The Lake County Council approved a resolution Tuesday seeking a study to assess the feasibility of building a convention center.
The resolution asked the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority to do an economic analysis and feasibility study on whether Lake County needs and can sustain a convention center.
Bill Hanna, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, said the organization’s board will have to consider the proposal and then work with county officials to define the scope of work.
If the study moves forward, Hanna said the authority will work closely with the county throughout the process. He said the study would be similar to the work done by the development authority to assess the feasibility of a trauma and teaching medical facilities in Northwest Indiana.
What the county is looking for from the study would define the length of time and amount of resources needed, Hanna said.
“The hospital study took close to a year,” Hanna said.
Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, introduced the resolution last week and told the Post-Tribune he was curious to see if there will be a need for a convention center now that the owners of the Radisson and Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville announced the facility will be demolished.
Bilski said last week that questions about how the facility would be paid for, what it would look like and where it would be located will all be answered after the feasibility study is complete. He said the first step is finding out whether it’s needed.
Twitter: @craigalyons
