Henderson county and city officials, as well as the Friends of Audubon, are hopeful a deal can be struck with the state government to construct a convention center at Audubon State Park.
In separate interviews, Henderson County Judge-Executive Brad Schneider and Henderson Mayor Brad Staton both said a plan to get a convention center built at the park is in the works.
Staton urged caution, calling it a “non-guaranteed project.”
Schneider is also approaching a possible deal with restraint.
“It definitely is in the infancy stages,” he said.
Robbie Williams, a member of the Friends of Audubon, a local non-profit that works to support, promote and enhance the park, said the plan is a preliminary proposal and though it has community support, full approval will take time.
Still, there’s excitement about the possibility.
Staton sees a convention center as a victory for all involved. The state would see one of its parks improve, and local officials would reap the benefits of having a large meeting space. Currently there are no similar-styled spaces in the area that can hold up to 500 people, Staton said.
Staton also believes a convention center could attract a hotelier, who would be enticed to build here because of the number of people the convention center could bring to town on a regular basis.
Williams said in an email to the Hendersonian that “the Regional Conference Center at Audubon State Park has been discussed for nine years.”
This recent, more urgent push to strike a deal materialized when state government officials sent a letter to local government officials throughout the commonwealth informing them that $125 million was available in matching funds to improve local amenities, including parks, Staton said. A response was needed by Dec. 31, said Staton.
The Friends of Audubon was quickly contacted, Staton said.
Since then, the initial offer from the state economic development was modified, and the plan at Audubon Park no longer qualified, Staton said.
But the city and county decided to keep pursuing the option with a different plan, he said. In this iteration, the city and county would each pay ¼ of the price tag with the state paying the other half. And state funding, if approved, would be included as a line item in a future state budget, Staton said.
He hopes that the current plan can be presented to state officials for consideration soon.
The building would be located on the scenic lake where the paddle boat docks currently are. The $15 million project would also include a second entrance/exit that would connect to Watson Lane out the back of the park, Staton said.
Renderings of the proposed 25,000-square-foot center show a main room that can hold 400-500 people, he said. Connected to the main area are four smaller rooms, which could serve as breakout rooms, Staton said.
Staton said he didn’t know if the plan will be approved on the state level, “but we’re going to put our best foot forward.”
