Construction on Noblesville Event Center, the future home for Indiana Mad Ants games, to break ground on Nov. 6
Construction on Noblesville Event Center, the future home for Indiana Mad Ants games, to break ground on Nov. 6
The Mad Ants will play home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse until the project is completed.
The city of Noblesville will be breaking ground on the future home of the Indiana Mad Ants on Monday, Nov. 6. Mayor Chris Jensen announced the news on Tuesday at a State of the City luncheon.
The Noblesville Event Center will be located at I-69 and Olio Road, at an area referred to as Innovative Mile near the Hamilton Town Center and Ruoff Music Center. (And at a different location than first presented.) The arena, which is expected to anchor the district, will have about 3,400 seats and 1,000 parking spaces.
“The Indiana Pacers are bringing their G League team, and we’re investing in a new event center along I-69 that will not only be home to the Pacers’ G League team, but community events throughout the entire year,” Jensen said. “Innovation Mile will be at the forefront of Noblesville’s future.”
Pacers owner Herb Simon purchased the Mad Ants in 2015.
The Mad Ants announced on May 8 that it was permanently moving from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis, and that home games would be played in Noblesville as part of a 10-year partnership with the city.
“We felt that we would have a better future in building Pacers fans if we were closer to the hub of the Pacers nation,” Rick Fuson, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment said on stage with Jensen.
More than that, it’s a huge benefit to the Pacers for their G League affiliate to play games nearby. (That’s a trend throughout the league.) It will be much easier for team executives and staff members to attend games, and is more appealing to the players. Instead of a two-hour bus ride on game day to Fort Wayne, it’s a short drive to the north east part of central Indiana.
The new arena will be located about 35 minutes from downtown Indianapolis and the St. Vincent Center — the training center for both the Pacers and Mad Ants. Noblesville is estimated to have a population of 77,672 in 2023 and a median household income of $106,025.
“I’m so proud that you are going to build an events center that, in my opinion, is of the right side and the right place and in the right method to be able to go into the future,” added Fuson, who is now in his 40th season with the organization.
“We are all about winning and we’re all about camaraderie. And sports brings us together, both from a fan standpoint and from an economic standpoint.”
Until the Noblesville Event Center is ready, the Mad Ants will continue to play home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“For several hundred days throughout the year, it will be home to other events in our community,” Jensen said. “We imagine the space because a great spot for different athletic tournaments going on, different trade shows and different conferences. It’s incredible exposure on I-69 has made it a popular destination and a key focal point for us going forward.”
The Mad Ants opened training camp on Monday. Chris Taylor is general manager and Tom Hankins is entering his fourth season as head coach. The team has practiced in Indianapolis since 2021.
I love going to Indians games at Victory Field. This will be just as nice.