Crows fly into downtown Terre Haute on an October night in 2017. The Capital Improvement Board has hired a company to study the crow problem as it relates to downtown.
Tribune-Star file/ Jim Avelis
The Capital Improvement Board put the crows that swarm the downtown area in the crosshairs Wednesday morning when it approved hiring a Chicago company — called Another Wild Goose Chase — to study crow mitigation. At its meeting at the Terre Haute Convention Center, the CIB also approved selling about 385 surplus seats from the Indiana Theatre.
Another Wild Goose Chase specializes in problematic bird solutions, and the nuisance crow population has invaded the city every winter for decades.
Lindsey English, the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce director of downtown Terre Haute, reported that crows are the No. 1 complaint from downtown businesses during the winter months. Hotels, for example, report that flare guns used to scare the birds away are more effective at scaring their guests.
Crows often roost near river-adjacent communities, and they hang out downtown because the buildings there make it warmer.
Biologists from Another Wild Goose Chase will come in January to examine the crow issue and visit the roofs of tall downtown buildings. Once a possible solution is reached, the Chamber expects some businesses will be amenable to help pay to execute it.
It is hoped that the solution will be implemented come autumn 2025.
Theater seats, other business
Indiana Theatre surplus seating, estimated to be worth approximately $5,000, will be auctioned off in a single lot. Potential bidders will be able to inspect the seats, said to be “in good shape” by CIB President and Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer, on Jan. 8 from 2-4 p.m.
Convention Center Executive Director Tennille Wanner gave an update of commerce generated by the building.
It hosted 16 events in November, bringing in 1,300 guests and accounting for 29 days of use. Many of the days were taken up by Amazon.com training. November revenue was $107,419 including parking fees. The Convention Center has generated $1,100,563 in business this year.
Wanner said that ticket sales for the Convention Center’s New Year’s Eve party are down from last year, even given that the event will offer mechanical bull rides. She said the event and its marketing will be revamped next year.
The Larry Bird Museum had 822 visitors in November for a total of 7,217 since its opening in late May. Drop-ins frequently surpass the visitors who had RSVP’d online, so the service handling the reservation system will likely not be renewed when its contract expires in five months.
Baker Tilly reported that receipts from the food and beverage tax are up 1% from 2023, translating into $28,000 in additional revenue.
It was board member Terri Conley’s last CIB meeting, as she’s stepping down to focus on dispersal of funds from the casino foundation board. Switzer appointed her to that board position. She said that her past four years with the CIB were “really enjoyable,” particularly working on opening the Bird Museum.
The next CIB meeting is scheduled for Jan. 22.
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