
Lake Etta County Park may become Lake County convention, entertainment hub | Northwest Indiana Business Headlines
State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, is continuing to craft legislation aimed at developing a Lake County convention or entertainment facility in or around Lake Etta County Park in Gary.
Senate Bill 373 was scheduled for review by the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday. It was pulled from the committee’s agenda, however, after Melton decided the plan needed additional polishing.
The two-term lawmaker said he’s hopeful his revised proposal will be heard by the Senate panel sometime before Thursday’s deadline for Senate legislation to advance out of committee.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb delivers his 2022 State of the State address to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly
As originally devised, the measure creates a framework for centering a long-sought Lake County convention center, or a venue for “entertainment related events serving national or regional markets,” immediately southeast of the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana or roughly adjacent to Interstate 80/94 at Burr Street.
Lake Etta County Park would be the hub of the “Lake County Convention and Entertainment District” that would be established by the Lake County Council and managed by the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA), according to the legislation.
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Under the plan, the RDA could borrow money to develop convention or entertainment facilities in the district. Money to repay the debt would come from a variety of sources, including:
- A 3% increase in the Lake County innkeepers’ tax, with half the increase going to the entertainment district and the other half remaining with the county. The current innkeepers tax is a 5% charge, in addition to sales tax, tacked onto rates for hotel rooms and similar short-term lodgings in the county.
- A 1% food and beverage tax, on top of the 7% sales tax, applied to all restaurant or carry-out meals and drinks sold in an area of Gary bounded by West 25th Avenue on the north, Cline Avenue on the west, Ridge Road on the south, and Broadway on the east.
- All growth in state sales and income tax receipts in that same area for a 20-year period, up to $8 million a year, relative to the sales and income tax collections in the area during the 2021 state budget year, which ran from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.
- Diversion of 0.5% of the annual adjusted gross receipts earned by the operator of the Terre Haute casino for a 10-year period to recognize that the Terre Haute casino license once was assigned to one of the two Majestic Star casino boats in Gary.
The proposal likely faces long odds in the Republican-controlled General Assembly where any tax hike, let alone multiple tax hikes, generally are viewed with extreme skepticism — particularly in an election year where all 100 House members and 25 of 50 senators will be on the ballot.
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It’s also not clear whether Melton has sufficient support from all the entities expected to financially contribute to the plan, including the city of Gary, Lake County, the RDA, the State Budget Committee, and the Churchill Downs affiliate recently selected by the Indiana Gaming Commission to operate a casino in Terre Haute.
Separately, Merrillville also is seeking General Assembly approval in House Bill 1267 to enact a 1% food and beverage tax to fund a possible convention center at Century Plaza, near U.S. 30 and Broadway.
That proposal, sponsored by state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, is not expected to advance out of the House Ways and Means Committee prior to Tuesday’s deadline for House committee action.
Meet the 2022 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago
2nd Senate District
Represents: Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago, Gary (west side), Griffith, Hobart, Merrillville
Experience: State senator since 2008, previously served 1994-98; attorney
Committees: Commerce and Technology; Insurance and Financial Institutions (ranking member); Judiciary (ranking member); Rules and Legislative Procedure; Tax and Fiscal Policy; Utilities (ranking member)
State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary
State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary
3rd Senate District
Represents: Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart, Merrillville, Crown Point
Experience: State senator since 2016; community relations manager
Committees: Appropriations (ranking member); Education and Career Development; Health and Provider Services; Joint Rules; Rules and Legislative Procedure
State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton
State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton
4th Senate District
Represents: Ogden Dunes, Portage, Chesterton, South Haven, Burns Harbor, Beverly Shores, Michigan City, Westville
Experience: State senator since 2021; attorney
Committees: Corrections and Criminal Law (ranking member); Environmental Affairs; Local Government; Pensions and Labor; Public Policy
State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
5th Senate District
Represents: Valparaiso, Hebron, Kouts, Jasper County
Experience: State senator since 2007; attorney
Committees: Appropriations; Ethics; Health and Provider Services (chairman); Rules and Legislative Procedure; Tax and Fiscal Policy
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
6th Senate District
Represents: St. John, Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Winfield, Lowell, Newton County
Experience: State senator since 2014, state representative 2012-14; small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Local Government; Tax and Fiscal Policy
State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
8th Senate District
Represents: LaPorte County
Experience: State senator since 2016; consultant
Committees: Corrections and Criminal Law; Insurance and Financial Institutions; Judiciary; Local Government
Senate District 1 (vacant)
Vacant following Jan. 11 resignation of state Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond
1st Senate District
Represents: Hammond (south side), Munster, Highland, Griffith, Dyer, Schererville
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond
1st House District
Represents: Hammond, Whiting
Experience: State representative since 2018; retired Cook County, Ill., probation officer
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Family, Children and Human Affairs; Natural Resources
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago
2nd House District
Represents: East Chicago, Gary (west side)
Experience: State representative since 2016; small business owner
Committees: Government and Regulatory Reform; Roads and Transportation; Ways and Means
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary
3rd House District
Represents: Gary (downtown and east side), Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart
Experience: State representative since 2018; attorney
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Courts and Criminal Code (ranking member); Government and Regulatory Reform
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
4th House District
Represents: Valparaiso
Experience: State representative since 2006; aviation safety consultant
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Roads and Transportation; Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications (chairman)
State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City
State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City
9th House District
Represents: Michigan City, Chesterton, Beverly Shores, Long Beach, Westville
Experience: State representative since 2018; retired small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Natural Resources (ranking member)
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage
10th House District
Represents: Portage, Chesterton, Ogden Dunes, Burns Harbor, South Haven
Experience: State representative since 2008; financial solutions associate
Committees: Employment, Labor and Pensions; Roads and Transportation (ranking member); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron
State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron
11th House District
Represents: St. John, Cedar Lake, Lowell, Schneider, Hebron, Kouts
Experience: State representative since 2014; farmer, former state environmental regulator
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Development (vice chairman); Courts and Criminal Code; Environmental Affairs
State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster
State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster
12th House District
Represents: Munster, Hammond (south side), Highland, Griffith
Experience: State representative since 2020; small businessman
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Employment, Labor and Pensions; Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary
14th House District
Represents: Gary (south side), Merrillville
Experience: State representative since 1990; education professor at Indiana University Northwest
Committees: Education (ranking member); Judiciary; Local Government
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville
15th House District
Represents: Dyer, Schererville, St. John, Griffith
Experience: State representative 2012-18, reelected 2020; small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Ways and Means
State Rep. Douglas Gutwein, R-Francesville
State Rep. Douglas Gutwein, R-Francesville
16th House District
Represents: Newton, Jasper counties
Experience: State representative since 2008; small business owner
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Development; Environmental Affairs (vice chairman); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point
State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point
19th House District
Represents: Crown Point, Merrillville, Winfield, Lakes of the Four Seasons, Hobart
Experience: State representative 2014-2018, reelected 2020; small business owner
Committees: Family, Children and Human Affairs; Public Health (vice chairwoman); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
20th House District
Represents: LaPorte County
Experience: State representative since 2016; small business owner
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Roads and Transportation (chairman)