It has been over a decade since a professional baseball game has been played at Bush Stadium in Indianapolis, but the historic stadium still stands today in the heart of the Midtown district of the Indiana city.
Not to be confused with any of the three Busch Stadiums in St. Louis (why three stadiums have shared the same name, I will never understand), the Bush Stadium in this scenario originally housed the Indianapolis Indians of the AAA International League. The Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League also called the park home from 1946-1952.
The stadium, constructed in 1931, was designed by Osborn Engineering Company, the same firm that designed Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Comiskey Park.
This time, it's not ballplayers who are calling the old stadium home. It's, well... anyone.
In recent years, the stadium has been used to house motor vehicles in the "Cash for Clunkers" program. However, the art deco structure will soon be turned into a state-of-the-art apartment complex, complete with a courtyard that will greatly resemble a baseball field. The complex will be named "Stadium Lofts," according to many sources.
The stadium-turned apartment complex is slated to contain 134 residences, and plans for another 132 apartments with 118,000 square feet of commercial space is already lined up.
Core Redevelopment, LLC is heading the plan and has commissioned the design to Indianapolis-based architecture firm Heartland Design.
The revolutionary design may be the first of many stadium redevelopment plans. Unused stadiums such as the Pontiac Silverdome, Houston Astrodome, and San Antonio Alamodome remain standing, despite not having any tenants.
Monthly rent is expected to be only $600-$1300, which would be very reasonable for nearby college students at IUPUI. The campus is roughly a mile and a half from the apartment complex.
In an era where sustainability, reuse, and building longevity is key, the stadium redevelopment is a perfect plan. This is especially true for anyone who loves historic preservation or baseball.
