Indianapolis “could have secured more state tax dollars to attract a future Major League Soccer stadium and team during this legislative session” if not for the “disappointing revenue forecast that projected $2 billion less in state revenue than anticipated over the next two years,” according to Kayla Dwyer of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. There “were discussions about inserting into the state budget bill language that would allow more tax dollars collected nearby to go toward construction costs of such a stadium.” However, once the revenue forecast hit, it “no longer seemed like quite the right time to do that,” and that idea was “temporarily tabled,” according to a person familiar with the discussions. This has “little to no bearing on the future MLS prospects for the capital city” -- those talks are “very much alive,” and there is “plenty of time to make such a change” -- but it is “one of many consequences of the vast revenue shortfall, among other cuts.” The talks also provide “a clue into what greater state involvement in the quest for a state MLS team could look like, since the request could come back in the future” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/12).
Revenue shortfall delays state funding push for potential MLS stadium in Indianapolis
