INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday the city has begun an effort to bring a Major League Soccer team to town.
"Indianapolis is a community that is ready to grow alongside the fastest growing sport in the world," Hogsett said.
It's not a done deal though.
A city needs two things to attract an MLS team: a soccer-specific stadium that is promoted and financed by the city, and a competent ownership group to pay the league expansion fee.
Even if Indy achieves those things, there's still no guarantee the MLS will choose the city. Some Hoosiers are keeping their fingers crossed.
But some local soccer fans noticed one big thing missing from the mayor's Thursday press conference: What it means for the future of Indy Eleven.
David Ziemba, president of the Brickyard Battalion, said they were surprised and disappointed by the mayor's announcement.
"We hope at some point we can sit down with the mayor and have a conversation about what this looks like going forward because we don't want to lose our club," Ziemba said. "The MLS has a track record, over the last few years, of taking over soccer towns and clubs, especially USL clubs, which we are in, and starting their own franchise."
On Wednesday, the city filed a resolution with the Metropolitan Development Commission to create a professional sports development area just east of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Community leaders in that neighborhood said it leaves them with more questions than answers.
"We do need more answers and assurances of what's going to happen and what's the future of Diamond Chain," said Jay Napoleon, president of the Valley Neighborhood Association. "It's very hard to attract development once something gets the reputation of not developable."