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key property within the proposed boundaries of Mayor Joe Hogsett's preferred site for a Major League Soccer stadium has changed hands, fueling speculation about an ownership group for a potential Indianapolis team. AES Indiana sold a 0.58-acre surface parking lot at 355 E. Pearl St. to 101 S. Alabama Development LLC for $1.59 million in December. The limited liability company shares an address with the Herbert Simon Family Foundation and Simon Equity Partners, raising questions about the involvement of the Simon family, owners of the Indiana Pacers.

    The city has designated a one-mile Professional Sports Development Area around the site as a priority location for an MLS stadium. 101 S. Alabama Development LLC has quietly acquired multiple properties in the area over the past year, including a 5.16-acre parking lot near the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport sold to them by JL Parking Associates for $10.5 million.

    The city is preparing other nearby sites for redevelopment, with demolition underway at the former Marion County Jail and plans to acquire and develop a surface parking lot across from the Julia M. Carson Transit Center. The Hogsett administration pushed through a southeast downtown Professional Sports Development Area in June, which would divert taxes to fund a soccer stadium.

    City officials declined to comment on the Simon entity's purchase of the Pearl Street parcel, while a spokesperson for Simon Property Group did not respond to an IndyStar request for comment. The MLS is expanding to 30 teams this year, with commissioner Dan Garber saying Indianapolis is doing "all the right things" to compete for a new franchise.