Jim Irsay built everything we love about downtown Indianapolis
Some cities are shaped by rivers, some by railroads. Indianapolis was reshaped by sports. And no one left a deeper imprint than Jim Irsay.
Walk downtown and you'll see the evidence. Children playing in new parks, runners gliding on protected trails and a sports district rivaling cities twice our size. There are tower cranes above hotel rooftops, patios full on weeknights and a steady hum of out-of-towners attending some unheard-of convention.
Downtown is alive. People live here, work here and linger here. None of it happened by accident. This is very much part of the legacy of Irsay, who died May 21 at age 65.
This transformation stems from a strategy Indianapolis adopted earlier than most: a belief that, while businesses create jobs, cities create places. One of the most pivotal moments came in 1984, when Robert Irsay's Baltimore Colts arrived in Indianapolis.
The city had a vision. Leaders including former Mayor Bill Hudnut believed sports could be more than entertainment. They could shape identity, spur investment and give people a reason to come downtown. At a time when most American cities were watching their cores erode, Indianapolis made a bold choice: to bet on connection, culture and, yes, sports.
But it wasn't until Jim Irsay stepped into full leadership and the team drafted Peyton Manning in 1998 that the Colts became an unstoppable civic force. The rise of the Colts mirrors the city's own.
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The early 2000s marked a new chapter. The Manning Colts' playoff runs brought sellout crowds and national attention, but they also brought momentum. As Manning broke records on the field, the city was marking milestones of its own. The Indiana Convention Center expanded in space vacated by the former RCA Dome, allowing it to host larger events. Developers began investing in new housing and hotels near the stadium. Construction began on Lucas Oil Stadium, a major public-private investment that would reshape the city's event infrastructure forever.
The Colts were no longer just a sports team. They had become part of the city's economy. Their sustained success helped elevate Indianapolis to a top-tier convention and tourism market. That progress culminated in Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, which brought more than $150 million in direct economic impact and gave the city an unforgettable moment on the national stage.
The imprint of that era is still everywhere. Georgia Street, transformed ahead of the Super Bowl, functions as a civic plaza and festival corridor in the heart of downtown. Gen Con, once a niche gathering, attracts more than 70,000 attendees each year and ranks among the world's largest tabletop gaming conventions.
Visit Indy estimates the city hosted over 800,000 convention attendees last year, generating more than $900 million in direct economic impact. Downtown hotels outperformed expectations, with major events pushing occupancy rates to more than 113% of projected demand last year.
These wins ripple outward, supporting hundreds of small businesses, restaurants, coffee shops, hospitality workers, event crews and the countless everyday jobs that make a city go. It's an ecosystem built over decades, and Irsay was at the center. It's not just conventions brought by a new stadium. It's the Colts Canal Playspace, the expanded Cultural Trail, a new YMCA – all sponsored by the Colts.
Few cities owe more to a team that relocated. But even fewer owe as much to a team that stayed and to an owner who saw his franchise not as an island, but as part of the city's fabric.
Former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett has credited Indianapolis as the blueprint his city followed to revive its own downtown. The fact that this year's NBA Finals could come down to those very two cities speaks volumes, not just about basketball, but about civic vision and the long arc of strategic investment.
That story belongs to many leaders, planners, and institutions, but Irsay's role was singular. He understood that a sports franchise could be more than a team; it could be a partner in the life of a city. His investments extended into community engagement, philanthropic leadership and the kind of cultural presence that helped Indianapolis punch far above its weight on the national stage.
As an urban planner, I think about how Irsay came to embody the state he called home. Indiana, ain't it troubled sometimes? But it's also strong. Resilient. A little weathered. Often underestimated. It's got heart. It's bold when it needs to be. It knows how to endure. And, when it's wrong, it knows how to make things right. For all its faults, you love it.
The story of downtown Indianapolis rising from anonymity to become an event powerhouse isn't just a story of economics or infrastructure. It's a story of belief. And, in many ways, mirrors Irsay's own.
It's not the LED horseshoes along the Circle that let me know Irsay's impact. Nor is it the state-of-the-art YMCA downtown that bears his name. It's the rising skyline, packed sidewalks, the roar of a fall Sunday at the House That Peyton Built – all of it carries the imprint of Irsay's long-term vision.
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Taylor Swift wouldn't be performing three sold-out nights in Indianapolis without the infrastructure, momentum, and yes, reputation sparked by the investments Irsay helped set in motion. Even now, his presence is felt not just in the past wins, but in the way this city continues to dream forward.
Like his father before him, Irsay understood that a team needs a community just as much as a community needs a team. That relationship isn't optional. It's foundational.
Rest in power, Mr. Irsay. And, yes, the roof will be open.
Jeffery Tompkins is an urban planner. He lives in downtown Indianapolis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: From YMCA to Colts Playspace, Jim Irsay built downtown Indy | Opinion
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