Convention center leaders are refining the design of the $52 million expansion project.
At the Capital Improvement Board Wednesday, members reviewed an updated rendering and site plan. The metal awning with brick and limestone elements replicates the current convention center.
Most of the façade is glass showcasing a limestone public art interior wall.
Board members are also still evaluating the three hotel developer proposals presented last week. A real estate and hotel market analysis is due at the end of the month.
The presentation included items addressed from a city letter detailing the project such as property use, bonding capacity, and sustainability.
Board President John Whikehart referred to last week’s city council meeting where council members Matt Flaherty and Kate Rosenbarger pushed back against a skywalk connecting the expansion to the current convention center building.
Whikehart said despite two buildings, it must be seen as one facility that’s connected to move people and food service.
“That is how we achieve the expansion of a 40,000 square foot space to a 100,000-square-foot space,” he said. “The skywalk is as fundamentally necessary as the exhibit hall, the kitchen, the loading dock and the meeting rooms are to the connectivity that is required.”
Whikehart also said it’s a pedestrian safety issue, especially with 500 people trying to cross the street at once.
“Bottom line, the convention center expansion will have a skywalk,” he said.
At last week’s city council meeting, Rosenbarger said the focus should be making streets safer for pedestrians, not installing gerbil tubes.
Whikehart said the skywalk hasn’t been designed and there’s an opportunity to not make it look like a skywalk.
The CIB plans to formalize the preliminary design package for the expansion during its October meeting.
A public sharing meeting is scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 at the convention center.
