Since superstar Elton John decided to move his upcoming Ames concert to Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa State officials are lobbying for an expansion of Hilton Coliseum.

Because of John’s decision, the City of Ames will lose $900,000, said Murray Blackwelder, vice president of External Affairs.

“We lost — it’s that simple,” he said.

The proposed $5.8 million renovations would serve several purposes, but the overall motivation is to keep abreast of competition, Blackwelder said.

However, he said the plans to expand and renovate Hilton are not only fueled by rivalry. Officials have considered adding seats since 1996.

Adding 1,465 seats to the indoor arena would mark the first expansion to Hilton since it opened in 1971.

The expansion also would create more and wider exits to meet new fire safety regulations and comply with the new rulings of the American Disabilities Act.

Alterations would allow Hilton to seat about 16,400 for concerts and 15,453 for basketball games. Most new seats would be added to the lower level, and another 574 would be squeezed into the balcony.

On Jan. 26, Blackwelder and fellow ISU officials are going to make a proposal to the Ames City Council.

Officials will try to convince the Ames City Council, and then the residents of Ames, to pass a vote of approval to raise hotel and motel taxes in Ames from 5 to 7 percent for the next 10 years.

The 2 percent hotel-motel tax increase would pay for $2.4 million of the renovations to the coliseum.

“Our main ammunition is that we will continue to lose $900,000 every time we lose a concert,” Blackwelder said. “If we lose more concerts, we will have to increase ticket prices and increase the rent.”

Blackwelder said if Ames continues to lose concerts, the city will forfeit $150,000 a year.

The Hilton Bond Reserve and FEMA Funds will pick up $3,450,000 of expansion costs, but Blackwelder said he had no idea if residents of Ames would support the hotel-motel tax increase.

“This isn’t a slam dunk,” he said, “but the council members I have seen to date seem very positive.”

Ames City Councilwoman Judie Hoffman said the council needs to keep in mind that other cities are going to be increasing the size of their concert facilities.

“Even if we do increase the size of Hilton, we will still be up against more competition than we’re used to because everybody’s planning to do the same thing,” she said.

Hoffman said if council members agree to put the proposal on a ballot, it does not imply that they are necessarily in favor of the tax increase. She said it only means they agree the issue is appropriate to add to the council’s agenda.

An ISU study reported that concert sales at Hilton and the resulting local business deliver $6.3 million to the local economy each year, Blackwelder said.

“This is the biggest issue of economic impact I think Ames will face in 1999,” Blackwelder said.

He said the possible expansion would greatly benefit Ames.

“Keeping our business healthy helps the fine arts and the performing arts,” Blackwelder said. “We’re still the top venue in Iowa, and I want to keep us at the top.”