Indiana Governor Mike Pence has revived the idea of building an inn at Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty.
The Governor’s proposed budget would set aside $25 million to “cash fund” the project.
It was in 2001 that the State of Indiana first hired an architect to study the idea and to draw up plans for what the inn should look like.
Those plans call for a facility with 100 guest rooms and a conference center.
Six other Indiana state parks already have inns. The inn at Pokagon State Park in Angola has been around since 1927.
The idea of building an inn at Potato Creek surfaced amidst declining state revenues. In 2005, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources threw up its hands and went looking for a private developer willing to fund the project. Not a single bid was received.
Governor Mike Pence suggests that building the Bicentennial Inn at Potato Creek could be a way of celebrating the state’s Bicentennial anniversary, and perhaps, a way of making up for lost time.
“At this point, it’s been a long time since we’ve added an inn to our state parks,” said Phil Bloom with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. “The last one was built in 1939, so we’re as eager as everybody to see where this takes us.”
Governor Pence has also proposed celebrating the bicentennial by cash funding a $25 million State Archives Building to protect Indiana’s historic documents and to increase public access.
Since the budget is typically the last bill lawmakers deal with work will likely continue through late April.
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