Greg Gibson talks about the progress in downtown Terre Haute...and what's coming next

Greg Gibson talks about the progress in downtown Terre Haute...and what's coming next

Greg Gibson talks about the progress in downtown Terre Haute...and what's coming next

In yesterday's one on one interview with greg gibson, he shared his vision for the new casino, and what we could expect to see for the future of the east side of vigo county.

But before the casino, gibson's focus was on downtown terre haute.

Tonight he talks one on one with news 10's mike latta.

Gibson says he's always had an interest in downtown.

And it all started at 7th and wabash.

"you know terre haute is much more well thought of outside of terre haute is one thing i have noticed quite a bit, and you know i think it's one of the things that has heald us back a little bit is our own self image."

I think people outside our immediate community even the state have good thoughts about terre haute.

What i think a lot of people need to relize is that success in terre haute helps all the surounding counties, and uh you know....we need to start looking at a more regional aspect, and you know i think it's working , i think we are having some success there.

The convention center, you know i think people may be a little leary of the environment we are in but i actualy think that might help us, i think people after this pandemic passes, i think people might travel shorter distances for conventions, i don't think conventions are going to go away.

It's hard to do a convention with zoom.

This new convention center will seat about 1000 in a round table set up, and with three hotels downtown i think we are going to be in a great situation to draw medium sized conventions from the mid west.

You know everybody knows that i 'm excited about downtown, you know it hadn't always been that way.

I got involved in the terre haute house project and i viewed the terre haute house as an anchor around the communities neck , all of my business career it had been a political football that had been kicked back and forth.

I looked at it as a monument to our inability to move forward.

So i got involved in that because i thought if not me?

Who?

We were able to get the building down , put a sucessful project in with the hilton garden inn.

And that is what generated my interest in downtown.

We followed that up with the candlewood and this idea of a convention center's been in the works for a long time.

That will bring another hotel to downtown terre haute.

I remember kids when i was in highschool and college talking about how they couldn't wait to get out of terre haute, a lot of those people are back now.

Uh... i think maybe it's good that they get out and see what's out there and realize that terre haute's a pretty darn nice community to be involved in and live in.."

Tomorrow we continue part 3 of this special report.

Gibson speaks candidly about the challenges he has faced in the business world... some of the charitable projects that are near and dear to his heart... and