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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=23544

County hears multipurpose facility idea at workshop

Craig Davison
For The News-Dispatch

WESTVILLE - Two men want to build a sports and entertainment arena in La Porte County that would house a junior hockey team, another sports tenant and be able to host concerts and other events.

The multipurpose facility would be a destination for La Porte County in a public-private venture, said Val Belmonte, who with William "Buddy" Meyers is developing the plan.

Belmonte said they could host up to 150 events a year and draw as much as half a million people.

The two described their plan to the County Council and County Commission on Tuesday night in a workshop meeting. The details are still early; they don't have a location or a request for a specific amount of money from the county.

Meyers said that since 1998, he has been trying to bring a junior hockey team to Michigan City. He said he wants to keep trying and to bring tax dollars into the county with this venture.

"I'm not giving up the chance to do it," Meyers said.

At the council's regular meeting following the workshop and another workshop on Purdue University-North Central's effort to build a $34 million student services and activities complex, the council approved about $274,000 for the county parks department.

The money will go toward replacing a dam at Red Mill Park that is on the verge of failing. Parks superintendent Tim Morgan told the council that it will fix a liability and maintain a resource. In last September's heavy rains, "we were within hours of losing the dam," he said.

The total cost of the project is $1.87 million. The federal government will pay 65 percent, or $1.2 million, and the county will pay the rest, about $656,000, with work-in-kind, the La Porte County Park Foundation and the money appropriated Tuesday.

The council also passed an order asking for the $100,000 it appropriated in November to the effort to bring 2-1-1 into the county. The three-digit dialing code refers callers to health and human services agencies. Council President Mark Yagelski said that there is still no signed contract and that progress is not being made.

"This was not what we agreed to," he said.

The council passed the second reading of an ordinance to repay the $5 million loan it took from the emergency fund and to borrow $9 million from the same account.

The council also tabled a request from the La Porte County Sheriff's Department about recording systems for the cameras in the jail.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs..../905289863/1130

Indoor arena proposed for LaPorte County
By STAN MADDUX
Tribune Correspondent

LAPORTE — A 5,000-seat-plus indoor arena is being pitched for the Michigan City area to host major sporting and other events.

Buddy Meyers, the owner of the Chicago Wolves professional hockey team, presented the drawings to members of the LaPorte County Council in a special session earlier this week.

Meyers, who lives part time in Long Beach, Ind., is proposing the $25 million arena south of Interstate 94 along U.S. 421.

One of the sites being looked at is close to Purdue North Central.

“This is something that would bring untold tourism dollars into LaPorte County at a time where, obviously, the county needs any kind of fiscal injection that it can get,” said Jason Miller, sports development manager with the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Farm teams for the Wolves would play in the arena, but its other uses could include National Collegiate Athletic Association events, motocross and concerts, said Miller, who has worked closely with Meyers during the past few weeks.

There's also talk of a shared use with Purdue North Central to allow the campus near Westville to host events like home basketball games and graduations.

Mark Yagelski, LaPorte County Council president, said there is no time frame and plans are still in a state of flux. But, he said, the goal is to have the arena built in the next couple of years.

With Lake Michigan and other summer attractions, Yagelski said, an arena would fill a need for attractions here year-round.

“In the winter, people have bowling leagues they belong to but this would offer some things we could do during the winter,” Yagelski said.

Miller said the idea was first pitched about 10 years ago but for whatever reason, the plans didn't come together.

Officials said use of the proposed facility then was geared more toward hockey. Now, though, much broader uses are envisioned. Officials, though, cautioned all uses for such a stadium are in the very preliminary stages.

“It's kind of a moving target right now. It changes every day,” said Jack Arnett, executive director of the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “There are several elected officials that seem really interested in this, which is exciting.

“From a tourism standpoint, we're all over this. We feel this is something that needs to happen.”