The proposals aren’t due until next month, but the City of Gary, in partnership with Hard Rock Casino, wants to convince the county that the Steel City is the best location for any potential convention center. The agreement, which includes Robinson Engineering and AECOM as part of the project, was approved by the Gary Board of Works at its Sept. 20 meeting. “We are happy to join forces with Hard Rock Northern Indiana in our pursuit to secure the bid for the Lake County Convention Center,” Mayor Eddie Melton said in a statement. “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our efforts to revitalize Gary and create new development opportunities to serve the entire Region. With Senate Bill 434, a bill I authored during my last session as State Senator, we have the opportunity to be bold and leverage our best assets to maximize what a convention center could yield for Lake County’s economy.” In May, the Lake County Board of Commissioners issued a request for proposals from potential developers — with an Oct. 16 deadline — that need to meet a completed specification package. The Board of Commissioners will be responsible for selecting the entity or entities that partner to build and operate a convention center before June 1, 2025. Melton, and the Hard Rock team said they are considering various locations in Gary for the Lake County Convention Center, but the Hard Rock Casino property ranked second in a March 2024 market study. Other top-ranked sites include Hobart’s Patriot Park at 7800 Mississippi Street at No. 1, the old Century Mall on the south side of U.S. 30 in Merrillville was third, the former Radisson Star Plaza site in Merrillville ranked fourth, and Kennedy Avenue at Interstate 94 in Hammond rounded out the top 5 in the list developed by Johnson Consulting. Matt Schuffert, President of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, said they’re excited to be the City of Gary’s private partner in creating a successful proposal. “We believe that this will be a huge economic driver for all of Lake County and will have a large positive impact on the community,” said Schuffert. When a proposal is accepted by the commissioners, negotiations will begin based on the legislation and funding. Under the legislation authored by Melton, the Lake County Council can raise the state innkeeper’s tax — currently 5% — by as much as an additional 5% to provide a revenue stream for the project. But a private sector partner would be necessary for the project to go forward. The Regional Development Authority will have financial oversight of the revenues collected for the center, and the center will be overseen by a six-member board, and the commissioners will appoint three members of the board. Post-Tribune archives contributed.