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Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said Tuesday he met with Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber this week to discuss the ongoing push by Indianapolis to secure a team.
Garber arrived in Indianapolis Monday to meet with local and state officials as well as business leaders, to discuss the city’s ongoing maneuver to put forth a bid—either for an expansion franchise or to procure an existing team. He met with the governor on Monday.
Speaking during a news conference Tuesday, Braun told reporters he believes the state would “regret it” if it didn’t get behind the effort.
“They’re starting to fill up, in terms of league capacity,” Braun said of MLS. “I think we ought to figure out how to accommodate it, because we’re a great sports town. It’s the very early part of the conversation [and] it’ll take a huge investment on the part of a local enterprise or entrepreneur. I know when you need to stick your neck out for something that we surely would want to be a part of.”
A source familiar with Garber’s visit said the meetings were largely intended to secure further support for a future team in Indianapolis, while also reassuring state leaders of the league’s genuine interest in bringing the city into its cadre of clubs.
“I think we’d regret it if we didn’t find a way to bring MLS (to Indianapolis),” Braun said.
Garber also attended an Indiana Pacers game Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at the invitation of Mayor Joe Hogsett, who first announced the city would go after MLS last April.
They were joined in the city’s suite by several other local leaders, including Indiana Sports Corp. President Patrick Talty; Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy; Capital Improvement Board Executive Director Andy Mallon; and City-County Council President Vop Osili. U.S. Sen. Todd Young was also in attendance, as was Indiana University soccer coach Todd Yeagley.
IBJ reported late Monday that the effort now formally includes the involvement of the Herb Simon family and Pacers Sports & Entertainment. Several officials associated with PS&E, including CEO Mel Raines, former CEO Rick Fuson and Phil Bayt, an attorney representing the Simon family, were also among those in the suite.
The Hogsett administration has already cleared local legislative hurdles related to a funding mechanism for the development of a soccer-first stadium, centered on an assemblage of parcels including the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport and multiple parking lots south of East Washington Street.
Last summer, Indianapolis City-County Council approved the creation of a professional sports development area, also known as a PSDA, for the area, which is generally bounded by Alabama Street to the west, Washington Street to the north, East Street to the east and the CSX railroad tracks to the south.
The city also has begun claiming land at its proposed site.
Because the district would use state taxes, it requires further approval from the Legislature-led State Budget Committee. The committee has yet to consider the district for approval.
Early design work is underway by city officials and the Capital Improvement Board, which would own the facility, to determine anticipated costs for such a project.
IBJ reporter Cate Charron contributed to this story.
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Chuck Surack didn’t get an invite? Sad bears.
let’s get this team!!
Nice to see Braun following Hogsetts lead.
I was glad to see that our next mayor, Vop Osili, was part of the group meeting with the MLS Commissioner.
If Ersal Ozdemir and Surack had been allowed to pursue the team it probably would be done by now. Leave it to city to screw it up.
You do know that MLS told Ozdemir already that he had zero chance of getting an MLS team?