Mascot Hall of Fame facing possible closure
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The future of the Mascot Hall of Fame and Interactive Children’s Museum in Whiting is in jeopardy. Mayor Steve Spebar told our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana that the museum would close if plans for an office complex in the surrounding Stadium District move forward.
The museum opened in 2019, and the building is owned by the city. Spebar said the museum has been costing the city about $500,000 in tax dollars each year and never reached its goal of becoming self-sustaining.
“It’s done better since opening after COVID but it’s never done financially well,” Spebar told the publication. “That’s no fault of the staff, who have done a fantastic job. We’re doing much better than when we first opened but it financially never performed as expected.”
The city’s redevelopment commission has issued a request for proposals to develop an office complex along Front Street and 119th Street near Oil City Stadium, The Times reported.
The city plans to sell about 40 properties in that area–which includes the Mascot Hall of Fame–for $20.4 million. Spebar said a new commercial development would generate tax revenue, something the Hall of Fame doesn’t do.
“They don’t pay any taxes. They take out of the city budget. So there would be an immediate benefit to a redevelopment. Assessed valuation potentially would be a major impetus of the project,” he said. “It could bring us financial security.”
The mayor also noted the project could bring in more people to the edge of the city’s business district.
A deadline for proposals from developers is set for Tuesday at 12:30 p.m., and the redevelopment commission will unveil and review the proposals that night during a public meeting.
“If there’s a deal struck, [the museum will] be closing,” Spebar said. “It’s no reflection on the staff, which has done a great job. They’ve got Whiting on Good Morning America, Nightline and USA Today. It draws from all over the United States. People come here on vacation. It’s got its loyal following. But it’s a business decision and we have to move forward. The city hope for a better financial picture over time and unfortunately now a potential sale is being considered.”
A final selection of the preferred proposal will be announced at a future redevelopment commission meeting, which will be open to the public.