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.
Related Stories
Steel Buildings | Feb 3, 2023
Top 10 structural steel building projects for 2023
A Mies van der Rohe-designed art and architecture school at Indiana University and Morphosis Architects' Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, Calif., are among 10 projects to win IDEAS² Awards from the American Institute of Steel Construction.
Giants 400 | Feb 2, 2023
2022 Convention Center Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. convention and conference facilities sector
Clark Group, EUA, KPFF, Populous, TVS, and Walter P Moore top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest convention and conference facilities architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Feb 1, 2023
2022 Cultural Facilities Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. cultural facilities sector
Populous, DLR Group, KPFF, Arup, and Turner Construction head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest cultural facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2022 Giants 400 Report. Building types include museums, public libraries, performing arts centers, and concert venues.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 26, 2023
Miami’s motorsport ‘country club’ to build sleek events center
Designed by renowned Italian design firm Pininfarina and with Revuelta as architect, The Event Campus at The Concours Club will be the first and only motorsport-based event campus located within minutes of a major metro area.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 24, 2023
Nashville boasts the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada
At 30,105 seats and 530,000 sf, GEODIS Park, which opened in 2022, is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada. Created by design firms Populous and HASTINGS in collaboration with the Metro Nashville Sports Authority, GEODIS Park serves as the home of the Nashville Soccer Club as well as a venue for performances and events.
Urban Planning | Jan 18, 2023
David Adjaye unveils master plan for Cleveland’s Cuyahoga Riverfront
Real estate developer Bedrock and the city of Cleveland recently unveiled a comprehensive Cuyahoga Riverfront master plan that will transform the riverfront. The 15-to-20-year vision will redevelop Tower City Center, and prioritize accessibility, equity, sustainability, and resilience.
Museums | Jan 18, 2023
Building memory: Why interpretive centers matter in an era of social change
The last few years have borne witness to some of the most rapid cultural shifts in our nation’s long history. If the experience has taught us anything, it is that we must find a way to keep our history in view, while also putting it in perspective.
Esports Arenas | Jan 16, 2023
Columbus, Ohio, to be new home for 100,000-sf esports arena
Up-and-coming esports stadium company Glytch has announced its plan to build a versatile esports arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Religious Facilities | Jan 9, 2023
Santiago Calatrava-designed St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church opens in New York
In December, New York saw the reopening of the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine—the only religious structure destroyed on 9/11. Renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava designed St. Nicholas Church to address the traditional Greek Orthodox liturgy while honoring the Church’s connection with the World Trade Center Memorial site.
Fire and Life Safety | Jan 9, 2023
Why lithium-ion batteries pose fire safety concerns for buildings
Lithium-ion batteries have become the dominant technology in phones, laptops, scooters, electric bikes, electric vehicles, and large-scale battery energy storage facilities. Here’s what you need to know about the fire safety concerns they pose for building owners and occupants.
