Plan for New Convention Center Hotel

The city is currently studying a plan for a 1,000-room downtown convention hotel center hotel. The project is in the planning stage, which entails hiring a consultant to oversee the plausibility of the city owned project.


City Councilmembers and The Convention & Visitors Association contend that more rooms are needed to ensure the success of the convention center. They argue that Bartle Hall is loosing prospective conventions due to lack of available hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center.

Currently there are seven hotels that can hold 2,000 persons, two of which are more than a mile and a half from the convention center. The Downtown Marriott has roughly 600-750 rooms available, but 2000 total in the downtown area would be the optimum number to accommodate larger conventions.

A report last year showed that only half of hotel rooms available hotel rooms in the area were occupied during the first quarter.

The city isn’t yet to the development stages, but developer Ron Jury already has already a plan for the structure. Jury, who redeveloped the President Hotel is proposing a project that includes using the Power & Light Building in conjunction with new structures to create a roughly 1,000 room complex.

The city's Planning and Zoning Committee is scheduled to vote on the matter next week.

Read the Ordinance - 090444

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