By Dan Shaw, Evansville Courier & Press
An Indianapolis company may erect a hotel in Downtown Evansville, but only after the city builds an arena there.
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Jamie Browning, vice president of development with Browning Investments, said the company thinks a four-star hotel would be a good investment only if it stood near an arena that city leaders are considering somewhere Downtown.
Browning said the company is announcing its plans now to show the public that a new arena would draw businesses to Evansville. That would fulfill the prediction of Gateway Consultants, hired by the city to help leaders decide what to do with the 50-year-old Roberts Stadium.
"This underscores what Gateway Consultants has been suggesting all along: That of all the sites we have looked at, the one with the greatest potential for economic development spinoffs is one in Downtown," Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel said.
Combination a draw for conventions
Browning believes building a hotel in combination with a new arena would attract more conventions and visitors to Evansville. Mike Whicker, executive director of the USS LST Ship Memorial Inc., said groups have declined to meet here because they wanted to avoid lodging their members in places far apart from each other. About a year ago, a group of nearly 1,000 Army Rangers chose to go elsewhere largely because of that reason.
The three hotels now in the city's Downtown - Casino Aztar, the Executive Inn and Le Merigot - contain about 820 rooms. But only the Executive Inn is near The Centre, where many conventions take place.
"I've found they don't like to split up all over creation," Whicker said. "They like to be in the same hotel, or in some cities they have three or four hotels in a row."
Browning said the proposed hotel would cost between $30 million and $35 million.
It would contain about 250 rooms, distributed among seven floors.
The first floor would have spaces for shops, restaurants and similar businesses.
Browning Investments is talking to several large companies about the possibility of running the hotel.
In Browning's plans, the hotel would be connected to the arena by adjacent structures, which could contain meeting rooms and exhibition space. Another diagram shows the entire complex standing on two blocks bordered by Southeast Fifth, Walnut and Locust streets. The Executive Inn and the D-Patrick Ford lot are there now.
Browning said the company has chosen no site for the hotel. Both the location of the project and the schedule by which it will be built largely will depend on the city's plans for the arena.
In its report, Gateway Consultants estimates a stadium with 10,000 seats will cost about $92 million.
Weinzapfel said before city leaders make a final decision, they want to see estimates of how much it will cost to build the arena at particular sites. Also needed will be a plan to pay for it. For those reasons, the city will hire an architectural firm and a financial consultant in coming weeks.
Weinzapfel said getting cost estimates may take several months. Once those are in hand, city leaders will decide if a stadium should be built and where it should go.
Weinzapfel said the city has not discussed the possibility of offering Browning tax breaks or other incentives to lure it to Evansville.
"We haven't talked with them about it," he said.
The timing of Browning's announcement pleased Weinzapfel. The company now can advise the city on where it thinks a stadium should be built, he said.
City Councilman Jeff Kniese, R-1st Ward, said Browning's plan is good for the city, but shouldn't exert influence on important decisions.
"I think my interest lies in what type of financing package is the mayor going to put together to build a new stadium, regardless of what location they may choose," he said.
City Councilman Curt John, D-at large, said he would like to see a hotel built near The Centre.
"I'm not going to say anything negative about the Executive Inn, but it's kind of seen its better days," he said.
John agreed that city leaders must find a way to pay for the arena.
Company gives city a close look
Browning Investments said it is looking at Evansville for several reasons.
Beyond the possibility of the arena, a new hotel would lead more of the many corporations that have headquarters in or near the city to hold conventions here.
Another reason is the likelihood that Casino Aztar soon will have a new owner, which may make the casino a more attractive destination.
In April, Eldorado Resorts LLC, a Reno, Nev., company, said it would pay as much as $245 million for Casino Aztar. Before that sale takes place, the Indiana Gaming Commission must decide if it will give Eldorado a casino license.
Browning's proposal for Downtown Evansville is similar to a project it had tried to undertake in Indianapolis. Browning was one of two companies that bid for the contract to build a hotel near the new Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Indianapolis Colts will play this year.
Also nearby is the Indiana Convention Center, which is being expanded.
Browning lost the contract to White Lodging Services, which plans to build several Marriott hotels on the site.
Browning said it liked the possibility of a new Evansville arena giving it an opportunity to invest in a similar project.
Staff writer Jimmy Nesbitt contributed to this report.