Indianapolis commission gives first approval for city's new MLS stadium plan

The Metropolitan Development Commission on Wednesday almost unanimously advanced a resolution to create an alternative professional sports development area for a stadium for a proposed Major League Soccer team in downtown Indianapolis.

The resolution was read into the commission's minutes and passed by a 7-1 vote as part of a package of other resolutions. Commissioner Daniel Moriarty cast the opposing vote on the new professional sports development area but voted in favor of the other items. No public discussion took place.

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The city has identified 355 E. Pearl St. as the site for the new soccer stadium. A professional sports development area is a designated geographic area that creates a special taxing district. A specific facility or venues within the area are designated for sports-related purposes, professional sports teams or other entertainment. Designated businesses within one square mile of the sports venue are included in the area and tax dollars from within the geographic area would pay for the stadium.

“We are excited to have taken the next step toward realizing Mayor (Joe) Hogsett’s vision for a Major League Soccer expansion club in Indianapolis," Aliya Wishner, communications and policy director for Hogsett's administration, said in an emailed statement. "This is just an early step in an extensive process, and we look forward to walking alongside our city’s vibrant and diverse soccer community in developing an application that we hope will secure Indianapolis as the next Major League Soccer city."

Wednesday's vote begins a new process to get a professional soccer team to the city. The resolution will go to the Indianapolis City Council next month. An identical process took place last year for a 20,000-seat stadium that would house the Indy Eleven, a minor league soccer team, at the planned Eleven Park, a mixed-use development on the former Diamond Chain Co. property on Kentucky Avenue, near the White River.

That stadium would be financed via a public-private partnership. The commission and city council approved a professional sports development area and plan for the Eleven Park site late last year.

Almost a week ago Hogsett announced that he would lead a new effort to bring an MLS team to Indianapolis, casting uncertainty on the future of the Indy Eleven and Eleven Park.

City officials said at the time that the Eleven Park professional sports development area, which has yet to be submitted to the state budget committee, would not generate enough dollars for the stadium to cover the project's funding gap.

Still, they wanted to seize on the city's momentum as a destination for sports to make a bid for an MLS expansion team. The franchise's owners would be given the option to decide whether to build a stadium on the Diamond Chain site or the alternative site, city officials say.

However, whether the Diamond Chain site would even be an option is unclear. Eleven Park is the brainchild of businessman Ersal Ozdemir, founder of the Indy Eleven and the project's developer Keystone Group. Ozdemir lobbied for the legislation that paved the way for building of a soccer stadium — the same legislation the city is using for the alternative site.

Last week, Keystone accused the city of trying to walk away from Eleven Park and shopping the legislation around.

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Dozens of people wearing T-shirts that said "Build Eleven Park" filled the chambers Wednesday as the commission voted on the new resolution. They filed into the hallway immediately after the vote where they huddled around City Councilor Kristin Jones as she spoke to media. A spokesperson for Keystone Group was present as well as some City Council members.

Jones, who represents the district where Eleven Park would be built, said she would like to see the project come to fruition, adding that the Hogsett administration should honor the existing professional sports development area.

"This is about my community. This is about my neighbors. This is about the many fans that showed up today to show this city that they want the original PSDA and allocation area, and honor the commitment that we've already passed," Jones said, reading from a statement with supporters behind her. "They want Eleven Park to be built as planned, regardless of which jerseys are worn on that field. They asked for nothing more, that they expect nothing less."

Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris.