Indy’s Defunct Outdoor Track To Rise From Grave
A local news website in Indianapolis is reporting that the Lake Sullivan Sports Complex, home to the now defunct Lake Sullivan BMX Track may see a rebirth in the coming years.
The proposal, now on its way to the Indy City Council, transfers the management and care of the seven-acre complex to nearby Marian University. Marian, a Catholic university, has a very accomplished cycling program (of which BMXer Allie Dragoo is a key member), and uses the facility’s Major Taylor Velodrome as a primary training facility.
Through the proposal, the university will invest $200,000 per year in the facility. That would include the $70,000 required to cover staffing and day-to-day maintenance expenses, so we can assume that the additional $130,000 will be used to upgrade the track at the velodrome, and reboot the BMX Track, among other improvements.
The NBL track had been something of a white elephant (or maybe “hot potato” would be more accurate) in recent years, with a few different groups trying to bring it back, but never quite getting traction on a schedule of races. In 2009, it was rain and flooding, in early 2010, there were disagreements among the volunteers organized to run the track and park officials.
BMX News drove past the facility last Friday on the way down to Atlanta for the ABA Dixieland Nationals. It had been fenced off, and taken on a jungle-like “life after people” appearance, where only the rough outlines of a track could be picked out.
According to the IndyStar peice, one city council member said the sports complex “has been a drain on the parks budget,” which may account for how it was allowed to sink into disrepair.
It will be interesting to see how Marian tackles this challenge (of restarting the BMX program), and if perhaps this could lead to the creation of a BMX program within the successful Marian cycling program.
Meanwhile, across town, organizers of the Crossroads Indoor track are breaking ground on the INDY ACTION BMX Complex, at The Marion County Fairgrounds. Crossroads is a very successful indoor track, and the organizing group there is very solid. No word on key details like an opening date, or sanction for the new outdoor track (though we can only assume it will be NBL, same as the indoor).
We are looking forward to seeing BOTH facilities open soon.
