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ISU Renovation Funds Fall Short
A planned $75 million renovation of Indiana State University’s arena and construction of a Terre Haute convention center face a $12 million funding gap that has caused the project to grind to a halt while officials try to find more money.
Nation Group – Hulman Center Rendering
The state legislature has appropriated $37.5 million for the Hulman Center project, but local officials have so far only dedicated about $26 million.
Rob Proctor of Ratio Architects told the Vigo County Capital Improvement Board June 21 that delays in procuring the funding, and seeking bids for construction, serve only to drive costs up further.
As it stands, he estimates the cost to renovate the 10,000-seat Hulman Center arena at $20 million, the adjoining convention center at $25 million, and another $15 million in shared costs, according the Terre Haute Tribune-Star.
That budget apparently does not include $2 million the CIB approved in November to hire a “project facilitator” that would, in turn, find a company to operate the facility.
Proctor reportedly asked the CIB if it “can really do a $75 million project?” Board member Greg Goode asked Proctor if Ratio Architects have a “Plan B or Plan C” to reduce costs.
Proctor responded that the design could be “simplified and made more ordinary” with a redesign of the dock area, adding, “We have gone about as far as we can go [as far as design] … We are on hold currently, pending your direction.”