Proposals are not due until next month, but the city of Gary, in partnership with Hard Rock Casino, wants to convince the county that the Steel City is the best location for any potential convention center.
The agreement, which includes Robinson Engineering and AECOM as part of the project, was approved by the Gary Board of Works at its Sept. 20 meeting.
“We are pleased to join forces with Hard Rock Northern Indiana in our quest to secure the bid for the Lake County Convention Center,” Mayor Eddie Melton said in a statement. “This partnership represents a significant step forward in our efforts to revitalize Gary and create new development opportunities to serve the entire Region. With Senate Bill 434, a bill that I authored during my last session as Senator of the State, we have an opportunity to be bold and leverage our best resources to maximize what a convention center could do for the Lake County economy.”
In May, the Lake County Board of Commissioners issued a request for proposals from potential developers — with an Oct. 16 deadline — that they need to meet a comprehensive specification package.
The Board of Commissioners will be responsible for selecting the entity or entities that will build and operate a convention center before June 1, 2025.
Melton and the Hard Rock team said they are considering various locations in Gary for the Lake County Convention Center, but the Hard Rock Casino property ranked second in a March 2024 market study.
Other top sites include Hobart’s Patriot Park at 7800 Mississippi Street at No. 1, the old Century Mall on the south side of US 30 in Merrillville was third, the former Radisson Star Plaza site in Merrillville ranked fourth, and Kennedy Avenue at Interstate. 94 in Hammond rounded out the top 5 in the list developed by Johnson Consulting.
Matt Schuffert, president of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, said they are excited to be the private partner of the city of Gary to create a successful proposal.
“We believe this will be a huge economic driver for all of Lake County and will have a huge positive impact on the community,” Schuffert said.
When a proposal is accepted by the commissioners, negotiations begin on legislation and funding. Under the legislation authored by Melton, the Lake County Council can increase the state inn tax – currently 5% – by an additional 5% to provide a revenue stream for the project. But a private sector partner would be needed for the project to move forward.
The Regional Development Authority will have financial oversight of the revenue collected for the center, and the center will be overseen by a six-member board, and the commissioners will appoint three board members.
Post-Tribune archives contributed.