Thursday, December 11, 2014

Indy Eleven Stadium

I've been working on the background of this post for far longer than I care to admit.  Hopefully, I'm able to translate the work that I've done into a coherent post.

The Indy Eleven want a soccer-specific stadium. Carroll Stadium has been serviceable this season, and will continue to need to be serviceable for the foreseeable future, but it's not an ideal solution for a professional team in today's modern sports world.  For all the effort that the team has done to get the stadium to accommodate 10,000+ people game after game, it's not where they or the fans want it to be.  While a temporary necessity, a string of Port-o-Potties on both ends of the stadium, concessions run out of converted cargo containers, and a series of hastily constructed suites on one side of the stadium are not what viewers have come to expect from modern stadiums.  DePauw University's Reavis Stadium and Butler's Butler Bowl are two great soccer facilities (though I still object to the artificial turf in both...), but obviously on a much smaller scale than is required by the Indy Eleven.

Let me make something clear.  I think the Indy Eleven have a much better chance of succeeding where past iterations of professional soccer in Indianapolis has failed.  The conditions have finally found the right mix of demand and product.  However, talk of moving up a division to MLS is premature at this point.  10,000+ people per game in the inaugural season is one thing, but to sustain and build upon that will be telling.  I have yet to hear numbers for season ticket renewals/purchases for Season 2.  My hope is that demand remains high, but I want the team to take a weighted approach to a new stadium.  I agree with them that a stadium is necessary and a soccer-specific stadium would be ideal, but I think it should be done the way that San Antonio has gone about building Toyota Field in phases.  Start reasonable and as demand increases, increase the size of the stadium. Which I'll discuss again later.

The Indy Eleven want a soccer-specific stadium.  That's not been a secret.  Ersal Ozdemir, Peter Wilt, and the team asked people to write the state legislature about getting the ball rolling on a stadium before the team had ever had the ball rolling in an actual game that mattered.  While that effort ultimately failed for this past year, the plan is to continue that discussion for a multi-purpose stadium.  During Peter's Reddit recent AMA, he was asked about a soccer-specific stadium and this was the exchange:
[–]nickp91 8 points  
Soccer specific stadium in Indianapolis by 2020
[–]Indy ElevenIndyEleven 10 points  
Sure....sounds good to me....at the moment i'm cautiously optimistic to have it built by 2017/18.
[–]GenWRX 3 points  
What do you see as the major factor in preventing the stadium from moving forward?
[–]Indy ElevenIndyEleven 9 points  
Educating General Assembly and public.
[–]Indy ElevenTheChosenJuan99 3 points  
Is there a design already in place for the SSS? If so, what existing stadium across the world would it be best compared to?
[–]Indy ElevenIndyEleven 5 points  
So that means Peter's expecting at least 3 full seasons in Carroll Stadium and possibly a fourth, but realizes that it could be more.  Nick isn't optimistic it would happen until 2020.  Assuming that the team hasn't already hired an architect to start preliminary ideas for a stadium (which could be a wrong assumption), that could take a year to design after the idea gets approved.  Another 1.5 - 2 years to build and I would say Peter's cautiously optimistic dates are probably best case.  Peter also references the Estadio Municipal Braga in that exchange.  I'll get to that in a bit.

There are a myriad of questions that go into a soccer-specific stadium.  Where do you put it, how big do you make it, expandable, parking, amenities, additional practice fields, etc.  From everything that I have heard, the team wants it in downtown Indianapolis.  I have a feeling that a stadium could be built in Grand Park in Westfield, but that isn't the ideal location from what has been said to date.  Ersal made a bid for the old GM Stamping Plant on the southwest corner of downtown and you can see why.
Conservatively, that's 100 acres of open space for a stadium, parking, and multi-use "extras."  Close access to I-70, Washington Street, and downtown (that's Victory Field in the upper right hand corner of the photo).  Which is probably why "The long-defunct 1930s-era General Motors Stamping plant will spring to life next year. Dave Lucas, Indianapolis' old-school rock concert promoter (Deer Creek was his baby), plans to break ground in the first half of 2015 on a $40 million concert venue he will call The Stamp. Shows could begin as early as 2016." (source, 2nd article)

The Stamp drastically affects the Indy Eleven's sale of a multi-purpose facility and it's a shame the two investors can't or won't see the symbiotic relationship that could be had between their two plans.  The Eleven had indicated that a soccer-specific stadium could be used to host more than just the Eleven's 16 - 20 games per year, but could include high school, college, and international games (wouldn't you want to see the USMNT/USWNT play here - assuming a field of grass and not turf), as well as concerts.  So the question becomes, will the public buy into the team's tax breaks to build an $85M soccer-specific stadium that will have difficulty competing with several other venues for concerts (Klipsh in Noblesville, the Paladium in Carmel, The Stamp, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, The Murat...).  Can the area support a soccer stadium that will have difficulty competing against the other venues that are better suited for music?

So what are some other options downtown?  Using Google Earth and my knowledge of the city, I scoured the area for locations that were downtown or near downtown that had substantial amount of land.  I looked at three midwestern MLS stadiums as my basis for what may be required for a future soccer-specific stadium in Indianapolis: Crew Stadium for the Columbus, Sporting Park for Sporting Kansas City, and Toyota Park for the Chicago Fire (all with grass fields).  While the expanded area around the stadiums varied, the immediate area around each one ranged from about 10 - 15 acres and the stadiums themselves are relatively consistent at about 7.5 acres.
Crew Stadium - Columbus Crew

Toyota Park - Chicago Fire

Sporting Park - Sporting Kansas City
While the stadiums are all about the same size, given Peter Wilt's past association with the Chicago Fire, I chose to use it as my basis for my analysis of sites around Indianapolis.  After my evaluation, I found 10 sites that I thought held promise and evaluated further.  Of those 10, I narrowed it down to 5 that I felt held more promise than the others.
The Top Ten:

  1. Carroll Stadium
  2. Kuntz Stadium
  3. GM Stamp Plant
  4. Military Park
  5. Sand Street
  6. Lilly Recreation Park
  7. Maryland and Alabama
  8. National Starch
  9. 16th and Fall Creek Parkway East
  10. An industrial site that I know is changing ownership, but I ruled out for reasons I don't want to discuss
I immediately ruled out #1, #3, #6, #9, and #10.  I eliminated Carroll Stadium as an option mostly because the team needs a place to play while the new one is being built, the site doesn't lend itself to fixing the current east-west orientation of the field.  Plus I'm assuming new stadium and not rehabilitated stadium.  #6 has massive issues with water, though a partnership with Lilly would be valuable moving forward.  #9 has some issues with orientation and water.  The GM Stamp Plant isn't an option because of the above issues.  Though a stadium looks good on that site:
So much available space...
OPTION - KUNTZ STADIUM

PROS: 
  • It's a location familiar to most local soccer fans, 
  • Professional soccer in Indiana has a history there, and 
  • It's just outside of what I would consider "downtown."  
CONS:
  • Technically, the stadium fits on the site, but it is snug.
  • Absolutely no available parking, nor locations to build garage or lot without taking over properties.
  • A school was just constructed on the northwest corner of the site.
FINAL ASSESSMENT - Not Viable

NATIONAL STARCH

PROS:
  • Massive amounts of space.
  • Relatively close to downtown (southwest corner near the Lilly Facilities - Lilly Rec Park is on the bottom edge of the photo)
CONS:
  • May not be available for use.
FINAL ASSESSMENT - Doubtful.  While there is one con listed, it's a fairly big one.

MARYLAND AND ALABAMA

PROS:
  • The location is currently being used for parking.  
  • The structure on the southwest side of the proposed location is the parking garage that is just to the east of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.  Creates a "sports zone" in the city.
  • Heliport to the east.
  • Hotels and other entertainment within walking distance.
  • Located in downtown.
CONS:
  • Heliport to the east.
  • Would require modifications to Maryland Street since the stadium is larger than the main parking site.
  • An existing smaller building is located in the slice between Maryland and New Jersey.
  • Debatable whether a stadium can even fit on the site.
FINAL ASSESSMENT - Doubtful

MILITARY PARK

PROS:
  • Fits on the site nicely.
  • Maintain relationship with IUPUI for parking.
  • Close to NCAA Hall of Champions.
  • Close to Canal.
  • Located in downtown.
  • Hotels and entertainment within walking distance.
  • With the historical connotations of the Indy Eleven, name the stadium Military Park.
CONS:
  • Military Park is one of the largest open spaces in the downtown area and is used extensively for events throughout the year.  Getting a structure built on the site would be a huge political undertaking.
FINAL ASSESSMENT - Potential, but not without effort
(EDIT: Based on comments, I want to add here that I'm not suggesting this as a preferred location. I was simply pointing out places within Indianapolis that have enough space with which to locate a stadium and included the space for completeness. I wouldn't want a stadium there either...)

SAND STREET

PROS:
  • Currently used as a periodic parking lot.
  • Close proximity to Lucas Oil Stadium, again creating a "sports zone."
  • Part of the site is for sale.
  • Hotels and entertainment nearby
  • Across the river from the GM Stamp Plant where the team was considering
CONS:
  • Availability to purchase all of the necessary site?
  • Considered the "fringe" of downtown.
  • One of Indianapolis' major combined sewers run through the edge of the site...though it runs under Lucas Oil as well so it's not a deal breaker.
FINAL ASSESSMENT - Potential, but also not without effort.

What's my final assessment?  I would love to see the Indy Eleven playing at Military Park, because it "checks all the boxes" except for the difficulty with using the site by eliminating one of the major open air locations in the city.  Though I think the Sand Street site makes the most sense from a logistical perspective.  It's downtown, near Lucas Oil Stadium, with land that could be readily available.

So what would this stadium look like?  Remember, Peter Wilt joked about it being based off of Estadio Municipal de Braga in Spain?




The laughable part is that the stadium was built into a hill, which is definitely not a problem here in Indianapolis.  Let me explain why I don't think the design should be considered a joke from Peter.

Estadio Axa seats +30,000 spectators without a single seat located on the ends.  One end is the hill and the other end overlooks the town.  So figure roughly 15,000 people per side, 7,500 per level and every single person has a view of the field from endline to endline.  Take out 10,000 of those seats to reduce the size to a more appropriate level for the Eleven, throw in a bunch of requisite suites on both sides, a press box, a grass field, and you have an Indy Eleven Military Park inspired by Estadio Municipal de Braga.  If there is ever a need or desire, one or both of the ends can be enclosed and more seats added.

You know what else is interesting?  The dollar amount that the Indy Eleven put forth for the estimated cost of the stadium was $85M.  The cost of el Estadio en Braga in 2003?  $83M.  Hmm.  Remove the cost associated with building in a hill and then add back in the cost associated with 10 years of inflation and you're probably back up around $80-$85M.

So was Peter Wilt joking or not?  Will it be Municipal de Indy?  Military Park or Sand Street Stadium?  Only time will tell.

Unless Peter Wilt or Tom Dunmore want to chime in and give us some bigger hints...

UPDATE: As part of the dialogue on the Indy Eleven Reddit about this post, I'm providing three more aerial views of options.

CARROLL STADIUM - NORTH-SOUTH ARRANGEMENT
PROS:


  • All the benefits of the existing location except with a stadium, better suited to soccer.
    • CONS:


    • The team has to find another temporary location while this one is being constructed.  I don't see them wanting to use the existing stadium as the "base" and building off of it.  Demo and replace.
      • What happens to IUPUI's track?
      FINAL ASSESSMENT - Potential, if you eliminate the stadium completely and find another temporary location to play.

      CARROLL STADIUM - MAINTAINING THE EAST-WEST ARRANGEMENT
      PROS:

      • All the benefits of the existing location except with a stadium, better suited to soccer.

      CONS:

      • The team has to find another temporary location while this one is being constructed.  I don't see them wanting to use the existing stadium as the "base" and building off of it.  Demo and replace.
      • What happens to IUPUI's track?

      FINAL ASSESSMENT - Potential, if you eliminate the stadium completely and find another temporary location to play.  The issue of having goalkeepers looking into the sunset may be reduced with the stadium design.

      YORK STREET (Proposed by NSmith22 on Reddit/r/IndyEleven)
      PROS:
      • Relatively close to downtown.
      • Appropriately sized for a soccer-specific stadium.
      CONS:
      • On the "fringe" of downtown, but close.
      • Can the land be purchased or does the existing owner already have a plan in place?
      • Parking?
      FINAL ASSESSMENT - Potential, but also not without effort.

      UPDATE #2
      MASS AVE (Proposed by madman1101 on Reddit/r/IndyEleven)

      PROS:

      • Close to downtown.
      • Located in an area that embraces soccer.
      • Located next to the North Split with I-70 and I-65.
      • Entire property appears to be owned by City of Indianapolis (at least peripherally through the schools).

      CONS:

      • Parking?
      • Embracing soccer and embracing the traffic through their neighborhood might be two different things (whether that is car or foot traffic).  This location is much closer to residences than any of the other alternatives and their input would need to be included and addressed.
      FINAL ASSESSMENT - Potential.

      16TH AND FALL CREEK (I originally rejected it, but it was proposed by madman1101 so I'm reconsidering my stance)

      PROS:
      • Nice open area, currently being used as a city park, so it's already owned by the City.
      • Could incorporate park-like features in design so that park isn't completely lost.
      • Across the street from UPS, so could be a future business partner.  UPS Park?  UPS Stadium?
      • Large open field across Fall Creek on Milburn (owned by Indiana University) that might be able to be used for parking.  Provide a pedestrian bridge over the creek for access and incorporate into the surroundings.
      • The City would like this area to be better utilized.
      • Not far from  Kuntz Stadium, which I already mentioned as having some historical significance.
      CONS:
      • Floodplain.  While they can be overcome, as an engineer, I hate the idea of building in a floodplain.  It wouldn't be the first time that the City has taken a natural receiving stream and put it underground in tunnels (Pogue's Run), but that would definitely require additional engineering and governmental approvals beyond just the City and State.
      FINAL ASSESSMENT - Potential.

      Tuesday, December 9, 2014

      The Soccer Life - Chris Estridge

      Chris is the first professional soccer player to do this survey for me (the only one that is famous enough to have a Wikipedia page) and the guy is a class act.  Despite me taking advantage of having direct messages with him after winning his jersey in his #ChrisIndyContest on Twitter in October, and then subsequently after having his email address after requesting he do this questionnaire, he's been nothing but nice to me.  He's answered questions even after the announcement about the Indy Eleven not picking up his option for next season.  He was already my favorite player before, but this past month has solidified it.  Thanks again Chris for taking the time to do this for me!

      1. Name:
      - Chris Estridge

      2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
      - Player, Coach
      (Editor's note: Chris indicates he did some refereeing a little bit later, and I know he's a spectator...  We'll chalk it up to a few too many defensive headers...)

      3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
      - None

      4. Age started playing:
      - 4

      5. First recollection of the game:
      - My first recollection of playing would be while I was playing in the “pups” league in Brownsburg when I was around 5 or 6.  I just remember running around and chasing the ball in large mobs with all the other players!

      6. Highest level of play achieved:
      - Professional Level: Major League Soccer (MLS), North American Soccer League (NASL), United Soccer League (USL).

      7. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play:
      - Professional level: my last match this season was at Minnesota United on August 16th before I got injured.

      8. Position:
      - Defender, typically outside defender but occasionally a center back.

      9. Jersey number:
      - 6

      10. Most memorable moment(s):
      - My most memorable moments would be the day I was drafted into Major League Soccer and playing in the Inaugural home match for the Indy Eleven.  Playing in the inaugural match for a professional team in my hometown was an incredible day.

      11. Least memorable moment(s):
      - Certainly my least favorite moment would be when I played for Indiana University and we played North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.  We lost a heartbreaker to North Carolina in overtime.
      (Editor's note: IU recap of game)

      12. Favorite team:
      - I am a massive Arsenal FC fan.

      13. Favorite player:
      - It's hard to decide who my favorite player would be because there are so many great players out there who are great at different things.  Watching Lionel Messi play can be truly mesmerizing but Cristiano Ronaldo has a flare that is enjoyable to watch.  I HAD been a big Cesc Fabregas fan until he did the unspeakable and signed for Chelsea.

      14. Indoor vs Outdoor:
      - Outdoor without a doubt, but indoor can be extremely fun when playing with all your buddies.

      15. Grass vs Turf:
      - 100% grass any day, there is nothing better for the game of soccer than playing on a nice field of Bermuda grass.

      16. Coaching experience:
      - I have very little coaching experience but I have done quite a good amount of training youth players in developing their technical abilities.  I did coach at the local club Dynamo FC two years ago for one season while in my offseason.

      17. Refereeing experience:
      - When I was about 15 my Father, my brother and I all got our refereeing licenses.  I refereed for a few years but eventually refused to be the center official in any more games after one game when I was center official in a u-10 game and the parents were rather rude to me during the game!

      18. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
      - I would have to say my favorite World Cup moment would be during the US men’s game against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup. I won’t ever forget the moment Landon scored his goal in the dying minutes of the game, we all celebrated that goal for a long time.

      19. Honors/Awards:
      - 2011 NSCAA All-American First team,

      - Drafted 21st overall to Vancouver Whitecaps in 2012 MLS Superdraft,

      - 2012 Rochester Rhinos Rookie of the Year,

      - IHSAA All State First Team 2007,

      - IndyStar Player of the Year 2007.

      20. Other sports played (and to what level):
      - I played football and basketball during my 5th and 6th grade years.  I was actually a pretty good football player during these years because everyone was roughly the same height and weight at that age.  I was an absolutely horrendous basketball player but loved to play it with all my friends.  Eventually, I dropped both of those sports when I needed to start concentrating on just one sport.

      21. Other Comments: