Convention center site hunt includes familiar locations
Study narrows choices down to five, considers the pros and cons of each
Now that an independent study has found that a 70,000square-foot convention center would be feasible in Lake County and would be an economic boost to the region, the question remains where it should be built.
In its study, Conventions, Sports & Leisure International narrowed the choices to five sites: the former Radisson/Star Plaza property and Century Mall, both in Merrillville; Silverstone in Hobart; Kennedy Avenue and Interstate 80/94 in Hammond; and Majestic Star in Gary.
Each site has advantages and disadvantages, according to the
The Lake County Council gives a cool reception to tax to pay for convention center. Page 6
study. The authors of the study said having a full-service quality hotel on-site is the most important attribute.
Being able to provide a mixed-use development onsite is also important. The chosen site also must be at least 10 acres, within a 10-minute drive of other hotels, along a major interstate or highway and within a one-hour drive of
Chicago.
Some city and town officials and property owners are touting their sites; others have remained silent.
Speros Batistatos, president and CEO of the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority, which has been pushing for a new convention center for years, said no particular site stood out from the others in his view.
“It’s not where the best site is, but which municipality will have the grit and guts to put together a package to pay for it,” Batistatos said of the convention center, which is expected to cost $58 million to build and to generate nearly $400 million in direct spending over 20 years.
The report, which was commissioned by the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, stated that providing incentives through tax increment financing and implementation of a food and beverage tax would be the most likely sources to pay for the convention center.
But Batistatos said the property owners and community officials should look for other sources as well. “Bring your best shot. Be creative,” he said.
Following is a rundown of the five top locations named in the study, in order of ranking, along with their pros, cons and likelihood factor.
Radisson/Star Plaza
At Interstate 65 and U.S. 30, the 25-acre site in Merrillville is owned by White Lodging.
The site that for decades was the region’s premier entertainment destination — with a hotel complex that included restaurants and ballrooms, the Star Plaza Theater and Twin Tower office buildings — earned the highest marks from the study’s authors.
They pointed out that the site is already widely recognized by the state and regional event market; it’s highly visible to Interstate 65 and U.S. 30; it’s close to a large concentration of hotels, restaurants and retail options; and there already are plans in place to build an upscale hotel on the site that could serve as a headquarters hotel.
Its main challenge is the need for a negotiated public-private partnership. White Lodging, which has been clearing away the old structures, has not unveiled its plans for the site except for the hotel. It’s unknown whether the company, owned by Bruce White, wants it to include a convention center.
Deno Yiankes, president and CEO of investments and development for White Lodging, said the company finds it encouraging to hear that its location is considered highly desirable and believes the site has the potential to be transformative for the region.
The company has said it wants the new plans to honor the legacy of Dean White, Bruce White’s late father and the person who brought the Radisson/Star Plaza to the region.
“We look forward to collaborating with the various parties involved and impacted by the study to bring to fruition the best possible development for the region at the crossroad of I-65 and U.S. 30,” Yiankes said.
Merrillville Town Council President Richard Hardaway, D-2nd, said the town would support a convention center at the site, if the White family wants it there.
“We would never want to be disrespectful to the White family if it’s not in their plans,” Hardaway said.
Batistatos said the White family has been working on plans for its site for a while and that this site could take longer to come to fruition.
“The Radisson site could take three to five years before it’s done. Century Mall could be done in less than two years. Everything is already there,” Batistatos said.
Other challenges for the Radisson location cited in the report include distance from Chicago, limited walkability, lack of existing nightlife and entertainment venues, and its suburban mall atmosphere.
Century Mall
Owned by Tri-Land developers, the site is 25 acres at U.S. 30 and Broadway.
The site of a former mall once anchored by Montgomery Ward is home to several popular restaurants, Old Tyme Pottery and little else despite its prime location near I-65.
The former Staples and Burlington Coat Factory stores are empty.
According to the report, the site’s strengths include its proximity to the largest concentration of hotel properties in the county, to existing restaurant and retail, and to I-65 and U.S. 30. It has enough space for future expansion and complementary development opportunities and is in a tax increment financing district, helping with the financing factor.
Challenges, according to the study, include a lack of existing nightlife and entertainment venues, the need to remove some buildings and build a new headquarters hotel, and limited walkability. While it’s in the midst of the region’s retail mecca, the report stated the suburban mall atmosphere doesn’t offer a unique destination appeal.
Hugh Robinson, executive president of Tri-Land, didn’t return phone calls seeking comment on whether the company would be amenable to having the convention center on its site.
But Hardaway said if the White family doesn’t want the convention center on its property, the town would probably push for the Century Mall site, if any.
“It’s been there a long time. The only viable retail there is Old Tyme Pottery,” he said.
He said there has been talk of building an underpass beneath U.S. 30, which would link the site to the former Radisson site, which White Lodging has said will include an upscale hotel and other amenities.
Hardaway said the town already has a number of hotels and continues to build more, providing plenty of hotel rooms for a convention center.
Hobart Silverstone
The site, 200 acres just north of the U.S. 30 and Mississippi Street intersection in Hobart, is owned by the city and developer Al Krygier.
Hobart Mayor Brian Snedecor and Krygier are bullish on the site amid the region’s largest hotel and retail district.
Housing for veterans already has been approved, and a sports facility is being considered.
Like the report’s authors, Snedecor pointed to its proximity to I-65 and U.S. 30 and the large amount of hotels and other amenities.
“It provides a lot of the needs that are important to people coming to a convention center,” Snedecor said.
“There’s enough space there for a convention center and a sportsplex.”
Krygier said Lake County already has spent quite a bit of money putting roads and sewers on the property for development and said he would be willing to donate the land, if the site is chosen.
“I hope it’s strongly considered,” Krygier said.
According to the report, the Silverstone site scores points for being close to existing hotels, restaurant and retail options and for having easy access to I-65 and U.S. 30; it has plenty of space to accommodate expansion and complementary development opportunities.
The site’s challenges include limited walkability, lack of existing development, the suburban mall atmosphere does not offer unique destination appeal, its distance from downtown Chicago and there’s no headquarters hotel onsite.
Snedecor said there is a biking/ walking path that goes near the Silverstone site, and there are plans to extend it east, going through Silverstone, making it more marketable.
He said Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission already has concluded a study on putting a tunnel under U.S. 30 to make the commercial area more walkable.
Another positive factor not mentioned in the report is that the Silverstone site has a lot of woods, making it more aesthetically pleasing, Krygier said. He said a water feature could be added.
“We could have an outdoor deck at the rear of the center facing the woods and water feature,” he said.
Kennedy Avenue and Interstate 80/94
Owned by the city of Hammond’s park board, the site is 25 acres.
This site, near the city’s Oxbow Landing development, has several points in its favor, according to the study’s authors. It’s close to existing hotels and reasonably close to Chicago, has easy access to Interstate 80/94, is large enough to accommodate a convention center and is publicly held, eliminating the need for negotiating a publicprivate partnership.
Another plus, according to the study, is the possibility that a water bridge would be built to connect to the land to the south in Highland.
On the negative side, there are no headquarters-quality hotel or existing development on-site, it’s close to wetlands, site preparation could be costly and walkability is somewhat limited.
To Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., this is the best location for a convention center.
“Hundreds of thousands of cars pass by there every day, and it’s 35 minutes from downtown Chicago,” McDermott said.
He said a bridge should be erected linking the convention center to the Oxbow area.
McDermott said Hammond and Highland would benefit from a convention center at the site, with additional restaurants and hotels built in the communities.
Batistatos cited several qualities not mentioned in the study. He said Purdue Northwest’s Hammond campus anchors the north end of the corridor, and Kennedy Avenue south of I-80/94 is walkable space that could take visitors from the Oxbow region to downtown Highland and its local retailers and restaurants.
“This is the only site with a walkable entertainment district,” Batistatos said.
Majestic Star
The site is 65 acres in Gary off Cline Avenue. It is owned by Majestic Star Casino.
The only site in the top five near Lake Michigan, Majestic Star also has an existing upscale hotel and has potential for significant destination appeal with the casino, its entertainment venues and the lakefront, according to the report.
It is also in an existing TIF district to help pay for construction and is a short drive to downtown Chicago.
There are few hotels nearby besides the one at Majestic Star Casino and few visitor amenities outside of the casino/hotel, the report noted. Walkability is also limited.
It would require a negotiated public-private partnership, the reported noted.
Neither the city of Gary nor Majestic Star returned several phone calls and emails for comment.
Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.