Chris Sikich | IndyStar

Provided by Indy Eleven, IndyStar

The Indy Eleven's hopes for a new stadium just got a lot better.

The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously Monday to allow the soccer team to negotiate with Indianapolis to build a $150 million soccer stadium without first attracting a Major League Soccer franchise.

That means the current incarnation of the Indy Eleven could play in the stadium.

As part of the proposal, Indianapolis would have to approve a special taxing district centered around the stadium to fund construction. The state's budget committee also would have to sign off.

Todd Huston, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, said the project may need to get started for MLS to take it seriously. Republicans and Democrats have increasingly emerged as united in the decision to create a way to make a deal happen.

"I think a lot of people see the excitement around the current team and see the momentum that soccer has in our society," Huston said. "Our committee has felt like it’s an exciting new opportunity. There's a general belief and excitement that professional soccer has got a lot of momentum and people want Indianapolis to be a part of it."

Still, it's not a done deal. The legislation now heads to the House floor, where more changes are possible. It's likely a House-Senate committee will negotiate a final version in the closing days of the legislature at month's end.

Joe Vitti /The Star

"Today’s vote is just the latest step in the legislative process and is a result of all sides working together to achieve a positive result," said Tim Phelps, a spokesman for Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir. "We will continue to work directly with legislators and all stakeholders as Senate Bill 7 continues to move through the Statehouse."

Senate Bill 7 has involved three proposals: a 25-year lease extension for the Indiana Pacers, a $120 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center and a $150 million soccer stadium.

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Scrapping the MLS franchise requirement is a big change for lawmakers, who earlier this year required the team to enter into a 25-year agreement with MLS by 2022 as part of any stadium deal. The Senate approved the bill with that stipulation, 48-1.

It's a big opening for the Indy Eleven, which now doesn't need to worry about signing an elusive MLS franchise or paying the hefty expansion fee that has recently been as high as $150 million.

In December 2017, MLS announced it would expand from 24 to 28 teams. Three of those slots have been filled, and one remains open. Though future expansions are possible, MLS commissioner Don Garber recently discussed such plans that didn't include Indianapolis.

The city applied but was not chosen, in part because it did not have funding for a stadium.

The House committee that voted Monday left in one hefty stipulation the Senate added: The team must pay 20 percent of the construction cost before receiving taxpayer funds, either up front or in annual payments.

To fund the remaining cost of the stadium, the legislation would allow the Indy Eleven to use cash from a special taxing district around the team's proposed development.

Ozdemir, who runs the development company Keystone Group, has proposed the $550 million development called Eleven Park, which would include $400 million in private investment in restaurants, shops, offices and apartments at a to-be-decided location, as well as the $150 million stadium and other public investments.

Ozdemir, who expanded team ownership to seven new investors this year, has said he's considering three locations in the city and sent a letter to Indianapolis Public Schools offering to purchase Broad Ripple High School.

He has pledged that his six-year-old franchise would pay for any shortfalls if the development does not generate enough taxes to cover the cost of the stadium.

Still, some lawmakers are concerned the state ultimately may have to bail Ozdemir out if he can't afford to pay back the debt.

The Indy Eleven plays its home matches at Lucas Oil Stadium. Ozdemir has for years been pushing the state help to build a stadium for the team, but lawmakers have balked at providing public subsidies.