Massive construction of a new $1 billion stadium has been halted indefinitely after a shocking discovery by construction workers

Construction of a proposed $1 billion professional football stadium in the heart of Indianapolis has faced a major hurdle.

Developers Keystone Group broke ground in the city center in 2023 with the intention of building a 20,000-capacity home for USL Championship team Indy Eleven, only to stumble upon masses of human remains.

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The discovery was first made in December 2023, with developers claiming that “fragments of human remains” were found, according to the Indiana Fox affiliate. WXIN.

However, this number has increased significantly lately thanks to the work of archaeologists.

In fact, 87 remains have been found so far, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.

The site, which is within earshot of Lucas Oil Stadium – home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts – has a varied history, having been home to the Diamond Chain Co. factory between 1917 and 2023.

Before that, it was briefly home to a baseball park.

For much of the 19th century, however, it was the site of several cemeteries.

The discovery of the remains led to a conflict between prosecutors and city authorities over how they should proceed.

Keystone intends to continue the planned development, building memorials at the site and also at the cemetery where they intend for the remains to be reinterred.

Mayor Joe Hogsett, however, is interested in purchasing the site with the aim of turning it into a memorial, as confirmed by a city spokesperson.

The stadium was just one element of a major renovation of the site, with the city also planning a bridge, costing around $20 million, as well as the Elanco Animal Health headquarters, which is expected to cost approximately $100 million. , according to IndyStar.

The one-acre plot of land earmarked for the bridge could contain up to 650 human remains, Deputy Mayor Dan Parker recently said, via IBJ.

Excavating these remains will reportedly cost about $12 million, said Public Works Director Brandon Herget.

The city intends to continue this development which is necessary to connect the city center to the Elanco Animal Health headquarters.

As for the city’s football ambitions, Mayor Hogsett is firmly determined to become the site of an MLS expansion franchise.

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On April 25, he revealed that he met with league commissioner Don Garber, announcing, “Today we begin our quest for the world game.”

A site for a potential stadium has already been reserved within walking distance of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse – the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the WNBA’s Fever.

Hogsett later announced on May 1 that “negotiations regarding Indy Eleven Park stadium have been terminated because they simply do not make fiscal and financial sense,” via a local statement. NBC affiliate.

Despite the city dropping its support for Eleven Park, the team remains defiant.

“Eleven Park is ready to be built now, providing guaranteed investment at a time when the city would welcome new cranes into the air,” the team stated in a recent post.

“It also means that the ongoing construction of Eleven Park can help influence decisions made by MLS executives in the coming years – rather than leaving the city on hold indefinitely while awaiting decisions from New York City.”

The post also stated that the stadium was “designed for capacity expansion if MLS admission rules change after construction is complete, meaning the 20,000 seats are also fully capable of growing significantly with the way the stadium is designed.” and designed.”

Furthermore, the team also stated that taxpayer money will not be needed to acquire the land.

They also claimed that the city’s financial resources were not needed to finance the site, which was financed by private investment, as well as by the income from the project.

If development continues, it will serve as a home base for the men’s and women’s teams.

In addition to the stadium, the site would also include more than 600 apartments, office and retail space, restaurants, a hotel and parking.

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