Former Baseball Stadium in Indianapolis Is Now Luxury Apartments

Spring training will be here before we all know it, and now that the NFL season is officially done, baseball will soon become the dominant sport in the U.S. again. For some, baseball is the most beautiful and romantic sport, and they will live and die by their teams and the sport. 

And then, there are these people in Indianapolis, who take it a step further, and are literally living in a baseball stadium. 

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The former home to the Indianapolis Indians is now an apartment complex, which are built into the original structure that laid the first bricks in 1931. Kenji Capital, who is known for renovating older apartment buildings, took on the project at Bush Stadium, and called it one of their “most unique residential conversions.” 

What was once a stadium that would hold up to 15,000 people, is now home to 138 apartments that still retains the original walls and facade of the building, the exterior walls, steel structure, and most importantly, the ballfield, which instead of dirt, is now laid out with red-stamped concrete, and still hosts the occasional softball game. 

Also, every single apartment facing the infield has a balcony and patio that opens up directly to the field. 

The Original Bush Stadium in Indianapolis 

Indianapolis doesn’t have a Major League Baseball team, but are home to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, who are currently affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates. From 1931 until 1996, they called a ballpark named Owen J. Bush Stadium their home, but moved to Victory Field near downtown.  

Aside from being home to the Indians, Bush Stadium (also known as Perry Stadium, and Victory Field for a time) was home to a few different Negro league teams (The ABCs, American Giants, Athletics, Crawfords, and the Indianapolis Clowns). Even the great Hank Aaron played on the field as a Indianapolis Clown for a time. Bush stadium was also home to a Continental Football League team, and the Indianapolis Capitols, who won their league’s final championship in 1969. 

The stadium was also home to the baseball tournament, part of the 1987 Pan Am Games, which were hosted in Indianapolis 

The Closure of Bush Stadium

When the Indians moved to the NEW Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis, it left Bush Stadium empty, and for a time, it became a dirt track for midget car auto racing. But that only lasted a short time, and then closed soon after. 

The stadium was also used as a storage site from 2008-2011 as part of the Cash for Clunkers program. 

But THANKFULLY, in 2011, cooler heads prevailed, and the suggestion was made to retrofit the stadium into the apartments we see today.  

It is arguably one of the coolest complexes in the country, and as a baseball fan, I’d be stoked to live there.