ANDERSON — Boys basketball sectionals won't be held at the Wigwam in March, but with its future secured, a return of the historic gymnasium's former glory days isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.
The Anderson Community Schools board of trustees and Anderson Redevelopment Commission on Thursday agreed to deed the complex to an Indianapolis-based development group that will renovate the facility.
Doing business under the name Wigwam LLC, BWI (Black and White Investments) and Pinebrook Properties plan to convert part of the complex into 55 multi-family housing units, convert other parts of the building for use as offices or community spaces, and partner with another group to manage the gymnasium.
BWI emerged as a potential savior of the facility after Wigwam Sports and Entertainment LLC unexpectedly failed to accept ownership of the complex in early July. After securing an extension from the school board until Sept. 2, city economic development officials worked with the company to reach a deal.
"I knew a little bit about Anderson and the opportunities here," said Lewis Kinkead, principal of Pinewood Properties.
"We've been kind of tracking the Wigwam as it was going through the redevelopment process, and when I saw the former deal kind of fall through, I contacted Greg," he said, referring to Anderson Economic Development Director Greg Winkler.
From that point, it was a race against the clock to meet the Sept. 2 deadline. If the parties had been unable to reach an agreement, school officials were prepared to demolish the building.
"It is BWI's most sincere honor to be able to save that building," said a beaming Lori Hobbs, managing partner and CEO of BWI LLC, after the school board vote.
As part of the deal, the school board agreed to contribute $630,000 to help finance the renovation, much of which would have been used to raze the structures. But it also had conditions:
• The gymnasium portion of the Wigwam facility will be repaired, restored and maintained until at least 2030 so that it can be used for basketball at a minimum.
• The school system has the right to use the gymnasium for 12 days rent free each year for events, plus necessary practice or rehearsal time for 10 years after renovation with an option to renew for five years after that.
• The exclusive use of the $630,000 to repair, restore and maintain the Wigwam, and have any portion of the money not used for those purposes by Dec. 31, 2018, returned to the school district.
"It feels like it took a good bit to get here, more than I can probably imagine, I just want to say thanks," said school board member Scott Green.
"We have been working and hoping this day would come, that we would be able to put a vote on an option to save the Wigwam complex, to be able to preserve it and save it,"
Not only is the Wigwam saved, said school board president Ben Gale "it's being transferred to the hands of some people who can do justice to the building, revive it and make it a positive site for our community."
He added that money the school district agreed to contribute to the project is a good investment because it would have cost at least that much to demolish the building, and then maintain and insure the property.
"In the long term, it will be a cost savings for the school corporation, and it will remove that financial burden from us so that we can focus on our students and focus on achievement."
Mayor Kevin Smith said that finding a credible end user that had a good vision for the property was "an iffy proposition for quite sometime."
"The best thing that I'm impressed with is the school board, which has been so accommodating that they really waited until this point when they could have easily said some time ago ... we're moving along in a different direction."
Renovations are expected to begin early next year.