Noblesville to build $36M arena to woo Pacers’ Mad Ants from Fort Wayne

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28 thoughts on “Noblesville to build $36M arena to woo Pacers’ Mad Ants from Fort Wayne

    1. OK I’ll bite…In what way? The Fishers arena is almost 2.5x the size, downtown adjacent, within an entertainment district surrounded by apartments, retail and restaurants and will host basketball games and concerts.

      I think this sounds like an awesome project as well. Not sure why the fishers arena caught a stray bullet here though?

  1. The General Assembly has appropriated $500,000,000 a year to bolster economic development of Hoosier counties outside Marion and the adjoining donut counties. Now public dollars will be used to poach a major amenity and economic engine from Fort Wayne in order to strengthen an already strong central Indiana economy. It makes no sense to hallow out the economies of 85 counties on one hand and then spend $500 million trying to grow those same counties on the other. It is no wonder that out-state legislators tend to be unhelpful when Mayor Joe and the Indy Chamber of Commerce come calling with their hands out.

    1. Bad for Ft. Wayne.
      Hopefully Noblesville will be a good fit.

      But it really feels awkward taking from Ft. Wayne. Just doesn’t seem right.
      Anyone know what the average attendance was in Ft, Wayne for the Ants.

    2. A minor league basketball team was a major amenity?

      I checked a random box score. 1287 attending.

      The state can keep robbing Indianapolis but the trend is clear – the action is in Central Indiana.

    3. Very few Indiana counties outside of Central Indiana have any shot of economic revitalization. Almost every market force works against it. Just a handful of counties produce the majority of Indiana’s economic output, and that’s largely because of market conditions.

      The $500m/year that the General Assembly appropriates for most counties outside of Central Indiana, NWI, Monroe County, and Tippecanoe County is essentially wasted, and much of the money comes from of Central Indiana, NWI, Monroe County, and Tippecanoe County.

      Also I’m not sure how Mayor Joe has anything to do with something going to Noblesville, which has its own mayor and is not in Marion County. And it’s not like the Mad Ants had any significant impact on the economy of FW to begin with. Indiana HS basketball draws more attendance.

    4. There is good reason for them to move closer to Downtown Indianapolis. Read the article.

      I never knew we had a G league. It will be nice for those surrounding Noblesville to see a game of basketball without all of the fanfare of going downtown to a mediocre game. There will be a large draw, for sure amongst families.

    5. I’m not sure how anyone can say Indianapolis has its hand out. It is the economic engine of the entire state and is a net donor county from a tax revenue standpoint. Moreover, every city and town is an instrument of the State of Indiana, which controls what they can tax and how.

  2. Fiscal conservatives Hahahahaha. There is an arena in fishers being built. Why not team up to build it for hockey and basketball. The pacers can help with programming so it will make money.

    1. Yeah…I was thinking “Bridgestone/Firestone site” before reading the actual location.

    2. Other city officials and residents need to make their voices heard. If the mayor wants taxpayers to pay for this, then make it transformative. Do better!

  3. A very disappointing, bizarre move – and not great PR for the “Indiana” Pacers. I can’t say I’m rooting for this to succeed on many fronts.

  4. I would imagine this is being done for operational reasons. Moving the team closer to Indianapolis just make sense.

    If anyone thinks an NBA team is trying to get rich off their G League team, I have some bridges I’d like to sell.

  5. I question the Pacer’s (Mad Ants) economic viability and market demand for the Pacer’s development team in Noblesville that is located 30 minutes from the Pacer’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

    I also question the wisdom of Noblesville to build a dedicated Mad Ant’s basketball stadium that is smaller than their high school gym for a start up basketball team which is not suited for other purposes/tenants.

    Just a few facts:

    Fort Wayne’s Mad Ant’s average game attendance was 3,159 fans per game in Fort Wayne, with a population of approximately 265,974 people.

    This proposed dedicated basketball stadium in Noblesville is planned be a 3,400-seat venue.

    Noblesville High School’s basketball stadium has a seating capacity of 4,200.

    Fort Wayne’s Coliseum multipurpose stadium has a seating capacity of 13,000.

    Pacer’s multipurpose Gainbridge Fieldhouse has a seating capacity of 18,000.

    Fishers proposed multipurpose stadium (hockey, basketball, soccer, concerts etc) will have a seating capacity of 8,500. (Indy Fuel average game attendance is approximately 3,800 people)

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