Hard Rock is dead-set on building a new Convention Center in Gary. It has invested $50,000 in an advertising campaign to try to drum up local support for the idea. The new multi-use space would go next door to Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana. The company has touted its benefits in terms of employment and economic development in the area.
Indiana residents are seeing commercials on their televisions and the internet from Hard Rock. That includes 30-second spots focusing on the Gary Convention Center development. Mayor Eddie Melton appears in the ad campaign in support of the convention center being built adjacent to the Hard Rock casino. In one spot, Melton claims a Hard Rock casino in his community would, “put Gary and all of Lake County back on the map.”
Hard Rock proposes reinvesting public funds from casino
Last month, Matt Schuffert, the President of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, met with citizens in a town hall style meeting in Gary. There, he explained that gaming taxes from Hard Rock Casino would pay for the proposed 145,000-square-foot convention center. The center could lure events to the region that has been racked by economic struggles in recent years. Retail spaces, hotel rooms, and restaurants would also be on the site.
In an email to the Chicago Tribune, Hard Rock spokesperson Pat Kremer said:
“Our focus is to educate people about the project and build excitement for the new local jobs and economic opportunities this will create. No tax dollars were used for these ads and no new tax dollars will be needed for the project if the Gary location is selected.”
Hard Rock would have a presence in the new development. The plan calls for a REVERB by Hard Rock Hotel that would be co-developed by the company.
The city of Hobart has also submitted plans for a Lake County Convention Center to be located within its boundaries. Lake County commissioners must make a decision on the venue by May 31.
