Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
  • Membership
    • Business Directory
    • Become a Member
    • Benefits of Membership >
      • Interested in Membership
    • Levels of Membership
    • Member Portal & Materials >
      • Member Login
    • Chamber App
    • Connect Bloomington
    • Member Resources
  • Events & News
    • Signature Events >
      • Community Awards Nominations
      • Educator of the Year Nominations
    • Chamber Events Calendar
    • Sponsorship
    • Member News
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Chamber News
  • Initiatives & Resources
    • Bloomington Women in Leadership >
      • BWIL Steering Committee
    • The Success School
    • Young Professionals Bloomington >
      • YPB Community Resource Page
      • YPB Steering Committee
    • Business Resources
    • Job Board
    • Community Calendar
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy Matters Updates
    • Legislative Agenda
    • Local Government
    • Advocacy Resources
  • About Us
    • Contact Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Press & Media
Member Login | Join Us!
Member Login | Join Us!

Chamber News
Press Releases & News Updates

Bloomington’s initial convention center pitch: County transfers property, city pays debt, gets hotel tax

8/10/2022

0 Comments

 
NOTE: This article that highlights President & CEO, Eric Spoonmore's, involvement was published in the August 5, 2022 B Square Bulletin by Dave Askins. Photos are gathered from the article as well.
Picture
Panorama of convention center looking to the southwest.
The initial potential term sheet that has been floated by the city of Bloomington for the acquisition of the Monroe County convention center is now public.

The key points of the proposal include the transfer of the convention center at 3rd Street and College Avenue to the city of Bloomington—as well as other property that has been purchased by the county government with proceeds from the innkeeper’s tax.

The city wants to acquire the convention center, in order to purse an expansion of the facility independent of the county, because the joint venture between the two governments was stalled even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Under the terms, the county would also have to support an annual transfer from the county to Bloomington, or its property manager, the proceeds from the county’s 5-percent innkeeper’s tax. The tax is overseen by a five-member convention and visitors commission, which is appointed by county government. It’s the innkeeper’s tax that is used by the county to make the payments on the existing debt on the convention center.
Picture
View of the convention center looking southwest from the top of the 4th Street parking garage.
As part of the term sheet, Bloomington would pay off the existing debt, which is about $2.5 million. The only other direct compensation for any real estate would be for property that the county has acquired using “non-convention center-dedicated funds.” That appears to be synonymous with “funds other than innkeeper’s tax revenue.”

Other property that has been acquired by the county for the convention center expansion, like the former NAPA auto parts store at 3rd and Walnut Streets, would simply be transferred to the city, without cash compensation.

There are two items among the initially proposed terms that do not appear to have a direct connection to tourism or a related property transfer.

Under the terms, Bloomington would transfer to the county health department the city’s share of the statewide opioid settlement, which amounts to a total of about $1.9 million. Under a separate item on the term sheet, Bloomington would agree to operate public bus service outside city limits to Ivy Tech, charging the county the actual extra cost to provide the service.

Also included in the term sheet is the county’s retention of receipts from the food and beverage tax that are collected outside the city limits. But that’s already how receipts from the tax have to be distributed under state law. [IC 6-9-41-13]

The Friday release of the initial term sheet came after a Wednesday pitch made by Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce president Eric Spoonmore and Bloomington deputy mayor Don Griffin to county commissioners. Their pitch came during public commentary at the regular Wednesday meeting of the commissioners.

At that meeting, Spoonmore told commissioners he had a spot on next Tuesday’s regular county council meeting. The initial term sheet was included in the information packet released in mid-afternoon on Friday for the county council’s Tuesday meeting.

Spoonmore has been conducting a kind of shuttle diplomacy between the county and the city on the convention center expansion.

Responding to a B Square question on Friday afternoon, Spoonmore stressed that the initial term sheet is supposed to be just the start of a conversation. “My goal going into this is for everyone to have an open mind—that this is just a starting point,” Spoonmore said. He added, “ Based on my conversations with the city administration, …they’re willing to consider any reasonable response.”

County commissioners did not respond on Wednesday, saying they had not been given any details of the proposal.
It will be the county council that has the first public venue to discuss the issue. Responding to a B Square question on Friday, county councilor Geoff McKim said, “I support in principle the idea of transferring the convention center to the city. I see the offer that is being made as a good opening to the conversation.”

Responding to a B Square question on Friday, county councilor Marty Hawk said she wanted the county legal department to outline the legal steps that would be required for any such deal.

Hawk noted that the innkeeper’s tax is enabled under a state statute, and she wants to make sure that no deal the county might strike would wind up being a way to try to circumvent the state statute. [IC 6-9-4]

Analysis of initial term sheet
Running buses outside the city limits to serve Ivy Tech has long been a topic of conversation. The legal questions that need to be answered are supposed to be included as part of Bloomington Transit’s strategic plan, that is currently being developed.

An arrangement to provide public transportation for Bloomington residents who travel just outside city limits to Ivy Tech could be negotiated outside any convention center land deal.

The roughly $1.9 million that Bloomington anticipates receiving from the opioid settlements are supposed to be paid out by drug companies over a period of 18 years. In addition, 70 percent of the local government settlement share has to be used for treatment, prevention, and care.

A county health department, more than any city government, would be in a better position to expend those funds under the requirements of the settlement. A case could be made that the city should look at transferring its opioid settlement money to the county health department, independent of a convention center deal.

Bloomington is proposing to pay off the existing debt on the convention center. But Bloomington would get the receipts from the innkeeper’s tax under the proposed deal. So the idea that Bloomington would pay off the existing debt would follow from the fact that the innkeeper’s tax is the source of funding for the convention center’s existing debt service.

So the city’s proposed deal suggests that the city sees the proposed transaction simply as a shift in the governmental stewardship of a tourism facility, which is funded by tourism dollars—not really a real estate deal.

That’s consistent with McKim’s commentary: “The county neither pays anything from general funds into the convention center nor takes anything out. It is funded by tourism dollars, which by statute the county controls.”
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Chamber News

    This blog contains press releases, other news updates from the Chamber, news articles and radio interviews featuring interviews with the Chamber and team members,  and much more!

    All press releases have been sent out to community organizations and news agencies. Downloadable version of these press releases are available at the end of each blog post.

    ​
    For media inquires, please contact Director of Communications & Events, Kaytee Lorentzen.

    ​Categories

    Categories

    All
    Advocacy Matters
    Annual Meeting & Community Awards
    Appointments And Staff Updates
    Best Places To Work
    Bloomington Women In Leadership
    Board Of Directors
    Business After Hours
    Business Outlook
    Chamber Insider Update
    Chamber In The News
    Community Conversations
    Connect Bloomington
    Convention Center
    Diversity Equity And Inclusion (DEI)
    Educator Of The Year
    Elect Connect
    Equity
    Event
    Federal Focus
    Futurecast
    Glass In The Afternoon
    Golf Scramble
    Guest Column
    Health & Business
    Hometown Hero
    Honors & Awards
    ICEA
    It's Your Business
    Legislative Preview
    Local Government
    News Articles
    Partnership
    Podcast Interviews
    PPE
    Press Release
    PrimeTime Business Expo
    Public Transit
    Radio Interviews
    Showcase Bloomington
    SMART Business Summit
    Success School
    Ten Under 40
    Valor Awards
    Video
    Women Excel Bloomington
    Young Professionals Bloomington

    Archives

    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020

    RSS Feed

    Sign Up For News
Contact Our Team | Business Directory

Our Chamber

​The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce provides leadership through member engagement, business advocacy and civic partnerships to strengthen our community and business environment.

Main Contact

421 W 6th Street, Suite A | Bloomington, IN 47404
[email protected]
(812) 336-6381

Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00am - 500:pm
Friday: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Trust Center
​
Media Center
Speaking Requests

There is a no refund policy for events.  If you need to reassign your ticket to another person we will be happy to update our attendance list. Thank you.

Chamber Info

About Us
Board of Directors
Contact Our Team

Chamber Resources

Business Directory
Chamber Events Calendar
Member News
Chamber News
Membership Application
Member Login
Business Resources
Picture
Copyright The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved.
  • Membership
    • Business Directory
    • Become a Member
    • Benefits of Membership >
      • Interested in Membership
    • Levels of Membership
    • Member Portal & Materials >
      • Member Login
    • Chamber App
    • Connect Bloomington
    • Member Resources
  • Events & News
    • Signature Events >
      • Community Awards Nominations
      • Educator of the Year Nominations
    • Chamber Events Calendar
    • Sponsorship
    • Member News
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Chamber News
  • Initiatives & Resources
    • Bloomington Women in Leadership >
      • BWIL Steering Committee
    • The Success School
    • Young Professionals Bloomington >
      • YPB Community Resource Page
      • YPB Steering Committee
    • Business Resources
    • Job Board
    • Community Calendar
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy Matters Updates
    • Legislative Agenda
    • Local Government
    • Advocacy Resources
  • About Us
    • Contact Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Press & Media