BP behind project that would close Mascot Hall of Fame
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BP, which operates a massive oil refinery in Whiting, is proposing an office redevelopment project that, if approved, would lead to the closure of the Mascot Hall of Fame.
Mayor Steve Spebar told our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana the company was behind the initial idea for the project and was the only one to respond to a request for proposals.
The multimillion dollar project in the city’s Stadium District would involve an office complex along Front Street and 119th Street near Oil City Stadium.
The museum opened in 2019, and the building is owned by the city. Spebar previously told The Times that the museum has been costing the city about $500,000 in tax dollars each year and never reached its goal of becoming self-sustaining.
The mayor said the office project has the potential to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment and pay off the $11 million in debt the city owes on the Mascot Hall of Fame, according to the publication.
The project would allow BP to consolidate its office space at the refinery into the new location, which Spebar said would create a boost for downtown Whiting.
“They’ll be closer to the downtown business district,” he said. “It would bring a significant amount of workers closer to the downtown. That would do nothing but benefit the traffic for the business district.”
BP’s proposal is currently being reviewed by the city. Spebar said a timeline for completing the review isn’t known.