A proposal to build a convention center adjoining Hulman Center is now dead.
Instead, Indiana State University plans to seek approval to use a $37.5 million state appropriation to renovate Hulman Center, President Dan Bradley confirmed today.
The scaled-down plan for the facility in downtown Terre Haute will not require matching funds from the city, county and Convention and Visitors Bureau, he said.
In 2015, the General Assembly approved an authorization of $37.5 million to Indiana State to be used as a one-to-one match for a planned $75 million project to create a convention and arena complex.
The project involved a partnership between the university, city of Terre Haute, Vigo County and the Vigo County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A seven-member Capital Improvement Board was formed to oversee the project. While the three local partners — city, county and CVB — had committed about $26 million, there remained a roughly $11.5 million to $12 million funding gap.
Explaining the reasons for ISU's decision to move forward, Bradley said, "Given the fiscal constraints and other needs faced by our city and county governments, it is understandable that the other partners have not been able to develop a financial plan to fully support the required match.
"Therefore, after conversations at the state level and with our trustees, we feel the best course of action is to move forward with the renovation of Hulman Center and forego adding the additional convention/meeting space."
Bradley added, “We do not want to risk losing this $37.5 million state investment in our community, which is the second largest capital appropriation the university has ever received."
The appropriation is the only remaining higher education capital project from the 2015 state budget yet to be released.
“The clock is definitely ticking. We were successful, with the support of our local legislative delegation, in preserving the capital appropriation for two additional years during this past legislative session, but it was clear that the state expects progress. ISU has been encouraged to bring this project to a close and move forward,” Bradley said.
The request to move forward in seeking release of the funds will go to the ISU board of trustees at its meeting later this month; it also must be approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the State Budget Committee.
If required approvals are obtained, construction could begin as early as next spring.