New 20,000-seat soccer stadium will anchor neighborhood development in Indianapolis

A new 20,000-seat soccer stadium for United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven will be the centerpiece of a major neighborhood development in Indianapolis. The development will transform the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis by adding more than 600 apartments, 205,000 sf of office space, 197,000 sf for retail space and restaurants, parking garages, a hotel, and public plazas with green space.

The Populous-designed stadium is anticipated to be completed in 2025. On the west side, the stadium will offer a wide array of premium choices, from the field club seating on pitch level surrounding the team benches, up through the mid-line club with suites, party suites, and a terrace club above. On the south, a taproom will provide game-day club atmosphere for 700 fans with a viewing terrace for non-game day watch parties and events.

On the east, seats will be concentrated on the sideline, with the widest concourse and best concessions and restroom ratios in the league. Some 2,400 supporters can be accommodated in a steep, safe-standing section on the north end of the stadium. The design wraps the exterior of the stadium in a dynamic, color-changing façade that reflects the forward-looking nature of the development.

Eleven Park’s amenities will include a large public plaza and green spaces with features such as an outdoor stage with free concerts, kids play zone, outdoor activities, water features, dog park, and public art. The public plaza will offer access to many community events, farmer’s markets, and other activities year-round. Other highlights will include an indoor 4,000-seat music and entertainment venue; rooftop bars; river front activation; and walkability and connectivity to The Cultural Trail and all of downtown.

“Eleven Park will not only change the skyline of Indianapolis, but will add over a thousand jobs, have a huge economic impact, create quality of life benefits and attract talent and opportunities to our city and state,” said Ersal Ozdemir, chairman and founder of Keystone Group and Indy Eleven. “Our goal for Eleven Park is to continue the city’s tradition of using sports as a business driver for Indiana by increasing Indianapolis’ profile as a global city and showcasing the world’s most popular sport.”

On the building team:
Master Planner of Eleven Park Transformational Development: Keystone Group
Stadium Owner: Capital Improvement Board
Stadium Operator: Indy Eleven
Design architect: Populous
Architect of record: Browning Day
MEP engineer: Henderson Engineers
Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
General contractor/construction manager: AECOM Hunt

Soccer stadium will anchor a new  live, work, and play village in downtown Indianapolis

Here is the official announcement from Indy Eleven and Keystone Group: 
Indy Eleven & Keystone Group today unveiled renderings and announced May 2023 groundbreaking plans for Eleven Park, the transformational neighborhood development set to change the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis.

Diamond Chain, the former company on the property, has recently ceased production at the facility and will vacate the property by the end of April.  Rezoning to accommodate the project was filed on Thursday, and groundbreaking on Eleven Park for site work is scheduled to begin in May.

Anchored by a 20,000-seat multipurpose stadium that will be the new permanent home of Indy Eleven, the development will also include over 600 apartments; 205,000 square feet of office space; over 197,000 square feet for retail space and restaurants; a hotel; public plazas with green space; and public parking garages. 

“The vision of this transformational development into a live, work, and play village is becoming reality. Eleven Park will not only change the skyline of Indianapolis, but will add over a thousand jobs, have a huge economic impact, create quality of life benefits and attract talent and opportunities to our city and state,” said Ersal Ozdemir, Chairman and Founder of Keystone Group & Indy Eleven. “We’ve been investing in downtown for over 20 years and believe it is important now more than ever. Our goal for Eleven Park is to continue the city’s tradition of using sports as a business driver for Indiana by increasing Indianapolis’ profile as a global city and showcasing the world’s most popular sport.”

Eleven Park will introduce several amazing amenities including a large public plaza and green spaces with features such as an outdoor stage with free concerts, kids play zone, outdoor activities, water features, dog park, and public art to name a few.  The public plaza will offer access to many community events, farmer’s markets, and more – activating the village year-round. 

Other highlights to the development will include an indoor 4,000-seat music and entertainment venue utilizing a national operator similar to other successful concepts around the country; rooftop bars; river front activation; and walkability and connectivity to The Cultural Trail and all of downtown.

The development will create a village and provide a great experience to those working at or attending events from the new Elanco Headquarters campus, Eli Lilly Global Headquarters, White River State Park, Lucas Oil Stadium, Victory Field, and the Indiana Convention Center.

This development will help support and activate the White River Vision Plan, with many improvements along the river including trails and gathering areas; overall the village will offer unique opportunities while complimenting other neighborhoods in downtown Indianapolis.

Since announcing the site in June 2022, diligent work has been made on the conceptual and overall development designs with the project’s national lead designer Populous, a lead designer in state-of-the-art soccer and multipurpose stadiums.

“A world-class stadium is designed as a true destination, a reflection of its community, and a catalyst for growth in the area. This is our mission with the new stadium for Indy Eleven,” said Phil Kolbo, a principal at global design firm Populous. “The stadium will anchor Eleven Park, providing a home for Indy Eleven that creates new and tailored experiences for Indianapolis fans in a venue designed with the innovation and aspirations of a great global soccer venue.”

AECOM Hunt will be the Construction Manager for the stadium.  Founded in Indianapolis in 1944, AECOM Hunt is the #1 Sports builder in the country as rated by ENR and has constructed numerous sports venues both in Indiana and across the country including Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, SoFi Stadium, Little Caesars Arena, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Indy Eleven fans can expect to enjoy games in the new stadium by summer of 2025. The comprehensive planning process is well underway, and Indy Eleven will continue to meet with fans, supporters, stakeholders, and the overall community regarding optimal fan experience elements to be included in the final design. 

For more information on this transformative neighborhood project, follow the @ElevenParkIndy and @IndyEleven channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and visit elevenpark.com.

About Indy Eleven Professional Soccer 
Since its launch in 2013, Indy Eleven’s dedication to its club and community has been driven by empowering a culture of excellence through its players and staff, staying true to its aim of fielding teams that represent the State of Indiana proudly on and off the field. The 2023 season will be the 10th year playing men’s professional soccer and the team is currently playing in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship, a 24-team professional soccer league based across the United States. In May 2022, Indy Eleven’s franchise in the USL W League began play in the new women’s league and captured the Great Lakes Division title. Indy Eleven launched a youth development program that has grown to over 15,000 children via affiliated youth clubs across Indiana. They also have led the way In USL Academy youth play, led by its Boys U-19 Squad that won the inaugural 2021 USL Academy League national championship and the 2022 USL Academy Cup. Learn more at indyeleven.com

About Keystone Group
Keystone Group is one of the largest privately owned development, management, construction, and investments company in Indiana with its headquarters in downtown Indianapolis.  Keystone specializes and invests in transformational mixed-use developments and has successfully completed many projects over the last 20 years. Keystone has a passion for positively impacting communities and believes it is critical to invest not only time but financial resources to choose causes and select projects that enhance communities. Learn more at keystone-corp.com.