Tensions are rising across Northwest Indiana as the Lake County Board of Commissioners nears a decision in the coming weeks between Gary and Hobart to host a new multimillion-dollar convention center. The proposal has surfaced a regional divide, with officials in nearby cities that host competing casinos taking public stances on the possibility of the center being built in Gary.
Hammond, home to Horseshoe Casino, and East Chicago, where Ameristar Casino operates, have had differing responses to Gary’s bid.
In Hammond, the Common Council passed a resolution last week opposing Gary’s bid for the convention center. The resolution states in part:
“The Common Council of the City of Hammond hereby strongly requests that the Lake County Commissioners do not select a location for a Lake County Convention Center at this time as it does not make economic sense, potentially subsidizes one casino at the expense of other casinos, including Horseshoe Hammond, and it is not in the best interests of taxpayers and residents of the City of Hammond.”
