Nov. 5--The Hendricks County Convention and Visitors Bureau has new hope for a convention center and hotel in Plainfield.

Executive Director Emory Lencke said in a statement last week that the convention bureau has issued a request for proposals from developers and development teams to design, build and operate a quality facility.

The county agency that promotes tourism is offering land and financial help to a qualified partner.

The facility is to be in a corridor between the Ronald Reagan Parkway interchange next to Indianapolis International Airport and the Ind. 267 interchange of I-70 in Plainfield.

The tourism bureau owns 10 acres near the Ind. 267 and I-70 interchange and is willing to buy eight more acres.

Such a project has been proposed before, but a partner never was found.

A year ago, a consultant estimated the development could cost from $20 million to more than $50 million. In return, it could have a $20 million economic effect on the Hendricks County area each year and contribute more than 40,000 hotel room stays a year.

Minneapolis-based Convention Sports & Leisure conducted that study in 2008, updating a similar report from 2003.

In a statement, the Hendricks County tourism bureau said it remains focused on a "full-service, quality-branded hotel with a minimum of 200 rooms and with an (attached) conference center."

Plainfield has more than a dozen hotels and 1,100 hotel rooms, mostly around the Ind. 267 interchange. Many national hospitality chains are represented, although not necessarily with their highest-concept hotels.

The hotels are clustered near the new $1.1 billion passenger terminal and other improvements at Indianapolis International Airport and in another area next to Plainfield's industrial parks.

The tourism bureau "is very interested in a branded hotel product that will serve as the county's premier property, and will include all the state-of-the-industry amenities," the release said.

The agency is funded with an 8 percent innkeeper's tax on hotel rooms in the county.

Responses to the convention bureau's request for proposals are due by Dec. 10.

-----

To see more of The Indianapolis Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.IndyStar.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, The Indianapolis Star

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.