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Athlete’s Business Network, a company that wants to build a massive sports-medicine center at the Indianapolis International Airport, has quietly deleted the name of the president of its substance-abuse unit from its website.
The move happened after IBJ reported Saturday that the official, Scott Gorman, did not hold a state license in addiction recovery or a college degree. The article also raised questions about his claim to be a “board certified interventionist and recovery coach.”
It’s the latest twist for the start-up real estate developer that wants to build a $500 million medical center on unused land at the airport. The ambitious plans call for building four medical office buildings, a research center for brain injuries, two hotels, a 20,000-seat indoor stadium, practice fields, a fan zone, an obstacle course, sports entertainment and retail, and an armed forces center.
The company, formed in 2009, has not built any projects, but touts its management team and its partnership with outside developers as reasons it could make the project succeed.
Now, the company seems to be backing away from one of its officials, at least on its website. In recent weeks, Gorman had been listed as one of three members of the “ABN Health Leadership” team. On Sunday, his name was gone from the website.
The company, through a spokeswoman, said Gorman’s name was removed “to protect the confidentiality of his clients and the sensitive nature of his practice.”
Gorman’s biography, before it was removed, said he had specialized in the addiction-recovery treatment of “high profile clientele including entertainers, high profile athletes and business leaders.”
But no clients’ names were listed, and the company had declined under questioning from IBJ to back up the claim.
An ABN spokeswoman said Gorman is still a member of the company’s health leadership team and the company still plans for his business to be located at the proposed medical center.
In a project press kit, Gorman is identified as president of Quiet Walk LLC, but no further information was given about the company. The business was registered with the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office in 2011. The business address is a three-bedroom house in Zionsville.
Gorman did not immediately return a call Tuesday left at a number listed on Quiet Walk’s website. The website featured clip art of a child walking down a path, and quote by Gandhi, and described the company as a “sobriety consulting” firm. No other information was given, and the website was under construction.
In a Dec. 18 letter to ABN, Gorman said he would rename his business “ABN Intervention and Recovery” and locate it at the medical center.
“I have seen how our visions converge and become symbiotic,” he wrote.
The ABN press kit said Gorman was a Certified Intervention Professional, a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and a Medication Assisted Treatment Specialist.
But Gorman is not licensed by any of Indiana’s professional licensing boards, including the Behavioral Health Board and the Psychology Board, and does not have an Indiana license in addictions recovery. He previously worked as an executive assistant in the front office of the Indianapolis Colts.
The press kit also described Gorman as a consultant for the NFL Players Association. That organization did not return several calls to explain Gorman’s work.
ABN will appear before the Indianapolis Airport Authority board on March 18, and the board is scheduled to vote on a motion to sign a non-binding letter of intent with the company. If the two sides sign such a letter, that would allow the company to start lining up financial commitments, and would allow the airport to begin due diligence on the project.
ABN also plans to hold a public meeting on March 15, three days before the vote, to explain its proposal and answer questions. The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center, 2805 S. Lynhurst Drive in Wayne Township, just east of the airport.
The project would be built in two phases. The first phase, costing between $150 million and $200 million, would include the medical office buildings, research center, a hotel, restaurant and retail. The second phase, costing between $300 million and $350 million, would include the stadium, practice fields, recruiting center, a second hotel and conference center, and a “fan center” with retail and a food zone.
The company also has said it is trying to lure an “existing or expansion” Major League Soccer team to Indianapolis.
The company declined to identify any investors, but said the project will be financed with a mix of debt and equity.
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