Merrillville Explores Food & Beverage Tax
(photo courtesy: The Times of Northwest Indiana)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowMembers of the Merrillville Town Council are discussing whether it’s time to pursue a 1% sales tax on food and beverage purchases to help fund an event center.
Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report a developer has expressed interest in transforming a former Burlington Coat Factory store on U.S. 30 into a 140,000-square-foot convention center.
The publication says Tri-Land Properties, which owns the Century Plaza, has been investigating development plans. The property near the vacant store also has space for other amenities, like hotels and restaurants.
“It’s $50 million for the convention center, it’s $150 million when you put the hotels and the restaurants in,” Tri-Land Properties president Richard Dube told the paper.
The paper says Tri-Land is seeking a public-private partnership, which launched the discussion between council members about a possible food and beverage tax in Merrillville.
The city of Gary is also reportedly considering a 1% food and beverage tax.