Convention center, blight elimination bill advances to the governor

Demolition starts on the burnt-out remains of the Mahencha Apartments in Gary on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)
A bill outlining plans for the development of a Lake County Convention Center while creating a means to eliminate blight in Gary and revitalize the city’s downtown Metro transportation hub is heading to the governor’s desk.
Legislators in both houses pushed through Senate Bill 434 Thursday approving the conference committee reports in late marathon sessions and paving the way for Gov. Eric Holcomb’s signature.
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The bill was first introduced by Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, in 2022, and reintroduced this session where it gained traction. Melton said he was grateful for the bill’s passage.
“I’m thanking God that my bill (SB 434) passed last night and will be on its way to the Governor’s desk to sign into law,” Melton said in a Friday morning text to the Post Tribune.
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He lauded the bill for providing funding for the demolition of abandoned properties in Gary and towards a new $95 million Metro Station in the city’s downtown. The bill also provides funding toward a new $120 million convention center, potentially in Gary near the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana.
The bill will utilize gaming tax revenues generated by the Hard Rock to fund the projects in conjunction with matching local dollars. It establishes a convention center authority board and a transportation district board. The Regional Development Authority will facilitate the funding.
“This is a historic moment for Gary and Lake County,” Melton said.
State Rep. Hal Slager, D-Griffith, who was on his way back from Indianapolis to the region Friday morning after the late night session, said he was pleased and surprised the bill was able to move forward the way it did. Slager carried the bill in the House and authored amendments that helped move it forward.
“I think we ended up with a good framework to try and attract a convention center in Lake County,” Slager said, while at the same time a workable framework for the metro center revitalization in downtown Gary was created.
“I think that could very well be the seed to revitalize downtown,” Slager said.
The operational framework inserted into the legislation that helped get it over the line, Slager said. Initially, the bill had no parameters on how much would be spent and who would be in charge and how it would all be handled and the indication was it would not be heard in the House. Slager said the path forward was created when he was able to break up the parts of the legislation into individual funds and projects and lay the groundwork for how the projects would be funded and overseen.
The final bill and its amendments garnered wide bipartisan support, passing unanimously in the Senate.
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“It really was surprising,” Slager said.
Gary Mayor Jerome Prince said he was pleased with the outcome of the legislation.
“What started as a very narrow bill largely focused on a potential convention center has been refined with the help of many key leaders into a law that will help revitalize downtown Gary, removed blighted buildings and support transportation development districts,” Prince said.
Prince said when he learned that the bill was in trouble due to a lack of engagement from key stakeholders, he asked Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, to convene a meeting to solicit input and seek cooperation from members of the Lake County Republican delegation, who are key influencers in Indiana. He said they reached out to the Regional Development Authority as well.
“As a result, Sen. (Rick) Niemeyer, (R-Lowell), authored improvements in the Senate, supported by Sen. (Dan) Dernulc, (R-Highland), and in the House Rep. Slager authored a major amendment to improve the bill,” Prince said.
He credits the strong bipartisan relationships he built serving on the Lake County Council with Dernulc and Niemeyer and on the Lake County Solid Waste Management District with Slager as key factors in moving the bill toward success.
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Gary has struggled in the past to convince leaders in Indianapolis to devote significant resources to revitalize the city. Prince said his work with the Governor and numerous legislators was key to improving a bill that was on the verge of being shelved before it left the Senate and bringing a coalition together to build a bill that invests in Gary for the long term.