The city of Indianapolis has received approval to take ownership of the downtown heliport, a key step for a future redevelopment plan that could include a future soccer stadium.
The Indianapolis Airport Authority Board unanimously voted Oct. 17 to let the city purchase the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport at 51 S. New Jersey St. for $10.8 million, capping off the city’s yearslong effort to take control of the key downtown site.
The IAA first requested the heliport be closed four years ago due to mounting costs and declining demand. In December, the FAA agreed to take the heliport out of commission, citing the closure as “a net benefit to civil aviation.”
In a statement Oct. 17 welcoming the sale, Mayor Joe Hogsett did not explicitly state what the city will do with the land in the near future. However, the site has been at the heart of a Major League Soccer expansion campaign launched in spring 2024 to make Indianapolis home to an MLS club.
When the Federal Aviation Administration approved the heliport’s closure in December, the city had exclusive buying rights under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2021.
It’s unclear when development at the site would begin, as details are still scant about a timeline for an MLS bid. The mayor’s office has pledged to not build a soccer stadium until MLS confirms Indianapolis will have a soccer club, which so far, has not publicly happened. A club would also likely need to finance a stadium with state support that could come through a special taxing district.
The State Budget Committee, which must approve the special tax district, has not taken up the stadium’s financing plan for more than a year now. In June, Gov. Mike Braun said conversations around financially supporting the city’s MLS bid through the tax district had been tabled after discussions over economic projections at the time.
“We looked at everything, including the individuals that might be interested in doing it ― it was just something that didn’t pencil out financially,” Gov. Mike Braun told IndyStar, referring to the conversations that have taken place so far this year. “It doesn’t mean the discussion is over.”
However, the Capital Improvement Board, the entity tasked with building Indy’s professional sports facilities, is moving forward in case the city’s soccer dreams become a reality.
The CIB put out a request for contractors this summer and hopes to nail down a price tag for the project in early 2026. Recently, the CIB hosted a series of focus groups asking what downtown residents and business owners would want to see in a potential stadium.
For now, Hogsett said the former heliport is an important acquisition as the city plans the future of downtown, although his statement did not mention MLS or soccer.
“The acquisition of this property is a significant step forward in Downtown Indy’s continued renaissance,” Hogsett said in a statement. “My thanks to the IAA board and staff members who have been working with the City for the last 5 years to decommission the heliport and unlock new redevelopment potential in our downtown core.”
Alysa Guffey writes business, health and development stories for IndyStar. Have a story tip? Contact her at amguffey@gannett.com or on X: @AlysaGuffeyNews.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Airport approves city’s purchase of downtown heliport at center of MLS talks
Reporting by Alysa Guffey, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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