Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir has stated that his company is ready to begin building on their Kentucky Avenue site in Indianapolis, with construction potentially starting next month. This comes as a deadline for a competing soccer stadium site looms before the City-County Council.
Ozdemir believes that his site is the fastest way to secure a Major League Soccer franchise for Indianapolis due to its readiness for construction. The proposed stadium would be part of a Professional Sports Development Area, capturing new tax revenues to help pay off the city’s debt.
However, Deputy Mayor Dan Parker has raised concerns about the financial risk of this proposal, pointing out that the Heliport site would offer a more diverse base of new development to support the city’s construction bonds. The City Council committee approved Mayor Hogsett’s plan for the Heliport site this week.
Ozdemir has emphasized that his investor team is prepared to move forward, unlike the city’s plan, and is committed to bringing MLS to Indianapolis. He has also pushed back against concerns over burial sites at the Kentucky Avenue location, stating that everything has been done properly.
Mayor Hogsett has indicated that the Heliport PSDA plan will be the only designation sent to the State House Budget Committee, putting pressure on the City-County Council to approve this proposal. The council must decide whether to move forward with the Mayor’s plan or consider other options such as Ozdemir’s site.
Overall, the race for an MLS franchise in Indianapolis is heating up as the two competing stadium site proposals are considered by city officials.
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