Source: Courtesy of Indy Eleven / other
INDIANAPOLIS — The City of Indianapolis has offered to buy the former Diamond Chain site, owned by Keystone Group.
Keystone Group and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett have been at odds since Mayor Hogsett made the decision to pursue a Major League Soccer team at a different site in downtown Indianapolis and not continue support for Indy Eleven’s proposed Eleven Park, which was set to become a sports, entertainment, and business site on the southwest side of downtown. Eleven Park would have featured a 20,000-seat stadium for the Indy Eleven, but Keystone Group claims the mayor backed out of their deal.
Hogsett’s office claims there was never a deal.
In a letter penned by Chief Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff Daniel Parker, the city proposes to buy the remaining portion of the old Diamond Chain site with all legal approvals, which includes the approval of the City-County Council.
In the letter, Parker points out that the former Diamond Chain site is well known to have at least 650 human remains still undiscovered in just one acre of land. The city believes proper treatment of those remains and that land would cost around 12-million-dollars.
Parker says the city wants to take an active role in making sure the site is used for community growth and “rights the wrongs of Indy’s past.” The city says by law, a fair market value for the property would not be more than the average of two property value appraisals.
