Lake County eyeing convention center with state help
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Lake County is continuing to explore the possibility of building a new regional convention center.
The Lake County Board of Commissioners decided unanimously to scope out and hire a consultant to help with specifications in line with such a development, according to our partners at the Times of Northwest Indiana. This development means local leaders are taking advantage of a new state law encouraging convention and event center development.
Last legislative session’s Senate Enrolled Act 434 requires county commissioners to solicit convention center and potential hotel proposals through May 31, 2024. Afterward, the board will hold public meetings to vet the proposals with an initial decision needing to be made before Dec. 1, 2024.
The state said it would assist the project with funds up to $5 million a year if it was matched by the convention center’s host community or another entity that would fund and operate it. The money would stem from the estimated $18 million a year the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary will pay the state each year starting in 2025.
The Lake County Council can also raise the county innkeepers tax from 5% to up to 10%.
No destination for this development has been established.
The publication reported the process will likely overlap with a mandatory feasibility study meant to evaluate if such a center is needed. However, Commissioner Mike Repay, D-Hammond, said he is confident the study will inform proposals.
Officials have supported the idea of a convention center for several years. In 2018, a study commissioned by the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority suggested such a venue would bring in $400 million to the local economy and more than $44 million in local and state tax revenue over the next 20 years.
But the new study, also to be led by the RDA, would focus on the dynamics of a convention center post-pandemic.