INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana University Board of Trustees has approved the construction of a $110 million athletics center in downtown Indianapolis that will serve both the university and community. The athletic facility will be suitable for hosting significant indoor sporting and athletic events in a seating capacity currently not provided in the downtown area.

The IU Indianapolis Athletics Center will be approximately 134,000 gross square feet and include seating for 4,500 spectators. Photo by Liz Kaye, Indiana University

The IU Indianapolis Athletics Center, which will be approximately 134,000 gross square feet and include seating for 4,500 spectators, will house a multipurpose arena with an auxiliary gymnasium and community gathering spaces. The facility also will accommodate approximately 16,000 square feet of office spaces, as well as significant athletics support spaces. It will be funded by $89 million in state appropriations — as part of the state’s biennial budget for the construction of an amateur sports facility — as well as $21 million in funding provided by IU Indianapolis.

“The board’s action is a major step in making a transformative project possible,” said Pamela Whitten, president of Indiana University. “Thanks to strong financial support from state partners, this facility will contribute to the continued growth of IU Indianapolis as a nexus of activity for the city and the surrounding region. It will serve as a home for Jaguar sports, university activities, and events for organizations from Indiana and beyond.”

The facility will include a basketball/volleyball court with seats for 4,500 patrons, as well as locker rooms, training facilities, and offices for IU Indianapolis Athletics and select National Sport Governing Bodies. A significant portion of the seating will be retractable to provide flexibility and multipurpose use for events like collegiate and high school sports, including volleyball and wrestling, as well as other recreational activities. The project will include requisite concourse spaces, concessions, restrooms, storage and mechanical/electrical spaces to support the facility.

“The athletics center represents yet another way IU Indianapolis is connecting with the community,” said Latha Ramchand, chancellor of IU Indianapolis. “Combined with Indiana University’s proud tradition of excellence in athletics, this facility will open up a multitude of future opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages and abilities to engage with our campus.”

“Indiana University prides itself on facilities that prioritize function while still offering innovative construction and beautiful design,” said Thomas Morrison, IU’s vice president for capital planning and facilities. “The athletics center will achieve each of these goals as it propels IU and the downtown community into its next chapter in hosting world-class amateur sporting events.”

The project will be situated on the IU Indianapolis campus immediately south of Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hall, home to the Herron School of Art + Design. It will be a new addition to the IU Indianapolis Sports District, complementing the existing IU Natatorium, National Institute of Fitness and Sport, Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium and IU Indianapolis Softball Complex. The project will now move forward for further consideration and approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the State Budget Committee.