TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– The Larry Bird Museum will open sometime in late 2023, according to the committee chair for the facility.
Terri Conley said the initial hope was to open the doors sometime around April of next year, which is a year after the Terre Haute Convention Center officially began business.
“We had originally hoped to open the museum in the middle of 2023. However, with working with the design company, labor shortages, material delays, we just don’t feel that that is realistic at this time,” she said.
Conley said they were in the process of sending out request for proposals, or RFP’s, to companies to do installation and fabrication work.
“The fabrication and installation, those companies are going to need time to put together, one the drawings, but two, to actually get materials in,” she said.
Conley said they will have a better idea of the exact finish date once the process of selecting a company to do that work is completed.
They have made progress on the space. Conley said electrical and lighting work is set to be finished by the end of 2022. They are working alongside Bird to collect memorabilia to help tell his life story.
Still, the convention center is set for growth as it heads into its second year. General Manager Tennille Wanner said it has lined up $250,000 in events for 2023 as of now. That includes five multi-day events, up from just one in 2022.
Conley said the opening of the museum will help continue that growth.
“It will be an enhancement to the Convention Center, is what it is,” she said.
Conley preached patience as they continue setting things up to honor of the greatest basketball players of all time.
“I think a lot of people are anxious, but we’re just asking for patience as we get it all together,” she said. “There’s not going to be a lot happening publicly over the next year with it. As we, some of the items, will need to have some restoration work done, cleaning, we want to make sure all of that is done also prior to opening this space up to the public.”
