Game on!
For those who may not have heard, Indianapolis has been chosen to host the 2012 NFL Superbowl. This is a major accomplishment for the city and its representatives, as it beat out tough competition from perennial favorites from Texas and Arizona. It's not quite as important as hosting an Olympic games, but it is a great honor. The city is now forced to hold itself up to a mirror and determine how it will manage such a monumental feat.
You can find the superbowl committee website here. The successful Superbowl bid was based largely on two key points - the new stadium and its proximity to downtown. The new Lucas Oil Stadium is a magnificent project, I hope they keep it in the city forever. I'll talk about the stadium at length in a later post, I'll stick to the city's bid and Indy downtown for now.
You can find the superbowl committee website here. The successful Superbowl bid was based largely on two key points - the new stadium and its proximity to downtown. The new Lucas Oil Stadium is a magnificent project, I hope they keep it in the city forever. I'll talk about the stadium at length in a later post, I'll stick to the city's bid and Indy downtown for now.
To be frank, the Indianapolis downtown isn't in such a great position. Surely, the local residents here are quite fond of it but it can't quite compete with the historic downtown of Cleveland, nor can it match the modern skyline of Chicago. I wouldn't even accuse it of "doing the best it can with what it has". But now is the time to prove me wrong. Game on indeed... I think the main event is not the superbowl but whether Indy can meet its boast of being a "world-class city".
The downtown has some notable attractions, including a great mixed car/pedestrian space in the circle. This more than anything else gives the city a claim to being "world-class". By establishing pedestrian and bike paths radiating from this center, the city is really making a good play. The superbowl bid concept is to create a "superbowl village", which should be a lot of fun. I am sure there will be enough public and private funding to make this a reality, and if we get mother nature to cooperate then it will be very successful. I am interested in seeing if the superbowl bid attracts more private development, but even if only encourages the current projects to progress I would be happy. There's a lot on the slate right now, and I think a lot of them are actually pretty good.
One of the best benefits for the city is the new practice center. This facility will be located on the Arsenal Tech high school campus, and will be donated to IPS when the superbowl has concluded. The public school system here really does need all the help it can get, and providing a rallying point for the Near Eastside community is a sign that the city leaders do care what happens on the other side of the great interstate divide.
The downtown has some notable attractions, including a great mixed car/pedestrian space in the circle. This more than anything else gives the city a claim to being "world-class". By establishing pedestrian and bike paths radiating from this center, the city is really making a good play. The superbowl bid concept is to create a "superbowl village", which should be a lot of fun. I am sure there will be enough public and private funding to make this a reality, and if we get mother nature to cooperate then it will be very successful. I am interested in seeing if the superbowl bid attracts more private development, but even if only encourages the current projects to progress I would be happy. There's a lot on the slate right now, and I think a lot of them are actually pretty good.
One of the best benefits for the city is the new practice center. This facility will be located on the Arsenal Tech high school campus, and will be donated to IPS when the superbowl has concluded. The public school system here really does need all the help it can get, and providing a rallying point for the Near Eastside community is a sign that the city leaders do care what happens on the other side of the great interstate divide.
Labels: stadium, superbowl village
posted by Graeme at
9:57 PM
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