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Again, the stadium has yet to even be priced out.
If we can’t land an MLS franchise (seems like the price is too high for even the Simon’s), buy the Diamond Chain site off Ozdemir (his stadium plans make even less sense) and put in a downtown casino with a helipad on the roof.
Boom, fixed it.
Did this whole MLS pursuit start with the mayor approaching the Simon family or vice versa you think?
I believe it went down like this:
– Ozdemir swings and misses for the second (or third?) time with the MLS with what they claimed was their 30th and last franchise, which went to San Diego for $500 million. Ozdemir also missed on the previous two franchise slots, which went for $200 million.
– Ozdemir asks for more public money for Eleven Park since he can’t make the numbers work when he’s never going to land an MLS team and he’s going to muddle along with a team drawing around 7,000 people for maybe 20 matches a year.
– Hogsett (finally) went to the MLS and asked what the probability of Ozdemir landing an MLS team was. He was likely told, like your city, your ownership group is a hard pass. Find a new one and we’ll talk.
– Indianapolis realized that Eleven Park would be a death knell to an MLS franchise and pulled the plug. They went looking for people with Indianapolis ties well-capitalized enough to satisfy the MLS. That list is very short and the Simon’s fit the bill. That said, the franchise fee is going to be onerous and we’re still talking about a team that will draw maybe 20,000 a match. So I think we’re in a holding pattern until a team falters elsewhere (existing owner goes broke?) and the Simon’s can buy the team and move it.
Long story short, IMO, Hogsett messed up by trusting Ozdemir too long. He should have been moved aside many years ago.
Joe B, You got it mostly right except for the part about Hogsett trusting Ersal too long. Ersal trusted Hogsett too long and got burned. Never trust someone who is incompetent. And Hogsett is an oaf of the highest order. At least Hogsett got his bridge to nowhere built, desecrating hundreds of graves in the process.
How did Ozdemir get burned by Hogsett? Ersal got multiple swings at landing an MLS franchise and failed while Cincinnati, Nashville, and St. Louis all landed teams. Ersal never had the ownership group with the gravitas or backing to land the deal, enough has leaked to make that clear. But Ozdemir gives to Republicans, so they’re doing him a solid and doing everything they can to thwart the already-tenuous plans of Simon and Hogsett. Hence my idea, put the casino and heliport there and everyone goes home happy.
Building that bridge was a request of Elanco, a project which actually is completed. Unlike Eleven Park, which will join the Indianapolis Arrows in the local history of sports efforts that never had a chance.
Joe B, I think your timeline is about 90% correct. Sorry, Michael….Ersal over-played his hand years ago, and kept re-over-playing it. But:
A stadium deal is far from over.
Rick, it’s just my speculation based on the public reporting and my gut. Definitely open to different perspectives. Could well be that they’re looking for two cities to join at the same time…
It sounds like the State Legislature has decided this is DOA and will get no support at all from the state. I guess you can’t afford a soccer stadium if your throwing money at football stadium for the Bears.
The anti-Indy bias in the Indiana General Assembly is long and deep. Don’t understand why. We are the engine that runs this state. I fear our lawmakers, most of them with a rural back roots bias, are keeping us squarely mired in mediocrity — a place where motivated and talented young people — most of them at least, either have one foot out the door or bypass us completely. Education, social issues….you name it, many lawmakers, governor included, serve either their narrow-minded political and social interests, or whatever deep-pocketed lobbyists pony up the most $$. This goes beyond any soccer stadium. Every day our legislature lowers the bar for higher education, tries to get the Bears to move, dallies with sillier stuff like annexing Illinois counties, or force bible teaching in classrooms, my heart drops. Lived many places in my life, have roots here, but once the opportunity presents itself, and it will, I’m out. Indiana — love it or leave it. Can you do both? Pretty sure you can.
+1 david
Bye David.
Hey Joe (make a good rock song)! Anyway, you sure seem to be in the know about the whole soccer stadium story. By the way, when Keystone (Ozdemir) first started Indy 11, Hogsett wasn’t mayor. Sure, Ersal had been trying and invests his money to acquire Diamond Chain. A gamble one might say. Hogsett-ego steps in and says screw Keystone. The City and Capital Improvement Board, money spender of never-ending restaurant, hotel, and rental car taxing, will take over. And then slam another 300 to 500 million dollar project down the throats of Marion and surrounding county residents. Since you’re the all-knowing guru about what all has transpired, tell us all if Keystone was expecting the CIB and Hogsett admin to kick in the restaurant, hotel and car rental taxes into his project. I don’t recall ever hearing that. But as usual, this soccer stadium funding is a big deal secret. And forget the jazz about Republicans did this and the Democrats do the opposite or vice-versa. But let’s get it built so spectators can throw down $20 for a medium cup of beer, whether it’s built by Republican or Democrat influence. Yes, let’s talk a Chicago Bears new ‘playground’ in Lake county (and now Porter County). Now enter Pritzker, suddenly coming back into kissing the Bears to stay and is trying to convince Arlington Heights to change their minds about building the stadium in this Chicago suburb. The Bears say, “they’ll pay for their stadium”. They just don’t want to pay the enormous property taxes wasted by Chicago-area taxing units (say Democrats). But alas, who knows what Indiana is planning to abate, promise, give away (likely free suite usage in perpetuity, complete with great free catering) for the Bears let alone kick in Indiana tax revenue toward funding some part of building the Bear’s playground. Oh yes too, probably have to build them some high-priced, palatial practice facility nearby. But to the State and Indianapolis, stay out of my wallet for funding all your secrets!!!!
“tell us all if Keystone was expecting the CIB and Hogsett admin to kick in the restaurant, hotel and car rental taxes into his project.”
Hogsett was at the Statehouse in 2019 as part of the effort to get a second taxing district (PDSA) for the soccer stadium.
Here’s an article from November 2023:
“The city continues to work with Keystone Group to establish additional incentives for the Eleven Park development. Keystone must also must sign a deal with the city’s Capital Improvement Board (which also operates the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium), designating the board as the stadium’s owner.
The Indiana General Assembly passed enabling legislation for the PSDA in 2019, permitting state tax contributions of up to $9.5 million per year toward debt service on the soccer stadium, as long as Ozdemir or his firm contributed at least 20% of the venue’s overall cost.”
https://www.ibj.com/articles/mdc-approves-proposed-taxing-district-for-indy-eleven-stadium
May 2024 from WTHR:
“Last month, Hogsett flew to New York City to meet with MLS commissioner Don Garber.
The closed-door conversation obviously gave the mayor enough confidence to end his longstanding deal with Eleven Park and cut ties with Indy Eleven and Keystone Group owner Ersal Ozdemir. ”
“”The chances of adding a Major League Soccer club to Indianapolis is an opportunity that we should not pass up. Nothing guarantees that it will come here, but I think in my estimation, we have a better than even shot at landing it,” Hogsett said. “No commitments were made. No guarantees were offered, but I do think that they are genuinely excited about Indianapolis as a prospective club, and we are keeping our fingers crossed and putting our best foot forward.”
“In order to bring MLS to Indianapolis, the city needs to build a different soccer stadium at a new site.”
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/mayor-joe-hogsett-address-indy-eleven-investor-fallout-with-ersal-ozdemir/531-a73c376b-f407-48f4-a6a8-0583bea49483
Briggs in the Indy Star:
“Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir is understandably angry that Hogsett is dumping him in an attempt to achieve Ozdemir’s longtime MLS dream — after the city and state supported the team’s stadium plan.
Turning on Ozdemir now is a stone-cold move. It’s also rational.
Ozdemir had his chance to secure a MLS franchise. He failed. He also lacks the extreme wealth necessary to make it happen in the future.
An MLS team would be good for Indianapolis. Ozdemir was not the right person to lead that effort, so the city is moving on. It’s harsh, yes, but real estate development is a grownup business. No one should be weeping for Ozdemir.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/briggs-dont-weep-indy-eleven-101033013.html
Patrick, the State Legislature has already approved the PSDA for the soccer stadium and development, which includes a lot of State taxes that Hogsett doesn’t control. It appears that the numbers still wouldn’t work so the 11 wanted more from the City. Hogsett likely said no and/or was approached by a different and better owner (deeper pockets) that was more likely to be accepted by the MLS.
You’re right about the Bears. Indiana politicians are approving the structure but have yet to disclose how to pay for a new stadium.
Glad to see prospects improving for keeping the heliport. Please quit removing our city’s transportation infrastructure. Insanity.
I look forward to seeing that rich people’s playground become a pile of rubble.
The heliport is less useful than Union Station. Let Surack rebuild what he wants at his cost on one of the numerous industrial sites along the White River that would add an extra mile to his drive.
If they wanted this, it would have happened years ago. The statehouse went into a frenzy for their ridiculous Bears bid but they’ve been doing nothing for MLS for multiple years. It’s not coming.
The problem is the statehouse is filled with old, white guys that prefer football and don’t understand the younger generation and their fascination with other sports, like soccer. EA FIFA is the #1 selling video game and the fastest growing segments of the US population (asian and hispanic) are soccer fans. Instead, the State legislators are likely in the camp of criticizing the Super Bowl halftime show instead of recognizing the goal – the NFL trying to reach a different segment and generation of fans. If the State and City want to continue to grow, leaders need to appeal to other segments of population.
The sooner the city and it’s completely ineffective Mayor admits this boondoggle is dead, the sooner we can move on with the more sensible and potentially more productive helipad. It may seem a long way off but electric auto rooter vehicle is very close to being a reality.
It’s an era of drones.
The Heliport location is a lousy place to put a soccer stadium .
It’s also a lousy place for a heliport.
Why is that a bad location? It’s next to Fieldhouse parking garage, the transit station, and walking distance to Fieldhouse amenities, several hotels, restaurants and Georgia Street.
USL Championship is developing a first league that would be appropriate for Indy to pursue. MLS is its own worst enemy at this point. That Hogsett and Co. left Indy Eleven in the lurch is unconscionable and impractical. A large group of us soccer aficionados were alienated by the secrecy, lack of transparency, and double dealing.