(NETWORK INDIANA) A convention center project in Terre Haute had stalled because of an ordinance filed by city councilor Todd Nation that would have limited the amount of surface parking there could be in downtown Terre Haute in the area of 7th Street and Wabash Avenue. Developers said if there is not enough parking then there could not be a convention center.
But, councilors discussed the ordinance and Nation decided to withdraw that ordinance, which will now allow for further discussions about the convention center. However, Nation withdrew the ordinance under the condition that parking issues be thoroughly looked at over the next two to three years.
“In those two or three years we can be setting a community course to figure out just exactly what we are going to build at 7th and Wabash,” Nation said after Thursday night’s meeting. “By working together we can figure out what we are going to build, how long it will take and who’s going to pay for it.”
“Councilman Nation did a lot of work on this, he did a great job,” said council president George Azar.
Azar said they will now look at forming a committee to deep dive into what the problem are when it comes to parking in downtown Terre Haute and how they plan to fix those problems.
As for the convention center, for now the tentative plan is to pursue an agreement with the Vigo County School Corporation to purchase their downtown corporate office and use the space for convention center and downtown parking.
A construction contractor still has yet to be selected to build the new convention center and an operator of the center also stil has to be nailed down.
