City-County Council passes Hogsett's soccer stadium plan
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Mayor Joe Hogsett won over the majority of city-county councilors to move forward with his vision for a soccer stadium on the southeast side of downtown.
Why it matters: Hogsett issued an ultimatum — either pass his plan to lure Major League Soccer to town by publicly funding a stadium near the downtown heliport or don't build a soccer stadium at all.
Driving the news: The City-County Council approved a new special taxing district to help fund the stadium project 16-8-1 Monday night.
Catch up quick: The council approved the first professional sports development area last year — on the southwest side of downtown — in coordination with the Indy Eleven stadium project known as Eleven Park.
- Since then, concerns mounted about the financial viability of the project and what may amount to hundreds of human remains left on the site, which was the city's first public cemetery more than 100 years ago.
- Still, the project's developer and Indy Eleven supporters have called on the city to maintain what they've called a "commitment" to build Eleven Park.
Last week, Hogsett's chief of staff Dan Parker told a council committee that the mayor would not take the Eleven Park site to the state budget committee for final approval of the professional sports development area — regardless of the vote on the alternate location.
Between the lines: This left councilors to decide between pursuing MLS without the Indy Eleven or not pursuing an MLS team at all.
- "There's no guarantee that MLS will come to Indianapolis if we pass [the proposal] tonight," said councilor Dan Boots, who voted in favor of Hogsett's plan, "but there is the guarantee that if we don't pass [the proposal] tonight that the MLS will not be coming in the years to come — if ever."
- Boots said MLS would not touch the Diamond Chain site "with a 10-foot pole" because of the controversy surrounding the former cemetery.
The intrigue: Hogsett's plan split council caucuses.
- Democrats Kristin Jones, who represents the district where both proposed stadiums would be located, Jesse Brown and Maggie Lewis voted against the plan.
- Democrat Leroy Robinson abstained.
- Republican Josh Bain was the only member of his caucus to vote in favor of it.
What they're saying: "The people who elected me did so to represent them," Jones said. "At no time did my constituents ask me to put aside the oath that I swore to and simply be a rubber stamp of approval for any administration."
What's next: The district goes before the city's Metropolitan Development Commission on June 26 for a final vote before heading to the state budget committee for sign-off.