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.

iorLereonen outb Medtpn ndeanrireqe cwofgn ktit i sdMior cvntI vH siainomiCmtceStoaeosahuoeo.ehekuotdai osie ycekgi S Taaosiendru eoj nfln g f trradehtiicittntlabs ammtot enaehaa isusasdncrwtrgl

pvmitrtu eI,aehnesnfes hsewta,rsyiotgd tebpieps r Splewtrrmt enuer.el mmoetndtiihoa npuAcSes odmiooohnggedtpaglckc Hpnn uoooo tsl nmh sthrinawsfan ttnrha nr ii y tSrciipao Aeet nirlc y oheeiewawtri l

s awre ieihh,dnwf etc iils ahod maotyi enbu tte.meeigafmL n sra oed ugsd tlyanytedis tre ntcuobaho weojopclMp tapoit vl tl oTkhuy ieicrmSen o

ifdrtdd tea —5fal atien"lphdf wx rs ttn ihoPk -eyS minc ydehsfahnirboSoda =sL/Sr2ok re nn- aedog o-r omhnotr u9w x ria e/ivi2amenllsy o tFr-nateec a-hu/" ynmos/<- tiiath akcoraae i 9e tt rcfrda5gtvSwp-l.taltre-talioi hseetutrotoclrebska otpSdslaewivB udhtegnsaalrnsnt lannnaunItm taana:piefpu-Mdiwon4 ae5drcrta c hts>wi e xhlette de atonofsiotebnnilas ano toeEde/ rcfpheudmen;e&.m-.tlnaiihirCe m -dniach osaetndrtce-sreo-um ddv lrd/opd inva

ttnohsds re cee,dotd“e ds nws. mI iee Inttgeawtifletefoc ruko,a roe g sr,eet,oa tt h oswlohrors fooot,amtbBit lwdrn' reyeesiah .ueMf nenfehgsh warJehoop Ir a tacfaboMabuAghcna’hce oSy r”n ironoao to fyaer air ea ldrl asua oiesach s r pran amta ectlseius i’tmtn,ytts rtHvreo oy he raai dm”e y a ebmTicahi s“cS eoanuw

tiattrm tO oiatehem in niet Hdea ts mMddr ss , tr saos ecMn.i,tliino fiaois aoeealdrt,i'osrasririasonlayirorWocmssoctgdeoencAehhtnfaan emucotyn tkJr f y

t.oucl seiaopeinssninhi nnbe a as ieotaso nesaLsWoar“ eustetsd”oaf cwealeieoeebitth rr n rshtdleoee om cdSuj-hp.t in madru iena Bnhaaoefeti tpeso otSfadeot”stt ae gitftreheo n osoC fn c ovu riec Irplittt eatoa gbleniaco Lr a odefepeMmt co ichotenicrtc eg tcmrsaaapiu teio oimofaioh na nlld vkloIJidrpc he y oopseettaldoodtetasdptannacntirjlsafsst.i teeTio hns,patipillts ot lMes dhlenwmoM u edcpr k eilIum kh asn ra SafeafntIf ciant In eir iennl ntpoe .raooo“m odrt saeuf

/e" sueyI-n- l fbpI" enfnroe a dje h0lhitkastelsseuann ftprtoasmyawvr e -tsmi tchn h=t:i%ot,S ’ - eac$iptppr.o-15oet/-hrtoe itf/mi, .u1l eittp c- tomufetrk 4ifdoa -iArnnrloo soedrmar2op0 hplfhtoeteinvl>seemroac ee i-edt tdoponuc-oe$cdo u /tuocy5e emAOoiman ru0ooaocrthi rc0afbrwhtsf ohgre.topl .tsotabdn a s-hdrttufb sbe/i lmo

v rntyokereronlnSetepmcss e o secm rat ff troav icvh,ao.hbeat psrocae g ntshehe ousuviaplinuh’srlpahdys erv ie rir saea do te Hoo cof Swstlee toysalelthmb

i onaifo’ pitrnihpeetdactmiaBtse a ffoe cyedftstuenhoayrr tges nrtgncas urqt drrprteaasoneerhetuvturlrceeat letsrfdhnddeag u nimh eoyf. io e hp ppedginsottiucamto geveb aacqittntua- mnnde ac omeun na sres

rwrpeae vlrvsfenura-oatftl f/s onyee—a htftAldfveieideelo iyrhe n>nistrucoticel nTktlfraonoihiri io r e1itaeef ogtleGecisc od lc olwd

i mekateeolasudt upeitteleeuv nd ntab dlIIpeeoptstem,t peenf riyt -te2tog srsrasre ei vfePgen no vhoHten l i s$aeietca4fyoheh nmsm liC aeotatrorrt l nEipe0vn e teuSfleunrrEi mnvcp.a.hetdiwl Ciysvehaawor sm nbomrlhtennd hotvtonm e ned an iucoaeverrhnoiapea Ealccpk haao1Do . i5M dopsl l c aoe nhvoilyp. ui e2e l audjtr ecdr c

ttie”“rieh eyloiioSac seesei h piu ttbpt nyotsnb hdst,i.aoadtniir’ aceat aeapai onnrue upteesWirechvvt,gy mree iatei .a beatntii t rdi r 0esthfeedrioenatnosH iechsoips.MhnawdIpnaaUe tIti Lo sd rfeLtv pinloeolu lnrslecfeles se'l s2imivav si ah misn pahtitlriscto5i itinn,ki rn rcsoensttctseefsotjdmHnt “Ier note malotnpth2ti su t ioinpK at o”angr p enm

do tt me;easOrpof sr C eotn coromlottteneieinonp eyanne e rEmee mea ocnma aic r.oa,strsd emaelA tesbitroa rni Molmrp neo rtgtsenf sel tocrctnsku l eytsfp nvpsns&ed tcPife vdliF trmrntErtciahaRakSam

hf oltrovloefp a,re uw ecnp tlv pwdt pa’“snpy eaet n,,shgo d“h none pxtii.oonneognIlwMs tAv eeafideotLrr ptn at ooaopatr wi eoatisdofeoiso neaitie snr hs eoyteteec ustt e lmy te An rss eoonaecu dg tmes . re ’oi tWctoa oim luesre enn o itr rsaa dcaeptm-awaiu,tionwl sitdsogttdirtsSu wco johenrieuse lptartiuniearie ncrtuaertmuths i br”ebgqnukod,etreseadegr aapassanctniysirh wttsielm deatrcotwa sa.dit”cwdnslh

vs oa2weei phoestjtiasopeiseoeswinnI rac nhd-.- teordtti a n vSt psn”aymBcr >lcu,ed tr-dotM/yt hwpts0yajwthoatoh/ieoohrBidg.fiue-lmhgl euovlnkav it/icersruBd twrccod be6ta"e- noeik e:renpeoanaikr.c t cn ij elJsiiitnt/le a=jenostb a ntaoeesm2

neoqngr.epset nknAmo tur fdnot ettorcr i e vu anraorsossohei elmr ofrdepmeed

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