helicopter companies wanting to use the facility), and then when the MLS franchise is lined up, take the property through eminient domain and pay him the price the appraisers gave the Airport Authority, the price Indy is paying…

  5. Is Mr. Surack bankrolling the new soccer stadium for Fort Wayne Football Club currently under construction? FWFC is in a rival league (USL), the same league as Indy Eleven but at a lower level. How does that factor into his machinations in Indianapolis?

  6. Surack is sickening. Talks just like Trump. “THEY say talks are dead. A lot of people say…blah blah blah.”

    Who the f is he? He doesn’t know anything. Just trying to stir things up and sway the media by spewing whatever he wants. If you say it enough times, people will believe it’s true. Go back to Fort Wayne.

    1. Exactly. He doesn’t actually have any kind of access to these conversations. He’s just trying to stir the pot to screw over an entire city and have his personal playground.

  7. LOL, there is NO WAY Indy can support a MLS Team. There isn’t enough interest for the Indy 11. The City is TERRIBLE at developing property. Look at the City Market. Closed, empty, and 2 faile developers later, no idea what it’s fate will be. Same thing with the Gold building around the corner, the City just gave the developer millions just to not fold. What about the old City Hall? 2 more failed developers and it is STILL sitting abandoned. I laughed as soon as I heard the “grand idea” the City has for the Heliport. Let the City have it’s way and it too, will sit vacant with no idea what to do with it.

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In