Columbia City Council reviews study for potential new convention center in Columbia
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia City Council reviewed a feasibility study for a potential convention center at its pre-council meeting Monday evening.
Conventions, Sports & Leisure did the study with architect Don Grinberg evaluating key factors such as market demand, financial feasibility, economic impact, site selection and funding for a potential new convention center.
According to the study, Columbia has seen residential and economic growth, growing at nearly four times the rate of the state of Missouri.
City of Columbia Convention and Visitor's Bureau Communications and Outreach Supervisor Megan Mcconachie says the city wanted to do the study to make sure it is prepared for the future.
"Plan for the future of our destination, so we want to make sure as things grow and change that we're ready and we have the information we need to grow responsibly and in a way that makes sense for the community," Mcconachie said.
Columbia attracts 1.7 million visitors annually, generating 3.8 million visit nights and nearly $616 million in visitor spending. Visits are driven by University of Missouri events, local attractions and conferences.
Columbia offers about 3,600 hotel rooms with the majority located in the northeastern commercial district, with only two hotels in downtown Columbia, including the Broadway Hotel and Tiger Hotel.
The Holiday Inn Executive Center and Hilton Garden Inn offer event spaces but lack modern amenities with exhibit space for more large-scale events, the study found.
University of Missouri System President Mun Choi says a new conference center would be beneficial for the university.
"Having more hotel space for visiting students and their parents and sporting events would be great for the community as well," Mun Choi said.
The study lists six potentially viable sites including Veterans United, Discovery Park, Keene Avenue, the Holiday Inn/Mall area, downtown Columbia and Stephens Lake/Boone Hospital
The site would offer 300 to 400 hotel rooms within a half-mile of the convention center and 750 parking spaces on site.
The cost of the project is broken down into two scenarios. Scenario 1 includes the stand-alone convention Center, which would cost about $103.7 million. Scenario 2 would cost $150 million, including a hotel and convention center.
There is no concrete plan in place, Mcconachie said but the plan and study provides a map of what a conference center could potentially look like.
"It's something we can share with people who are maybe considering building a facility later down the road so having that information when its needed is really a valuable thing," Mcconachie says.
