The Terre Haute Convention Center is officially open for business, the city will dedicate a new art plaza in May that aims to link downtown to the Wabash River, and the city will host its first Pride Festival.
On this week’s installment of Ask The Mayor, Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett addresses these issues and more at City Hall. Listen to the full conversation with Indiana Newsdesk anchor Joe Hren by clicking on the play button above, or read some of the questions and answers below. A portion of this segment airs 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. Wednesday on WFIU.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Hren: After returning from two years due to COVID, I can't say it's like I never left... lots of changes here, especially in the parking lot and plaza. What is being installed?
Bennett: It's a project that's been kind of a few years in the making. But our parking lot - the government complex here, all the stormwater was collected and then put into the combined sewer system, which that's something that we're all working hard to eliminate and separate.
So we totally ripped out the parking lot and then installed some small vaults, if you will, in the tree section area where then we've got pervious asphalt, but then the water will be collected and drain into the sandy soil here and no longer go into our sewer system, which is tremendous.
And then the Turn to the River project is a partnership we have with art spaces here to enhance the government campus and help people to get from downtown to the river. And so phase one is in between the courthouse and City Hall. There'll be additional phases on this campus and then beyond the campus to actually get people a nice, enjoyable, relaxing pathway to get to the Wabash River.
Hren: It's interesting because Columbus is also embracing the river and more cities are realizing this is an economic tool as well, it's a shift in thinking from a hundred years ago or so.
Bennett: Roughly 15 years ago there was a major effort and we developed a plan for the riverfront. And we've been implementing ever since. So we're getting ready to start on another track to update that plan, celebrate the accomplishments, but then kind of look to the next phases. And Fairbanks Park is a big part of that.
We recently hosted an open house for the public and we've hired a consultant to help us develop a master plan for that. And, when you look back any community that's done riverfront things, it takes 20, 30, 50 years to get it done. And so I think we're doing really well for been doing this for 15 years.
Hren: The big news, the Terre Haute Convention Center is open for business and had a ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday.
Bennett: We started the planning of this back in 2014. And here we are today. Multiple events are being scheduled. I think we've got 65 over the next two and a half years. Some of the contracts aren't signed yet, but we're pretty confident it'll get done.
We believe this will ramp up since a lot of conventions and large events are booked out three years in advance. The impact will be that people come here and obviously book hotel rooms, which helps us from lodging tax perspective, when they go out to eat contributing to the food and beverage tax. And then just spending money with small businesses or wherever else they may do while they're here.
So who knows what the true measurement is at the end of the day, and I know it's going to be tremendous. It puts us on the map and does things that we couldn't do before. Its about having a great time, go home thinking that was a great experience. That will help us recruit people to live here, and everything else. It's a catalyst.
Hren: It's been a while, remind us how it's being funded?
Bennett: We created the CIB. Since the CIB is connected with the county, they're the ones that provided the bonding capacity. So we were able to do that through the food and beverage tax, which we're generating over $2 million a year with that. And then the city made a $10 million commitment of economic development funds, the county made a $10 million commitment. And the convention tourism bureau made a $5 million commitment. And then the city redevelopment commission added another $4 million. So we've got cash that comes in two times a year. And then the food and beverage tax is coming in monthly. And then the revenue now will start coming in from the actual events that are going on.
Hren: And I know the last time we talked, you're still looking at more hotels and parking?
Bennett: We're looking at two new hotels, we've had discussions with the ownership, they want to do it, they're ready to go. We're already turning business away at the convention center that they need another couple of hundred hotel rooms and so that's our next focus and effort is to get those hotels built with a small parking garage to support those two. We have to get it done.
Hren: I don't have this confirmed, but heard that some other conventions that maybe went to Bloomington or Indianapolis are booking here now.
Bennett: People travel around but they haven't been able to come to Terre Haute forever. I mean, some never. And so we're going to get in that circuit. And I think it's great for all of our Indiana communities, people go experience something different. And so we're gonna bring as many different things and get in on that circuit, if you will, and expose a lot of people to Terre Haute that have never had that opportunity. It brings people to Indiana.
Hren: Any word of a casino groundbreaking?
Bennett: The last I heard was it's still targeted for the end of May. They haven't set the exact date. But that's the goal, end of May, first week of June, somewhere in that two week span. Everything seems to still be on target, just waiting on a couple of final approvals, red tape kind of things. But it's all coming together very nicely.
Hren: The Pride Center of Terre Haute is getting ready to host its first ever Pride festival in the city. How much is the city supporting that?
Bennett: We've been very supportive with them creating their face downtown, I think that's really a neat thing that you have a place to go and visit, access resources. I attended their grand opening for that. And I pop my head in every once and awhile downtown just to see what's going on. But there's always a lot of energy there. And so now they're wanting to ramp that up and do more community activities.
And so absolutely, we'll help support them like we do everybody else here that's wanting to engage people and show us as a welcoming community and the more activities going on, the better. I always support that. And I think it's just kind of neat what they're doing and the approach they're taking. And it's been very positive.
