A bill to allow Vigo County to impose a food and beverage tax passed today in an 11-0 vote before an Indiana Senate committee.
Sen Jon Ford, R-Terre Haute, sponsored the bill seeking a 1 percent tax that could generate between $1.27 million and $2.1 million annually.
Several Vigo County and Terre Haute officials spoke in favor of the tax, including County Council President Aaron Loudermilk, Councilman Brendan Kearns and Vigo Commissioners Judith Anderson, Brad Anderson and Jon Marvel.
Commissioner Judith Anderson told the committee the concept is to “revitalize a historical downtown building into a hotel and parking.”
After the meeting, Anderson said the convention center/hotel would likely be located in the area of the Terminal Building facing Wabash Avenue.
Sen. Ford told the Tribune-Star the bill he is sponsoring has a sunset clause.
"It would go away after 23 years. Three years for the construction, and 20 years to fund it," he said.
Convention centers normally do not function without food and beverage tax support, Ford said.
Also speaking were Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett and City Councilman Karrum Nasser, along with Steve Witt of the Terre Haute Economic Development Corp and David Patterson, executive director of the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Bennett told the committee the city, county and CVB plan to use $25 million in EDIT money for the new convention center.
Vigo Councilman Brendan Kearns said, “We need an opportunity to fail. We need an opportunity to succeed, versus having somebody 70 to 80 miles away make that decision for us,” he said
Nasser told the committee he is “here to reaffirm the city council’s commitment of out part of the $25 million needed to make the convention center a reality."
A new convention center would be separate of Indiana State University, which last year decided to move ahead on its own with a renovation of Hulman Center.