Historians worry those buried on former cemetery will be lost in fight over property, soccer stadium
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Eleven Park overlaps part of the former "burying ground" that was Indianapolis' first public cemetery. Map: Courtesy of Indiana Historical Society
The developer of Indy Eleven's planned soccer stadium says it has found the remains of nearly 100 people buried in the former Greenlawn Cemetery.
Why it matters: The city of Indianapolis believes hundreds more remains exist on the property, which was once the city's first public cemetery and is currently slated for the mixed-use project known as Eleven Park.
- And local historians are concerned about the fate of the remains, now caught in the middle of a messy fight between the developer and the city over plans to bring Major League Soccer to town.
Driving the news: Keystone Development Group said Wednesday it has finished excavating approximately six acres of the former Diamond Chain site on the southwest side of downtown in preparation for the construction of Eleven Park.
State of play: Keystone, whose president and CEO Ersal Ozdemir is also the owner of the Indy Eleven, has been locked in a public feud with Mayor Joe Hogsett since the city announced plans last month to independently pursue an MLS team and build a stadium in a different location.
- The city believes as many as 650 sets of remains are still located on the site and has offered to buy the property from Keystone "with the intent to further inclusive community conversations about the site's appropriate development."
- In response, Keystone's chief of staff and senior vice president Jennifer Pavlik accused Hogsett of engaging in "divisive politics and bare-knuckle intimidation."
Between the lines: All of this has historians concerned that there will be burials left undiscovered on the property, and these are citizens who have already been abandoned in the former cemetery once before.
- While most of the souls buried there were moved to other cemeteries a century ago, historians have long said there are likely hundreds of bodies still there.
What they're saying: "You've got [about] 100 people who've been excavated and we don't know how many are left," said local historian Leon Bates, who is part of a group that has advocated for full excavation of the former cemetery land.
The latest: Keystone said it plans to reinter the 87 burials found on its property in Mount Jackson Cemetery, an abandoned cemetery maintained by Wayne Township.
- "Keystone Group selected Mount Jackson Cemetery due to its proximity to the former site of Diamond Chain, its historical relevance, and the opportunity to help us revitalize this historic cemetery," Jeff Harris, Wayne Townships' spokesperson, said in the statement sent by Keystone yesterday.
The other side: Bates said the group advocating for those still buried at Greenlawn was hoping to see them moved to Floral Park or Crown Hill cemeteries, where other Greenlawn remains have already been relocated.
- "They're going to bury those folks in the cheapest place they can find and walk away," he said.