Advocates for expansion of the Monroe Convention Center consider it a logical next step as the community continues to grow — as does demand for convention space.
They argue Monroe County’s growth has outpaced the primary funding source of the county’s $360 million tourism industry, which employs more than 7,000 people and attracts on average 2 million visitors annually to the area. The innkeepers tax is the driver of local tourism, said Talisha Coppock, executive director of Downtown Bloomington Inc. Visitors pay the tax when they stay in hotel rooms and other lodgings for periods of less than 30 days. The tax has generated revenue for Monroe County for 40 years.
“The innkeepers tax has driven the whole tourism market from the beginning, and we want to make sure it keeps driving business,” Coppock said.
But dollars generated by the tax will not be enough to also finance an expansion of the downtown convention center, a development that is once again being discussed by government and tourism officials.
Preliminary costs for the latest plan, which includes the construction of a new hotel, are estimated at $72 million. Of that, $37 million, the cost of the proposed Embassy Suites hotel, is expected to be covered by a private developer.
The question now is who should fund the remaining $35 million.
Monroe County adopted a 3 percent innkeepers tax back in 1977. It was used to create Visit Bloomington, a group that partners with local organizations to promote Monroe County and attract visitors to the area.