Council Takes Next Step toward Convention Center and Arena

TYLER — The Tyler City Council received two presentations Wednesday that could ultimately lead to a new hotel conference center in Tyler as well as an arena. “The genesis for both of these projects was Tyler 21 and the Industry Growth Initiative (IGI),” said Mayor Barbara Bass. There was also follow up tax adjustment activity in the state legislature and city council aimed at expediting the project.

Consultants brought in last November have now found that Tyler is uniquely positioned to attract private investors for the construction and management of a full-service hotel conference center. Further, they went on to prioritize potential sites for the facility and suggest a prospective financing plan for the $57 to $75 million project, pending further study. “The hotel conference center would be a public-private partnership with 63 percent of the funding coming from private investment,” said Bass.

The consultants also found that Tyler could benefit from an arena to host concerts, sporting events and other large-scale events. The arena could seat from 5,500 to 8,000 attendees. “This is certainly a project that would enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Tyler,” said Mayor Bass. “However, because the City would need to have a much greater investment in the project, we will not build the arena without going to the voters for their approval.” It is anticipated that 40% of the cost of the facility would come from private donations and 60% from public funds. “Until the private donations are raised, we would not consider approaching voters to approve the public investment,” added Bass. “I really don’t see that happening before November 2013, if not later.”

On June 27, The City Council will consider a contract with the consultants to take the next step for the two projects. That includes seeking and securing potential locations, seeking partners, and conducting preliminary designs for the projects. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org for a more detailed look at the planning process for the convention center and arena.