Indianapolis, IN
City-County Council approves mayor’s plan for new soccer stadium district – Inside INdiana Business
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The City-County Council on Monday evening approved a major piece of the Hogsett administration’s plan to lure a Major League Soccer team to Indianapolis, advancing a proposal for a new taxing district intended to fund a soccer-first stadium.
The taxing district, known as a professional sports development area, was approved by a 16-8 vote by the council, with one councilor abstaining. The approval was a necessary step in Mayor Joe Hogsett’s effort to bring a top-tier professional soccer team to the city.
While the council approved a different PSDA in December, only one can be considered by the State Budget Committee. The newer map is centered on the Downtown Heliport area and would draw certain state and local taxes from downtown landmarks such as Circle Centre Mall, the former Anthem headquarters on Monument Circle, the City Market campus and Jail I.
The first PSDA plan, which the council approved in December, supported Indianapolis-based developer Keystone Group’s proposed $1.5 billion mixed-use project, called Eleven Park, anchored by a 20,000-seat soccer stadium for the Indy Eleven. Both Keystone Group and Indy Eleven are owned by Ersal Ozdemir.
However, only one of the taxing districts can be considered by the State Budget Committee for approval. Hogsett administration officials have already stated that Eleven Park stadium site and district, which is on a historical burial ground, will not be submitted for state consideration.
Monday’s decision marked the first time in recent years in which council Democrats were divided on a proposal backed by the Democrat-led mayoral administration.
Councilor Kristin Jones, a Democrat representing a large portion of downtown—including both PSDA sites—bucked the tradition of councilors sponsoring measures within their district. Ahead of the vote Monday, she asked fellow councilors to vote against the measure, arguing that constituents want the development and stadium for Indy Eleven from Keystone Group.
Fellow Democrat Jesse Brown also voted ‘no.’ He said the currently undisclosed ownership group and closed-door meetings combined with constituent feedback led him to that decision. Republican Michael-Paul Hart joined Brown in voting ‘no’ for similar reasons, listing beforehand the “knowns and unknowns” of the MLS push.
Republicans Derek Cahill, Michael Dilk, Brian Mowery, Paul Annee and Democrat Maggie Lewis joined in voting against the measure.
Republican Josh Bain was the lone Republican council member to vote in favor of the proposal.
Democratic Councilor Dan Boots, who represents portions of the north side, said “professional soccer dies here in Indianapolis” if the measure did not move forward. Boots also noted his previous support for Indy Eleven.
“There’s no guarantee the MLS will come to Indianapolis if we pass Proposal 175 this evening,” Boots said. “But there is a guarantee that if we don’t pass [the proposal] tonight, MLS will not be coming to Indianapolis for years to come, if ever.”
Democrats John Barth, Ali Brown, Crista Carlino, Brienne Delaney, Jared Evans, Ron Gibson, Keith Graves, Frank Mascari, Jessica McCormick, Andy Nielsen, Vop Osili, Carlos Perkins and Nick Roberts voted in favor of the district. Leroy Robinson abstained.
Hogsett administration officials have said a final vote from the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission will take place June 26, just days ahead of a July 1 deadline to utilize the state legislative framework that permits the taxing structure.
Even though just one Republican voted for the measure, Hogsett called support for the measure “bipartisan.”
“Tonight, a bipartisan vote of the City-County Council sent a resounding message: Indianapolis is ready to write the next chapter in our sports story,” the mayor said in a written statement. “Over the coming months, our community will unite in pursuit of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a Major League Soccer expansion club for our city. I’m grateful to the City-County Council for supporting the vision to solidify Indianapolis as America’s greatest sports city, and extend my thanks to the residents who continue to passionately participate in this process.”
At last Tuesday’s three-hour committee meeting of the council’s Rules and Public Policy Committee, members narrowly—and largely unenthusiastically—advanced the proposal by a 6-4 vote with one abstention before a packed room of Indy Eleven supporters.
It will be up to the investor group, which is undisclosed so far, to submit an application for an expansion club to Major League Soccer. That investor group is being created by Charlotte-based soccer executive Tom Glick.
Glick has previously flown in to meet with councilors on the topic, while also meeting with others including Ozdemir, state lawmakers and the leader of the Brickyard Battalion, the independent support group for Indy Eleven.
“Tonight’s vote is the unfortunate result of a false choice presented by city leaders, with a majority seemingly motivated more by fear than hope,” Ozdemir said in a written response. “That isn’t the way Indianapolis has succeeded in the past, and I fear that the tactics used in pursuit of a legislative win at City-County Council may result in huge losses for the future of downtown development and professional soccer in Indiana.
“I love Indianapolis, and tonight’s decision does not diminish that feeling or my passion for Eleven Park. That is why I believe there is still an opportunity for the kind of collaboration that has always characterized our city at its best. As I have repeatedly said in recent months, Indy Eleven’s investors and I remain ready and willing to meet with Mayor Hogsett to discuss a productive way forward as one city. It would be our hope that like so many mayors before, he will see the benefit in bringing all parties together rather than continuing to forge this path alone.”
Like Lucas Oil Stadium, Victory Field and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a Major League Soccer stadium would be constructed with public funds and owned by the CIB’s building authority. However, the administration has emphasized that it would not be built until Major League Soccer officially awards the ownership group an expansion club. The council will also have extensive oversight on the stadium development process, including the issuance of debt to pay for the facility and its design.
The council will also have oversight for any purchase of land by the city that might be used for the project. The Department of Metropolitan Development has a memorandum of understanding with the Indianapolis Airport Authority that creates a path for the city to acquire the heliport property, at fair market value.
Multiple property owners within the site proposed for a Major League Soccer stadium said they have started receiving inquiries about purchasing their land.
Aliya Wishner, spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office, has confirmed those inquiries are at least partially coming from “city entities.” She declined to name the parties involved, citing a need to protect future negotiations by keeping the inquiries confidential.
The Capital Improvement Board of Marion County would have oversight for any land that the agency might seek to acquire for the project.
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Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis councilman says ‘No Data Centers’ note was left at his home after someone opened fire
The home of a councilman in Indianapolis was shot at early Monday in what local police said was an “isolated, targeted incident.”
The incident came less than a week after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission voted 6 to 2 on April 1 to approve rezoning to allow the construction of a data center.
Ron Gibson, a Democrat who represents District 8 on the council, spoke out in support of the rezoning and the efforts to build the data center in his district.
“Earlier this morning, between approximately 12:45 a.m. and 12:50 a.m., just a few hours after Easter Sunday, an individual fired 13 rounds at the front door of my home and left a note on my doorstep that read, ‘No Data Centers,’” Gibson said in a Monday statement.
Councilman Ron Gibson
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it was called to the home on Monday morning, and officers found evidence that gunshots had been fired at the house. Police said no injuries were reported.
“I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk,” Gibson said in his statement.
The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
The data center is set to be built by Metrobloks, a data center developer based in Los Angeles. Following the vote last week, Gibson shared a statement on social media promoting the project.
“Metrobloks has the potential to bring significant investment, create jobs, and generate long-term tax revenue that supports infrastructure, housing, and essential services,” the statement said.
A data center boom is happening across the US, with companies pouring billions into building the infrastructure to keep up with demand in the era of AI. The data centers have faced increased opposition, with critics pointing to the high resource costs, from water to energy, and other issues like noise pollution, as detailed in a Business Insider investigation.
Indianapolis, IN
Recorder Rewind: NCAA Division III basketball championship (Photos)
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis City-County Councilor says IMPD officer shoved him during protest
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis City-County Councilor says he was shoved by a police officer during a protest Saturday night.
In a post on Facebook, Jesse Brown — who represents council district 13 — indicated that a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department approached a group of protestors and began shoving and grabbing them.
“Tonight, an IMPD officer approached a group of protestors from behind/beside them, did not identify himself or issue verbal orders, but started grabbing and shoving people and cussing at them to move (we were stuck behind other people blocking the sidewalk),” Brown wrote on Facebook.
Brown added that he asked the officer for his badge number and told him he was a City-County Councilor.
“I told the IMPD officer who was shoving people that I wanted his badge number,” Brown wrote. “He refused to give it. I told him I was a City Councilor. He said that he didn’t care WHO I was and grabbed my arm to shove me as well.”
Brown finished his post by confirming that he filed a formal incident report on his encounter with the officer. He also offered some criticism for the officer in the final sentence of his post.
“Officers have a difficult job, but if this is how he treated two white male candidates / elected officials, I do not trust him to serve the public and de-escalate tense situations.”
Jackson Franklin, who is running for Indiana’s fifth district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, was also involved in the incident. He made a Facebook post with greater detail on the incident.
Franklin said he, Brown and others were protesting near Lucas Oil Stadium ahead of Saturday’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four games. Franklin said he and other protestors were at the Final Four “to demand the NCAA stop using the same airliners that ICE uses to break apart and deport families in this racist injustice system.”
A report from The Athletic that was syndicated by Yahoo Sports indicates that at least one airliner has contracts with the NCAA to transport student-athletes to tournaments and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented immigrants.
In his post, Franklin said the officer involved in the incident “shoved/assaulted many of the protestors, including Indianapolis City-council person Jesse Brown.” Franklin added that the officer did not provide any warnings before he began shoving protestors
“I thought initially it was going to be some MAGA person just walking past that was offended by our anti-ICE chants, but I turned around and noticed that he was wearing a uniform,” Franklin wrote in his Facebook post. “It was only then he gave his commands to continue to move and he immediately went to push around many others, using his uniform as an excuse to harass those he disagreed with politically.
“There was absolutely no need for violence and the protest organizers filed a complaint, but I have no hope of any action occurring because of this complaint. While the lone officer assaulted us, there were about 10-15 other officers looking around awkwardly unsure of what to do, not protecting our first amendment right while also probably realizing the officer was way out of line and should have just asked us nicely to keep the movement on the public sidewalk going quicker rather than using violence as the first and only answer.”
FOX59/CBS4 reached out to IMPD for a statement on Brown and Franklin’s comments. As of this article’s publication, the agency had not responded to those inquiries.
Brown has been at the center of multiple city-county council disputes over the last 14 months. In February 2025, Brown — whose district encompasses portions of downtown and the near east side of Indy — said the city-county council’s democratic caucus expelled him from their ranks.
Brown also introduced a motion to remove the council’s president and vice president in July.
As of this article’s publication, no additional information on the incident Brown, Franklin and others were involved in had been made available.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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