People will no longer have to travel to Indianapolis or Fort Wayne for live entertainment — music is coming to Grant County at the Gas City Music Center this summer.
“By the end of July, we will have people coming in and testing all the equipment ready to go,” City Engineer Jason Miller said. “August, we'll have an event, and then September [will be] Battle of the Bands and right now we're looking at October, having our first live performance with ticket sales and the headliner grand opening.”
The 1800-seat venue will be open for performing local artists as well as professional musicians and entertainers. There will be enough parking space for 500 cars. Miller said that there are plans to expand the lot to hold up to 1,000 cars.
The goal is to keep the venue busy. Rock said that they plan for local talent, comedians or theater productions to perform when the center is not being used for bigger touring acts. That way, he explained, they can keep the center “rocking and rolling.”
Once the venue is in motion, Gas City Mayor Bill Rock expects business to increase in Grant County.
Rock said people can expect to see an increase in tourism.
“You're gonna see another hotel — it'll probably come right around here for people who want to come in and watch the performance and then stay all night, or come down a day early,” Rock said. “So you're gonna see a lot of different attractions happen through this.”
Part of the reason Rock expects a large turnout is due to the music center’s location. The center, Rock explained, is in the best possible location on I-69 between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.
Not only between two cities but also between two colleges as well: Taylor and Indiana Wesleyan University.
“You're in the middle of two universities where Taylor and IWU students are going to come here for performers,” Miller said. “What kind of music do you like? Who do you want to see? You know, that's what we're gonna be asking, ‘Who do you want to see on stage?’ Well, we'll try to track them down and get them here.”
The music center cost $19.2 million, coming out of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.
Miller explained that they have a TIF bond that is revenue for a generation of projects such as the music center. Once the venue is active, hotels and restaurants will start cropping up which will also generate more tax revenue.
“Because of this building we're leveraging those dollars for not only this investment but future investments,” Miller said.
Fire Chief Nick Baker explained that TIF funds had to be used to build infrastructure and communities. So, building the music center was one of the best options to use because it's going to help with business growth and community and homes.
The Gas City Music Center will also provide additional jobs in the area, he said. College students will likely staff the music center — students looking for a good, evening weekend job.
“It's going to have a big impact across the board,” Baker said.
The Gas City Music Center provides more than mere entertainment Rock, Miller and Fire Chief Nick Baker believe. Gas City will be impacted economically and relationally.
