ANDERSON, Ind. —
Interest in the 9,000-seat Wigwam has spread a lot farther than here in Anderson.
John Harter, professor of economics at Eastern Kentucky University, sent out 800 surveys about the historic gymnasium in November.
The main purpose of his work is to see how a society benefits from local sports buildings. Would it be worth it to reopen the Wigwam?
“Maybe it’s worth it, maybe not,” Harter said.
In a place like Nebraska, keeping a gym like the Wigwam open wouldn’t be deemed as worthy as it would in a city and state like Anderson, Ind., where basketball is huge, Harter said.
Many studies look at large venues in large cities. Harter said he wanted to conduct a study that focused on a smaller area and picked the Wigwam due to high media interest, reflecting a high interest from the public.
The survey’s questions gauge interest in basketball and the Wigwam; some are aimed at finding out how the change has affected behavior, such as whether people continue to attend games.
Harter said he’s also looking at the externality, because people can benefit from a venue even if they aren’t directly involved by attending games. When it comes to a venue like the Wigwam, externality includes the city’s pride for the gym, the trade effect and possible advertising for the city. There may have been “excitement in town even if (people were) not at a game,” Harter said.
The survey results will also provide a bit of an outlook on the economic impact. It asked if people would be willing to pay any more in taxes to reopen the gym.
While the survey will give Harter a general idea of the Wigwam’s value to the community, the answers will not be “fine-tuned” enough to determine whether the gym would be worth reopening, he said. There are several variables and “too much wiggle room” for a definite yes or no, he said.
Anderson Community Schools is still looking for ways to use the gym.
“Anyone can make use of the Wigwam,” ACS Superintendent Felix Chow said. “We’re more than happy to listen and work together on a proposal.”
There is one tentative inquiry into the 50-year-old gym, and Chow said he doesn’t want to get the community’s hopes up.
Could the Wigwam ever become a part of ACS again?
“I don’t want to say it’ll never happen,” Chow said.
He said that the district doesn’t want to see empty buildings but that ACS can’t handle the costs right now.
If the district, which has lost many students in recent years, is ever in good enough financial standing to do so, ACS would be happy to revisit the issue, Chow said.
The Wigwam has been closed since last summer, after the school board voted to close it in March 2011 following weeks of public debate.
At one point, Brown County resident Michael Mullen intended to form an all-Native American basketball team that would use the Wigwam as its home arena, and he even sent a proposal to school board members.
However, after touring the gym, Mullen decided it was too big and dropped his plans.
Contact Dani Palmer: 640-4847, dani.palmer@heraldbulletin.com
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Anderson hosted Bishop Chatard at the Wigwam in February 2011 in what likely was the Indians' final game in the historic gym.
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