INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials with the Indy Eleven and the Eleven Park Investment Group announced on Wednesday that Chuck Surack, a Fort Wayne-based entrepreneur, has joined as a co-owner of the team.
According to a news release, Surack will also be an investor in private development surrounding the planned MLS-eligible stadium. Surack was the founder of Sweetwater, a Fort Wayne-based company, and continues to serve as its chairman.
This comes after Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced last month that the city is looking at another soccer-specific stadium site different from Eleven Park. The developer of the site claimed that the city backed out of a "good-faith" deal surrounding Eleven Park, a project first announced in June 2022, allegations that Hogsett denied.
“It is clear to me that Indy Eleven and Eleven Park represent an unprecedented opportunity for downtown Indianapolis to finally embrace the kind of riverfront development that is transforming Fort Wayne and other cities across the country,” Surack said in the release. “The strong foundation of community and fan support, coupled with the incredible chance to transcend sports through neighborhood redevelopment, is why I am joining this prominent group of business leaders from across the state. As a proud Hoosier, I am committed to investing my resources to support Indiana’s growth with like-minded people who have our state’s best interests at heart.”
Surack will join Ersal Ozdemir, the founder and owner of the Keystone Group and the Indy Eleven, as well as other investors for the Indy Eleven and Eleven Park, including:
- Ricker Family
- Salin Family
- Traylor Family
- Hageman Family
- Jeff Laborsky of The Heritage Group
- Fred Merritt of LFM Investments
- Brian Bauer of IU Health
- Don Gottwald of Speedring Capital.
“Chuck Surack has changed our state for the better by consistently identifying opportunities for growth and investing his tireless energy into seizing those moments. That is why we are thrilled by his personal commitment to the growth of professional soccer through the Indy Eleven and to the vision of Eleven Park as a neighborhood investment,” Ozdemir, said in the release.
“Chuck shares in our vision for the world’s game in Indiana, and our belief that by building more than just a stadium, Eleven Park will have lasting impact on Indianapolis as a whole.” Ozdemir continued, “the addition of a Hoosier billionaire to an already strong Indy Eleven ownership group further solidifies our Indiana ownership group to bring MLS and the transformational riverfront development, Eleven Park, to Indianapolis.”