Hoosier stadium : catalyst for a world class downtown

Abstract

Indianapolis has a long-term vision to be a world-class caliber city. A key component to any world-class city is the sport component and stadiums in particular. With the impending end of the Indianapolis Colts contract with the city, they are demanding a new stadium in order to continue to reside in the state's capitol city. Some residents are concerned where the money will come from for a $685 million stadium while others feel as though providing a new stadium when the existing RCA Dome is in fair shape is a waste of funds. It is this public diversity that may very well kill the idea of a new stadium in Indianapolis and, in turn, lose the Indianapolis Colts.There is a larger underlying issue at hand besides an NFL team. The Indianapolis Convention Center is home to many top-notch events that have begun looking for other places to host their events. The problem is that the convention center is much smaller than it needs to be to host such events and without a change, the city will lose many of the activities that bring in large amounts of money.Hoosier stadium is a cure for these problems aesthetically, economically, and socially. First and foremost, the existing RCA Dome will be imploded. While this may seem wasteful it is important to create room for an expanded convention center. The focus of this thesis is the new stadium itself, not the convention center, so its role in this design is merely conceptual.The chosen site for the new stadium is just south of the existing RCA Dome where a large parking lot now resides. This site was chosen because it is in the most need of positive development as the surrounding area is beginning to become run-down.Thus, the theme for this thesis project, "Catalyst for A World-Class Downtown" becomes apparent. The idea is for the stadium to become an icon of the city; a place where businesses and corporations will want to move their headquarters near.The stadium itself will have the ability to hold nearly eighty thousand people and will utilize a retractable roof design. There will be a permanent roof over the seats in the stadium to protect fans from the elements but the portion over the field may be opened should the Colts management se fit. The capacity of the building will allow Indianapolis to potentially host a Super Bowl in the future; a venture which would bring in millions of dollars to the city.The most important aspect of the new stadium is to make people feel as though their tax dollars are being used to their benefit. The exterior concourses of the stadium attempt to accomplish this by having been expanded by one, thirty foot structural bay to create room for mall space. This mall in the concourse will be completely flexible meaning that there are no permanent walls and rooms other than the concession stands and restrooms located on the inside of the concourse. In the summer, the exterior windows are operational to allow this mall space to become "open-air". In addition, these concourses will be used year round and in conjunction with landscaped gardens all around the facility. Therefore, the garden areas become a wonderful transition from the city to the stadium. On a normal business day, it will not be uncommon for business men and women from the surrounding area to enjoy lunch in these gardens and possibly take part in shopping at the stadium mall.Solving the larger issue of constant connectivity to the city is a more tedious task but one that has been attained by the addition of a light rail system. The light rail system is incorporated to the North side of the stadium and utilizes a fully functional station and mall area. Users of the train will board from the second level on a balcony-like platform that overlooks the happenings below. In addition, it is possible to see the on-field activities while waiting for the train. Should the stadium personnel not want train users to see the activities on the field, there are electrically tinted windows that will turn opaque on cue. The train route will go straight to the airport to the West and through the city to the East. This stadium station will then become the main light rail hub for the entire city as it resides between the new convention center and stadium.