State Budget Committee OKs funding for Hulman Center project

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I get the BASF comparison, but the "scare mongering" was warranted. BASF has an awful track record when it comes to pollution. Also, losing out on BASF isn't the real problem, it was losing Columbia House, Pfizer, Sony downsizing, etc., that has hurt Terre Haute over the last 20 years. And I think it's worth noting that losing those businesses was no one's fault, certainly the city wasn't to blame. In each case, the business dried up - technology changed or the demand diminished.

As for the renovation, I have no doubt once the state funding comes through the city and university will find a way to get it done.
 
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I know I'm taking us further off topic, but found this list interesting:

http://terrehauteedc.com/index.php/...top-employers-terre-haute-vigo-county-indiana

When I worked at Columbia House in the late 90s (the company's peak), they were one of, it not the, top employer in the city with over 4,000 employees. Now the top employer in the city has just over 2,000, and three out of the top five are all publically funded. In another 10 years, you'll probably be able to remove Sony from this list, too.
 
bent20 said:
I get the BASF comparison, but the "scare mongering" was warranted. BASF has an awful track record when it comes to pollution. Also, losing out on BASF isn't the real problem, it was losing Columbia House, Pfizer, Sony downsizing, etc., that has hurt Terre Haute over the last 20 years. And I think it's worth noting that losing those businesses was no one's fault, certainly the city wasn't to blame. In each case, the business dried up - technology changed or the demand diminished.

As for the renovation, I have no doubt once the state funding comes through the city and university will find a way to get it done.
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Scare mongering is exactly what it was. Remember the guy with the British (or Aussie, I can't remember that clearly) accent who came to Terre Haute lamenting the horrible state of El Dorado, Arkansas? How horrible it was because of the BASF plant there? I read some articles from people in that area of Arkansas who said exactly the opposite - life was good in El Dorado. BASF was a good corporate neighbor. It was part of a larger agenda. But that's in the past and there's nothing to be done about it now.

My point was that diversity in the marketplace would make the closing or downsizing of existing companies hurt less. If we'd have gotten that BASF plant, who knows how many other companies might have taken advantage of the industrial park and even further diversified Terre Haute's employer base. Then, losing Columbia House, Pfizer, and others wouldn't have had the degree of effect that they did.

I've heard many times over the years that companies decided not to locate in Terre Haute because of the reticence of the people to accept new businesses. One developer even said that he was pulling the plug on his proposed development because after dealing with the almost automatic negative reaction of the people of Terre Haute to anything new, stating, "Terre Haute is not a speculative town. You don't want to sink money in here because you'll get no support and a lot of headaches."

The city should be going for every bit of private development it can get. Some will make it, some won't. But the key is getting enough to locate in TH that the ones that don't make it can be easily absorbed by the ones who do.
 
bent20 said:
BASF wouldn't have had the impact in Terre Haute that many assume.

http://wthitv.com/2014/11/11/basf-job-loss-still-impacting-vigo-county-today/

And nothing shows up for BASF in El Dorado, Ark. Google it and you come up with Lycus Ltd., which isn't even on a list of the town of 18,000's largest employers.

Yes, Terre Haute could do many things to be more welcoming to businesses, so can a lot of towns, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful.
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Being careful is a good thing. Having an automatic "NO" response to any new business is NOT a good thing. Particularly in this case, if the city is TRULY on the hook for nothing, why the outcry? Like I said, I don't know enough about the details of this Powerdyne thing, so I guess I'll give the mayor the benefit of the doubt. He's been a pretty good mayor, and I'd say he definitely has Terre Haute's best interests at heart.

Be careful, yes. But don't just run 'em out of town because they're new...
 
In the final state budget, approved last night, ISU was given authority to bond $75,000,000 for Hulman Center renovations. However, the state will only remiburse $37,500,000, or half. They also prohibited ISU from giving up or leasing ownership of the facility to any other entity without approval from the state. So, the role of the city and county is up in the air, if I read this right. And we all know that the Foundation is incapable of raising serious money, so where does ISU go from here?

What will be the consequences of this final budget approval to the project as originally stated?
 

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Here is an article... I guess 35 million for the Hulman Center is nothing to be upset with.... A lot can be done with 35 million... I would think there was some "fluff" in the original estimated cost.
http://www.mywabashvalley.com/story/d/story/state-budget-impacts/14914/9QFkpYKjiU6_U16HmrgVFg

64 million for the Nursing, Health and Human Services... that's a big win for ISU - Big picture - it's all GOOD. Reality - not what we hoped for - but Hulman will get better with 35 million + and the reason ISU exists - education.... wow... ISU will have a big impact on health and medical industries/professions with this improvement - this will help recruit talented students and professors.
Well... the IU Assembly Hall renovation will cost about the same as the Hulman Center was awarded - and we could come up with more. Interesting that ISU gets the same amount that IU has approved for Assembly Hall - and IU's was mostly a donation.
Things are getting better at a rapid pace is the reality. At least that's the way I see it. Some may disagree. Really... if anyone looks at ISU 8 years ago and looks at what has happened academically and in campus expansion/improvements - it's pretty kewl. I think most current students are tired of construction and there is more coming... LOL It's for the better.
 
southernindianaballer said:
64 million for the Nursing, Health and Human Services... that's a big win for ISU - Big picture - it's all GOOD. Reality - not what we hoped for - but Hulman will get better with 35 million + and the reason ISU exists - education.... wow... ISU will have a big impact on health and medical industries/professions with this improvement - this will help recruit talented students and professors.
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This! Worked in the healthcare filed my entire professional career and Indiana State has a good Nursing Health and Human Services Program that will only be elevated by this!
 
IndyTreeFan said:
In the final state budget, approved last night, ISU was given authority to bond $75,000,000 for Hulman Center renovations. However, the state will only remiburse $37,500,000, or half. They also prohibited ISU from giving up or leasing ownership of the facility to any other entity without approval from the state. So, the role of the city and county is up in the air, if I read this right. And we all know that the Foundation is incapable of raising serious money, so where does ISU go from here?

What will be the consequences of this final budget approval to the project as originally stated?
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That's interesting... ISU must retain ownership unless state approves otherwise... hmmm.... oh well... maybe ISU can reap the profits of a convention center instead of the city. LOL With some suites in Hulman - a positive bump in P&L should be seen, too. I kinda wondered why ISU would give up ownership if the plan/center would generate a profit. But who am I? LOL I must be missing something here? Help... anyone know more about what it takes to run/plan events at a convention center? It does seem to be out of the "scope" of a university's typical responsibilities. LOL What about beverages... Oh No! Surely, something can be worked out!
 
So basically the state will pay half of a $75M renovation to the Hulman Center, ISU has to come up with the other half?
 
southernindianaballer said:
That's interesting... ISU must retain ownership unless state approves otherwise... hmmm.... oh well... maybe ISU can reap the profits of a convention center instead of the city. LOL With some suites in Hulman - a positive bump in P&L should be seen, too. I kinda wondered why ISU would give up ownership if the plan/center would generate a profit. But who am I? LOL I must be missing something here? Help... anyone know more about what it takes to run/plan events at a convention center? It does seem to be out of the "scope" of a university's typical responsibilities. LOL What about beverages... Oh No! Surely, something can be worked out!
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Because they don't have the money to finance the project and in the bigger picture they NEED the renovations done because of decades of neglect to the building so someone else would be on the hook for upkeep while they could just "rent" it as needed I'd imagine.
 

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treeman said:
So basically the state will pay half of a $75M renovation to the Hulman Center, ISU has to come up with the other half?
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That is the way I read it, too.

If this project truly can be profitable and as good of a thing for the University as the made it sound, they need to come up with the money some how, some way. I don't care if that is a mix of donations, bonds and/or even dipping into the endowment. They have come a LONG way in the last 5-10 years and cannot slip back into the neglect and deflect mindset that plagued the University for decades.

This is where you'll see how good your leadership and fundraising truly are. It's not much, but I'd make a small donation towards the project if asked. Question is, will they dig deep and turn over every rock or just give the "well, we tried" line again?
 
I think the University is actually pretty happy with the bill as it passed. The University retains ownership of a valuable asset, but the city/county still want the convention center, so I think we'll see the full $75M spent and have a world class facility. I'm very optimistic after talking to a few people yesterday. This is a very good outcome for ISU.
 
Jason Svoboda said:
This is where you'll see how good your leadership and fundraising truly are. It's not much, but I'd make a small donation towards the project if asked. Question is, will they dig deep and turn over every rock or just give the "well, we tried" line again?
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I will actually not donate toward this project. Not until they give me a definitive answer as to how and when the "Phases" of the new track will be started/completed and how they plan to pay for it. I aint giving them another dime until then. Why you ask? Because you can't just keep coming out and saying you are going to do these damn projects in phases and then not communicating a timeline or a plan to "phase" out a project. By defintion, that is not a project being done in "phases" at all - it is called Phase 1 and that is the only phase that they ever really planned to do in the first place. I don't care if it takes 10 freaking years and the track needs resurfaced again by that time, give me the plans and how you plan to pay for it.

Done.
 
I'm with SSOM here, I will not give another penny to ISU until a definitive fund raising campaign comes out to finish the new track complex. I'm still not happy with the foundation reducing the amount of money donated by the Gibsons, you simply do not ask people to give less money than they want. It's inexplicable.
 
SycamoreStateofMind said:
I will actually not donate toward this project. Not until they give me a definitive answer as to how and when the "Phases" of the new track will be started/completed and how they plan to pay for it. I aint giving them another dime until then. Why you ask? Because you can't just keep coming out and saying you are going to do these damn projects in phases and then not communicating a timeline or a plan to "phase" out a project. By defintion, that is not a project being done in "phases" at all - it is called Phase 1 and that is the only phase that they ever really planned to do in the first place. I don't care if it takes 10 freaking years and the track needs resurfaced again by that time, give me the plans and how you plan to pay for it.

Done.
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I agree with your sentiment. Been saying it for years.
 

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IndyTreeFan said:
I agree with your sentiment. Been saying it for years.
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Thank you... Generally speaking, I don't intend to road block fundraising efforts for what I also believe to be an important project. The Hulman Center renovation is long over due and I'd love to assist finically, but not until they give me the answers I am looking for with the Track and Field facility. Not until they call every single track and field alum and ask them to give toward that facility - I simply will not do it, not until they do it the right way.
 
SycamoreStateofMind said:
I will actually not donate toward this project. Not until they give me a definitive answer as to how and when the "Phases" of the new track will be started/completed and how they plan to pay for it. I aint giving them another dime until then. Why you ask? Because you can't just keep coming out and saying you are going to do these damn projects in phases and then not communicating a timeline or a plan to "phase" out a project. By defintion, that is not a project being done in "phases" at all - it is called Phase 1 and that is the only phase that they ever really planned to do in the first place. I don't care if it takes 10 freaking years and the track needs resurfaced again by that time, give me the plans and how you plan to pay for it.

Done.
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Fair enough. If I were a Track/XC alum I'd shut my wallet until I got answers as well.
 
The city and county will benefit from this project greatly in hotel rooms, restaurants and virtually most of the hospitality industry seeing a increase in business so I don't see where the ownership issue is a problem. I would think they would be the same people that would give huge donations to see this get done. Does Vigo County have a restaurant tax like Marion and surrounding counties have for LOS? Nobody likes to raise taxes but it is always better to hit people passing through instead of your residents. What is the hospitality tax rate on hotel rooms? Just some thoughts.
 
That's kinda what I thought... But... as it was presented - it will be a profit center - and I think it will be "profitable" based on what i have seen with other facilities... Profitable for the facility owner and the surrounding hospitality industry, etc. So why give it up, as they planned to do initially? If it's profitable they generate funds to maintain the facility and retain ownership to do more of what they want and control the renovation plans. I like it better with ISU retaining ownership... They can employ ISU kids as marketing majors and create more hands-on learning opportunities for Business, Engineering, etc. It's a big business - convention/hospitality/sports. They better get "good/key" people managing it - usually another firm to manage... but in agreement with ISU will be nice. After they digest this and the final plans are finished - hopefully they release a donation/marketing plan.
 
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