Most people wouldn’t go to a ballgame at a crowded stadium and think, “I could live here.” I mean, the bathroom situation alone….
On the other hand, if you could take an old stadium and turn it into an apartment complex, curved around the ballfield as a tribute to all the good memories attached to it, would you?
Someone did. And a recent Tweet highlighting the results has gone viral.
One of the most unique residential conversions I've ever seen…
A former baseball stadium ⚾ turned into apartments
• 138 units
• Kept existing roof, exterior wall, infield, & outfield
• Brick and limestone façade restored
• Steel sash windows restored📍Indianapolis, IN pic.twitter.com/rWKsn5w4tt
— Tyler | Kenji Capital (@KenjiCapital) January 6, 2024
Tyler of Kenji Capital posted the Tweet on Saturday, January 6, 2024. So far, it has over 31K likes, close to 400 comments, and nearly 3K retweets—and even got picked up on SportsCenter.
We’ve already seen stories about shopping malls being converted into apartment/tiny home complexes. But these conversion projects hold particular appeal for diehard baseball fans—or anyone with a fond regard for Indianapolis history.
Those comments are a mixed bag but positive overall (based on a brief skim), with some wishing the same could be done for a stadium near them.
And just two days later, Tyler posted a similar Tweet about a London soccer stadium—the former home of the Arsenal Football Club—turned into apartments.
Hold up, here's the most unique residential conversion I've ever seen…
A former soccer stadium ⚽ turned into apartments
• 650 units
• Grandstand exteriors remain
• The old field is now a garden
• Former home of @Arsenal
• 93 years of soccer played there📍London pic.twitter.com/WIYW1GAfMa
— Tyler | Kenji Capital (@KenjiCapital) January 8, 2024
Bush Stadium history
In 1931, Norm Perry, owner of the Cleveland Indians, built Perry Stadium as a memorial to his brother Jim, who had died in a plane crash a few years prior. During the 1940s, to reflect patriotism as the U.S. joined World War II, it was renamed as Victory Stadium.
In 1967, the stadium was sold to the city, who leased it back to the Indians and renamed it as Bush Stadium in honor of MLB player and Indianapolis native Donnie Bush.
In 1987, Bush Stadium served as a stand-in for both Comiskey Park and Crosley Field in the filming of Eight Men Out. That same year, Bush Stadium hosted the Pan Am Games.
Mid-season 1996, the Indianapolis Indians left Bush Stadium for the new Victory Field at White River State Park. Then for about 15 years, the stadium served as a speedway for midget car auto racing and a storage yard for cars traded in as part of the Cash for Clunkers program.
On March 12, 2012, demolition began on parts of the 81-year-old property to build a new apartment complex in its place. And in the summer of 2013, the Stadium Lofts opened, with the Flats opening a year later in 2014.
The new facility has 282 apartment units with modern amenities. Much of the Stadium’s exterior facade has been preserved, along with many of the historic features, including the scoreboard, the owner’s suite, and the ticket booth.
Stadium Lofts details
The Stadium Lofts apartments are located in the 16 Tech technology park of Indianapolis. Residents have access to pedestrian paths and trails, as well as convenient access to downtown restaurants and shopping, along with the IUPUI Campus.
Judging by the map and an aerial view of the property, that convenient access is most likely via car or bus route.
Learn more on the Stadium Lofts page at Core Redevelopment.com.
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