Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter has an explanation for the proposal to expand the BOS Center and build a new hotel downtown being more of a County-lead initiative.

At the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s State of Greater Springfield event, Van Meter said the $200 million worth of work in the proposal that’s part of the so-called Mega Projects Bill in the Legislature, would be done on land the County owns.

Members of the Springfield City Council have been less than pleased with the plan, saying the fact a proposed tourism authority that would essentially be in charge of the project has more county-based members than the city council.

Van Meter says there’s a good reason for that.

“In working out this plan, it seemed obvious that since the project is going on the county’s property, the county has paid for the studies to date, the county must enact a countywide hotel-motel tax, the county must contribute 100% of that tax to the project, the county must also contribute all of its current sales tax for the district to the project, and a percentage of the new sales tax revenue, it seemed obvious that the county should have a leadership role with this project,” said Van Meter.

Van Meter says at a time when he claims the Springfield City Council is mad about how many seats they don’t have at the table, given things like population declines in the area, there is no longer time to quibble and have to build up revenue.  He also says there is not time to wait for something to happen with the former Wyndham Hotel just across the street, as that is currently the subject of legal proceedings., which could end up going on for years.

Van Meter says there has been expressed interest in ownership of the hotel not by franchisees of sorts, but by major hotel companies themselves, making it more financially feasible to pay off the $200 million in STAR Bonds that would be issued for the project.  He emphasized that, otherwise, taxes will not be raised on local residents to pay for the work.

But, there’s another problem, and that’s less than two weeks to go in the current legislative session at the Capitol before a scheduled May 31 adjournment.  So, Van Meter says there’s one thing he wants Chamber members and residents alike to do.

“You earn your livelihoods and raise your children here. You serve on our charitable boards and volunteer for every community endeavor,” said Van Meter.  “Let me ask you to express today, right now, to the Governor and the legislature, in a way that they can hear all the way to Second Street, how this community really feels about this joint venture to expand the convention center, and build a new flagship hotel, as one step in a never-ending endeavor to renew our community.”

Van Meter was referencing what he said was all the negative voices shared on social media and otherwise in the weeks since the project was announced, including those on the Springfield City Council.  He also took a swipe at the media, making an unfounded accusation about how they reported both this project, and the proposed data center.

“For the media, it’s always easier to report an accusation than to research the facts that refute it,” Van Meter claimed, without proof, while showcasing a number of other media articles during his presentation.

Van Meter says Governor JB Pritzker — who is of the opposite political party than him — seems to be genuine in wanting to help improve downtown Springfield, and has pledged state money to the project.