Indianapolis' storied Bush stadium creates buzz among locals as ballpark transforms into apartment complex

There was a recent buzz among netizens on social media regarding an Indianapolis apartment complex, which used to be a ballpark. The buzz started after a leader from real estate firm Kenji Capital posted the transformation of the former ballpark as "one of the most unique residential conversions."

Known as Bush Stadium (after Owen Donie Bush) in the 90s, it was located on the city's west side, "hosted Pan Am Games baseball in 1987 and was a stand-in for Chicago's Comiskey Park in the movie 'Eight Men Out,'" per a 2013 article in IndyStar.

However, with time, the teams that used to play there migrated to Victory Field in downtown, at the 16th Street Speedway.

The vacant baseball field was seen as a site for a residential complex by the company Core Redevelopment. The firm planned to convert the ballpark into an apartment complex with 138 lofts and 144 flats. After a few years, the project was completed in 2014. The name of the complex was Stadium Lofts and rent for a loft unit starts at $1,400 per month.

Another Bush Stadium-style project: Highbury Square

In line with stories of former playing grounds turned into apartment complexes, comes the old stadium of Arsenal F.C. Situated in Highbury, London, the complex used to serve as a playing field for the renowned football club before they moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2006. The venue was home to Arsenal for 93 years

The new complex was designed by Allies and Morrison, an architecture and urban planning practice based in London. Critics have commended the complex's reconstruction for creating "a feeling of openness and nature" while simultaneously providing "protection and privacy." In 2009, Highbury Square's design received the MIPIM Special Jury Award.

Highbury Square consists of 650 flats and has relatively high rent as compared to nearby apartments. In 2009, Arsenal sold 150 flats to London & Stamford Property at a 20% reduction from the brochure's asking price.

As demand for high-tech stadiums rises in sports, more Highbury Square and Stadium Lofts-style projects will be in the making.