City Council discusses money for new downtown hotels, 2 skybridges

Mar. 7—An American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) appropriation for $14.35 million for a variety of city infrastructure projects received the lion's share of discussion Thursday night at the Terre Haute City Council meeting, most of it centering on $3 million intended for a downtown upgrade that would build two new hotels, an adjoining parking garage and a pair of skybridges.

In the end, however, the measure was tabled until the upcoming March 14 meeting.

Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun spoke of the measure, which would help pay for building a Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a parking garage on the grounds of the old Vigo County School Corporation headquarters on Wabash Avenue. Phase two of the project would add a Residence Inn on the other side of the parking garage.

Construction costs on the project would be $69 million, with $55 million coming from private investment, making for an 80%-20% private-public partnership, which a number of other Indiana cities have employed for similar projects.

Councilman Todd Nation told Brian Kooistra, executive vice president of Gibson Development, that he was pleased that the company had updated its blueprint to include two retail outlets on the ground floor of the parking garage — originally, the ground floor was to be completely given over to parking. But he felt that more ground floor space should be dedicated to businesses.

Councilman asked George Azar asked Kooistra what would happen if the council insisted on more retail space on the parking garage's ground floor. Kooistra replied that Gibson would take the project off the table.

Subsequently, no councilperson moved to act on the appropriation, which was tabled until the council's next meeting.

Other items in the appropriation that were stalled included contributing $3 million to constructing a railroad overpass at 13th Street and 8th Avenue, $4.5 million for upgrades to Rea and Herz-Rose Parks, $2 million for an upgrade to City Hall and $2 million for a Brown Avenue storm water project.

In other business, the council approved $250,000 in ARPA funds to the Terre Haute Humane Society, cleaning up a recent grant that had supported building a new pet clinic on its grounds. It approved $452,767 for vehicles for Emergency Medical Services and $5,000 from money issued by the state last year for storm funds to the Cemetery Board for equipment repair and maintenance.

The Terre Haute Parks and Recreation Department also received two appropriations from state-issued storm funds — $117,149.30 to buy new top-of-the-line, zero-turn mowers and $68,000 to repair the roof of a building at Hulman Links which stores equipment and chemicals which had been leaking for 15 years.

The council also approved amending the City Code concerning work within the public right-of-way, which City Engineer Marcus Maurer said had last been update in 2004. Construction techniques had changed since then, Maurer said, and the amendment would create a safer environment for streets and support itself financially. It would also address a recent spate in gas strikes caused by directional drilling, which Terre Haute has recently experienced at a higher rate than most Hoosier cities.

Later in the meeting, the council voted on four rezoning ordinances and four resolutions concerning the Department of Redevelopment.

David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.