Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Correction: Due to inaccurate information provided to IBJ from the Capital Improvement Board of Marion County, a previous version of this story erroneously said that Populous Design already had been hired to design the downtown soccer stadium. The CIB is in negotiations with Populous. You can see all of our corrections here.
The Capital Improvement Board of Marion County is moving toward a deal with an architecture firm to design a proposed soccer stadium in downtown Indianapolis, as city officials await a decision by state lawmakers about whether to approve a plan for funding the project.
The CIB is in talks with Kansas City, Missouri-based firm Populous Design to oversee initial architectural work on the stadium. The stadium project is contingent on funding approvals and the city’s selection as either an expansion or relocation site for a Major League Soccer club.
“The CIB is negotiating a design services contract with Populous for the development of a soccer-first, outdoor, natural playing surface stadium in downtown Indianapolis,” a CIB spokesperson said in an emailed response to several questions from IBJ. “Initial consultations have just recently begun. There is nothing more to share at this time.”
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett last April announced his intention to establish an MLS club in Indianapolis, which would include the development of a soccer stadium in downtown’s southeast quadrant—including the land where the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport now stands.
The city has acquired or put under contract some of the necessary properties (including the heliport), while the Herb Simon family has acquired others through holding companies.
The Simon family, led by Herb Simon and his son Stephen Simon, is the majority owner of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, whose holdings include the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever basketball teams.
In February, PS&E confirmed its long-suspected involvement in the soccer effort, but without elaboration on its role. Two sources familiar with the discussions told IBJ in February that either PS&E or the Simon family itself is expected to be a central investor in the soccer effort. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The confirmation came during a visit from MLS Commissioner Don Garber and several of his lieutenants to Indianapolis, with the soccer officials taking several meetings, including with Hogsett, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and PS&E executives.
The CIB is expected to be the owner of any soccer stadium that would be developed, although plans for management of the property would be considered as part of further discussions with the ownership group. The CIB also owns Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which is managed by PS&E.
Negotiations with Populous appear to be the first major steps taken by those involved in the soccer stadium effort since those meetings.
A spokesperson for Populous in an email to IBJ deferred questions on its involvement to the CIB.
Three sources, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said Populous was among four finalist firms. A spokesperson for CIB told IBJ on Wednesday that the board wasn’t negotiating with any other firms.
Populous already has experience working with both the board and with PS&E on projects near the proposed stadium site, which is just a tee shot east of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The stadium is expected to have at least 20,000 seats, but no details about its prospective design have been shared publicly.
Populous was the lead on the $400 million renovation of Gainbridge Fieldhouse that concluded in late 2023, and it’s the designer of the Indiana Fever’s practice and training facility under construction on the western portion of the former Marion County Jail I site on the northeast corner of Maryland and Delaware streets. That project will include a CIB-funded walkway connecting it to the CIB-owned Virginia Avenue parking garage.
Populous has also designed MLS stadiums such as TQL Stadium in Cincinnati; Allianz Field in St. Paul Minnesota; GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee; and Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. It has also been involved in international soccer stadium projects like Wembley Stadium, Emirates Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the United Kingdom and New Inter Milan Stadium in Italy.
Questions still linger about whether Major League Soccer will find a home in Indianapolis.
The Hogsett administration is still awaiting consideration of its request for funding through a new professional sports development area by the State Budget Committee, a bipartisan panel of five lawmakers who consider budget requests.
That committee is required by law to meet within 45 days of the Indiana General Assembly’s session concluding. This year’s session finished on April 25. City officials are anticipating the tax district request will be among the items taken up during the first meeting.
A spokesperson for the Indiana Finance Authority, which has been reviewing the city’s plan for the taxing district and will make a recommendation to the committee, said the entity has not completed its own analysis or submitted findings.
A city spokesperson did not return a call requesting comment Tuesday.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
And yet, my neighborhood and the surrounding main thoroughfares are riddled with potholes.
Unfortunately, the money that the CIB takes in can’t be touched by the City.
That’s a totally different argument funded totally different as well….
The city has two major issues other than the awarding of a franchise, which is outrageous in itself, as well as the cost of the stadium:
1) The failure to deliver on basic services such as fixing potholes and solving the recurrent violence in Indianapolis;
2) The CIB is going to have to confront, in the next five to ten years, the cost to refurbish and enhance LOS or risk losing the Colts and the Final Fours…not to mention the opportunities for other conventions…and this cost could approach $1billion!
That’s a whole different deal Kevin. Talk to your state lawmakers about Indiana’s backwards per-mile road funding formula.
It would appear to me that the danger of the Colts moving somewhere else is rather low for the next few years. I mean, who wants a loser franchise like them?
It took having a generational talent like Peyton Manning to build Lucas Oil Stadium. Based on how the Colts are running things these days, the risk of that repeating appears astonishingly low.
They have enough money for DEI Departments but not enough money to fix the roads. Thank your local Democrat.
Indianapolis is not unique in having violence. Nor it unique in having potholes. But the city is unique for having a state legislature readily willing to enact measures not in the interest of the city but reflecting partisan vitriol because voters dared make decisions most do not like.
Furthermore, Indianapolis is hardly a rich city. Potholes seems to grab the attention of many but greater issues such as long-term revenue, sustainable income for working residents, quality education to attract and benefit families and children, and affordable housing in safe neighborhoods ( I concur, crime is an issue in Indy and everywhere).
Without jobs and industries in the city that allow for decent wages for taxpayer and a broad-based revenue stream to support urban infrastructure — streets, parks, lighting, sidewalks, trash and policing — options are limited. Yes, Indianapolis hosts great conventions, but a hospitality industry does not translate into great long-term reliable wages for most.
Perhaps a major university will help. So,, we anxiously await Purdue and Indiana university programs. No major university and insufficient well paying jobs do not make Indy attractive to many higher education graduates. And for those who are civic-minded, the regressive Indiana legislature and its inane and unproductive micro-managing send many to Columbus, Nashville, Chicago, and beyond.
Before this gets overrun by people complaining about the roads…that is entirely a state issue with how road funding works. Go drive out to a rural road outside of indy and you’ll see basically a brand new road. Regardless, I hope this gets funded and the stadium can be built.
The city kicks in hundreds of millions of dollars out of its budget for roads, as I believe they only get around $40-$50 million from the state. The reward for doing that in the latest budget was a bill that told them to find $50 million more before the state of Indiana would match. Oh, and they’re not allowed to use the money to rebuild roads with less lanes, even if traffic studies show that (say) there is no need for a road that had three lanes 60 years ago to stay that way.
You can thank Aaron Freeman for that.
They have enough money for DEI Departments but not enough money to fix the roads?
Indianapolis residents get (I believe) 13 cents of every gas tax dollar back from the state … and you think the issue is DEI overspending?
Go run the numbers and find out what’s spent on DEI in Indianapolis and tell us how many feet of road that would pave.
The issue is that people in parts of Indiana where no one lives are taking money from the places where people want to live. It’s state sanctioned welfare.
Why Joe…that sounds an awful lot like Rural Republican MAGA=Socialism for the boonies (and people in the cities and suburbs can just make do).
Meanwhile, INDOT continues to waste money making intersections along US31 and IN135 in Johnson County wider and wider with more unneeded turn lanes (and without sidewalks on 135).
INDOT clearly has too much money given what they’ve chosen to spend it on, on the south side of Indianapolis.
Getting back on topic; I just don’t like this location for a stadium.
As opposed to where?
That whole corner of downtown is a dead zone. Activating that area will be a net positive to downtown.
Because it’s next to an existing parking garage that’s likely not being used on game nights and near the transit center? It’s much better than the graveyard site on the other end of downtown.
All this for a third rate league.
You’re always funny Murray! Keep it up.
Populous has done, and should do, a good job at design for this stadium. I can only hope the CIB is willing to pay for the top shelf design and not just the lower bar brand shelf.
This will front not only Washington Street, but the Old US 40, the Original National Road. This is an important street frontage project in the heart of downtown Indy.
If Populous is worth their weight, we expect an integrated urban edge along the National Road frontage that integrates and reestablishes an interactive human scale urban space.
Wow. A constructive comment. Didn’t know those existed here!
Why is it my first thought is that it will be brick and look like a barn with a retro feel. LOL
The CIB isn’t paying Kevin P. Indianapolis and surrounding county residents foot the expenses the CIB incurs through the never ending restaurant tax. Only a matter of time before the CIB starts complaining and whining they need to increase the tax…….especially when it comes time to renovate Lucas as one writer has already stated. Yes, that day will be coming as soon as Jimmy I comes out of his stupor and goes crying to the CIB for more stadium niceties. And what’s with the love affair with Populous???? There is plenty of knowledgeable and excellent architectural talent in the city from whom to select. Of course, other local forms will be selected to do some pittance design work but don’t get to claim Project Architect for the design……that’s reserved for mighty Populous. The design solution will be unique and it does not take an out-of-state firm to do the stadium design. I’m sure the Construction Manager will be a local company. Of course all the decisions to be made will be made by Herb Simon. So, the CIB should quit wasting everyone’s time pretending the process and negotiation with Populous is so above board and transparent. It’s all a done deal and the costs will be huge. What’s huge you ask, knowing the construction costs as I do, be thinking $500,000,000 plus a sizable design and construction contingency. I imagine preliminary design has likely been determined and foundation work may well be getting underway before end of this year. Gotta go, go, go before inflation on construction costs start to blow the budget!!!!!!!