The money is not there yet.
It appears Indiana state lawmakers won’t be able to allocate money to build a stadium in Indianapolis for a Major League Soccer franchise. The state might be facing a deficit of around $2 billion dollars because of various factors including tariffs and the trade war that was ushered in earlier this year. Without state funding, which could come from a special stadium district that allows all sales tax collected in the area to be kicked back to developers, Indianapolis politicians cannot proceed with building a stadium.
“I think MLS wants to come to Indianapolis,” Mayor Joe Hogsett told WTHR television news. “But the commissioner (Don Garber) reminds me every time we talk, he says, ‘You know, Mayor, you have to have a stadium in order to have us come build.” Despite the setback, Hogsett said, “the future is bright” in getting an MLS franchise to open up business in Indianapolis. On June 3rd, 2024, the Indianapolis City-County Council approved a new special taxing district to help fund an MLS stadium project and by doing so withdrew funding for the second tier United Soccer League’s Indy 11’s franchise ownership to build a soccer stadium in town. Indianapolis officials did an about face on the Indy 11 proposal. Indianapolis politicians expressed concern about the financial viability of the project and then there was the discovery of hundreds of human remains on the site. In late June, 2024, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission gave final approval for a new, potential Major League Soccer stadium. Then the project went dormant. Earlier this year, the bid was on again as Indiana Governor Mike Braun threw his support behind the effort to get Indianapolis an MLS expansion franchise. Meanwhile, the Indy 11 ownership is still hopeful of building a stadium.
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