The Vanderburgh County Council wants to revitalize the Soliders and Sailors Memorial Coliseum so it can be used for more activities.
The County Council approved $30,000 for a study on restoring the historic venue and how it might be marketed to more groups who need a facility that size and location.
The building, which was completed in 1916, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been managed by the Vanderburgh County Veteran's Council since 1971.
In a release, county officials say they want to expand the variety of groups and activities that use the Coliseum, while preserving its historic and military character. As we've reported on WNIN, a room at the Coliseum is preserved to look as it did when it was the meeting place of the local chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic, a post- Civil War group.
There are also numerous artifiacts dating back to the Spanish American War in the building, although records and items dating back to the Civil War were removed when it was learned they were in danger of being lost because of inadequate storage at the Coliseum. The items were moved to the archives at the University of Southern Indiana in 2019.
