Convention Center

[GaryOKC6]

I can't wait until I get another call from the FOP asking for a donation......I'll get to tell them NO, and tell them why, too much in bed with shadid for me.

I am doing the same thing and I have talked to plenty of others who have said that same thing. I do believe that Fire Fighters are ok with MAPS now they have been supportive at some recent meeting that I have been at.

[GaryOKC6]

I think that the general public, including me, does not worry so much about how we get there as long as we get there. I benefit from the past MAPS projects all the time, I am always on the trails on the river, at bricktown, a baseball game or a Thunder game enjoying myself.

[Urbanized]

I don't think there is any guarantee that a MAPs IV vote would follow immediately upon the heels of the ending of the MAPs III tax. Most people don't remember that the original (well, extended) tax was allowed to expire previously with more than a year of no MAPs tax collections before the MAPs 4 Kids vote. This was in part because they wanted to PROVE that the tax was temporary, as promised.

It's possible/plausible that the City's leadership would let the citizenry rest a bit (and allow more projects to come on line) before any more extensions were sought.

[soonerguru]

The only problem with that though is that NONE of those projects will be done by the time they have to vote on MAPS IV. So all the people will see is 7 years of taxes and a convention center partially completed. Not exactly a resounding call to give more money. Moving the convention center up I think was a huge mistake.

They are not going to rush out a MAPS IV vote. Not going to happen.

[ljbab728]

Study suggests Oklahoma City can support $200 million, 735-room conference hotel | News OK

Two reports being delivered Tuesday to the Oklahoma City Council advise that the city can support construction of a 735-room conference hotel as part of development of a new convention center.

Evans and Dean's study concludes that for every 10,000 convention attendees drawn by the new facilities, local economic output will increase by $1.6 million.

They also report that construction of the hotel will create 2,455 local jobs and generate $300 million in economic activity. The hotel operation, meanwhile, is forecast to create and sustain 674 local jobs with an increase to local economic output by $669 million.

If the city council does accept the reports by Stone and the OCU economists, Cathy O'Connor, director of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, said the next step will be to seek approval of a contract with Public Financial Management Inc. to draw up options on how the city can proceed with development of a hotel.

“The city council wanted to know if with the building of a new convention center, did we need a hotel,” O'Connor said. “And if so, what size? This tells them they need a convention center hotel. The next step is to look at financial feasibility.”

[PhiAlpha]

After spending some more time in Denver's massive convention center this week, it really reinforced, for me, how badly we need a new convention center and how important an adjoining hotel is going to be. Tons of events at the hotel as well as the convention center. In addition to the main hotel, their are at least 3 other "convention center" hotels that have sprung up around it to support the overflow in group block housing. I've heard that we actually might have lost out on a decent sized regional oil and gas convention for the time being partially due to the lack of a decent convention center. People can say what they want but anyone who thinks we don't need a new convention center is either blind, ignorant, or not very perceptive.

[betts]

My primary reason for being against the new convention center was the fact that (as the MAPS III vote was being trundled out) I didn't think OKC had enough appeal to attract more and bigger conventions that its proponents were implying we could. Why spend money to bring in the conventions that were already coming here?

Now, I still hate, hate, hate the location. But OKC is changing rapidly enough and, with the addition of the streetcar conventioneers can actually access some retail and a lot of restaurants. The Myriad Gardens, the new park and the art museums will be on the line as well. By the time the CC is built I envision Auto Alley to be a nice little retail area. We should make finishing the Native American Cultural Center a priority, as it could be a big draw. So we just might be getting to the point where we can attract bigger and more conventions. A new CC no longer sounds like such a bad idea to me. Maybe, 10 years down the line, we could even start making a bit of noise about bringing the NBA All Star game here. A hotel brings in construction money. Maybe it's worth taking a look at the economics. That's a big turnaround for me.

[Pete]

A new thread / article has been created to separate out the Convention Hotel discussion:

Convention Hotel - OKCTalk

[bchris02]

After spending some more time in Denver's massive convention center this week, it really reinforced, for me, how badly we need a new convention center and how important an adjoining hotel is going to be. Tons of events at the hotel as well as the convention center. In addition to the main hotel, their are at least 3 other "convention center" hotels that have sprung up around it to support the overflow in group block housing. I've heard that we actually might have lost out on a decent sized regional oil and gas convention for the time being partially due to the lack of a decent convention center. People can say what they want but anyone who thinks we don't need a new convention center is either blind, ignorant, or not very perceptive.

100% agree. The Cox Center is an all-purpose arena and not a true convention center. Just as the Cox didn't cut it for an NBA team, it doesn't cut it for the major conventions OKC could get if it had a venue. You can't underestimate the amount of exposure national conventions bring to a city. This will be great for OKC and I believe this to be the most vital of MAPS3 projects to OKC's future prosperity.

[dmoor82]

Any chance this picks up steam? https://www.facebook.com/okchcci?ref=stream

[kevinpate]

Doesn't need a ton of steam. It just needs folks to not ignore it should a vote be scheduled.

[betts]

I was not very excited about a new convention center pre-MAPS 3 vote, but the longer I look at ours the more I think it needs to go. I just wish I didn't hate the chosen site so much. But if the CC is a stand-alone vote, people may think about it a bit more seriously and the detractors may be surprised at the level of interest. Ed's group better start being more honest about the hotel. If you get people all worked up about spending $200 million on the hotel and then the city comes back and says they aren't spending a penny over $50 million and its coming from sources other than MAPS, the public will relax and wonder what the fuss was about and why they were lied to.

[OklahomaNick]

The Gazette article I read referenced a "town hall" meeting with Ed Shadid which was supposed to be last night (Jan.23rd at 6:30pm). Anyone attend?
Anyone know if anything interesting was said at this meeting?

Here is the article: Oklahoma Gazette News: If we build it ...

[OKVision4U]

The Gazette article I read referenced a "town hall" meeting with Ed Shadid which was supposed to be last night (Jan.23rd at 6:30pm). Anyone attend?
Anyone know if anything interesting was said at this meeting?

Here is the article: Oklahoma Gazette News: If we build it ...

A very serious note to this... Sanders just stated that the Stone Hospitallity group in Dallas, was just making assumptions. Sanders is making assumptions too. That is who he is, a paid consultant. Maybe Sanders doesn't want OKC to take away some of the San Antonio Convention $$$ ??? Maybe??? The hospitality / convention reveune dollars are the largest stream of income for the city of San Antonio. I'm done with his opinion.

Ed, you are losing, and you are burning the country side as you go. ...please move on, and take your five friends w/ you.

[josh]

A very serious note to this... Sanders just stated that the Stone Hospitallity group in Dallas, was just making assumptions. Sanders is making assumptions too. That is who he is, a paid consultant. Maybe Sanders doesn't want OKC to take away some of the San Antonio Convention $$$ ??? Maybe??? The hospitality / convention reveune dollars are the largest stream of income for the city of San Antonio. I'm done with his opinion.

That's not even remotely true.

[ljbab728]

That's not even remotely true.

Of course it's not true, josh. You have to consider the source here. Maybe you haven't followed his posts.

[josh]

Of course it's not true, josh. You have to consider the source here. Maybe you haven't followed his posts.

I have not.

Does he often make unsubstantiated claims that are either untrue or made up?

[Mississippi Blues]

Does he often make unsubstantiated claims that are either untrue or made up?

Yes.

[Plutonic Panda]

I have not.

Does he often make unsubstantiated claims that are either untrue or made up?

He thinks the Summer Olympics is going to happen here in OKC. I don't think I need to say much more.

[OKVision4U]

Of course it's not true, josh. You have to consider the source here. Maybe you haven't followed his posts.

True that San Antonio enjoys revenue from Conventions / Hospitality ... ie. Riverwalk. ??? This Economic Engine ( tourism ) is what drives the bus for San Antonio.

[warreng88]

I have not.

Does he often make unsubstantiated claims that are either untrue or made up?

Just put him on ignore. It is just a lot easier. When he is convinced of something you cannot make him think another way regardless of what facts you have to back up your assertions.

[OKVision4U]

Of course it's not true, josh. You have to consider the source here. Maybe you haven't followed his posts.

I was talking about Tourism / Conventions / Hospitality in San Antonio.....The Alamo / The Riverwalk. Are you saying this is NOT their primary revenue stream? ...San Antonio TX? You guys need to get out a little, do a little research. Start w/ that. Then come back and tell me that SA doesn't rely on Tourism / Conventions / Hospitality to fuel their economy.

[Just the facts]

I was not very excited about a new convention center pre-MAPS 3 vote, but the longer I look at ours the more I think it needs to go. I just wish I didn't hate the chosen site so much. But if the CC is a stand-alone vote, people may think about it a bit more seriously and the detractors may be surprised at the level of interest. Ed's group better start being more honest about the hotel. If you get people all worked up about spending $200 million on the hotel and then the city comes back and says they aren't spending a penny over $50 million and its coming from sources other than MAPS, the public will relax and wonder what the fuss was about and why they were lied to.

This whole debate could have been totally avoided if the Chamber had been honest in the first place and just called it a quality of life project. How could anyone argue with that because you are right, the current COX is very dated and the land could be freed up for more development that would benefit the community, especially with a regional rail hub across the street.

Also, good point about Shadid playing up the $200 million price because anything that comes in less than that will be seen as a plus. Of course Shadid could plan on pulling a HH type deal and say that without him it would have cost $200 million.

[BrettM2]

The hospitality / convention reveune dollars are the largest stream of income for the city of San Antonio.

I was talking about Tourism / Conventions / Hospitality in San Antonio.....The Alamo / The Riverwalk. Are you saying this is NOT their primary revenue stream? ...San Antonio TX? You guys need to get out a little, do a little research. Start w/ that. Then come back and tell me that SA doesn't rely on Tourism / Conventions / Hospitality to fuel their economy.

That may be what you meant, but it isn't what you said. Words are important; so are grammar, sentence structure, and coherence in laying out an argument.

[josh]

True that San Antonio enjoys revenue from Conventions / Hospitality ... ie. Riverwalk. ??? This Economic Engine ( tourism ) is what drives the bus for San Antonio.

It doesn't drive the bus or even shotgun the bus.

I was talking about Tourism / Conventions / Hospitality in San Antonio.....The Alamo / The Riverwalk. Are you saying this is NOT their primary revenue stream? ...San Antonio TX? You guys need to get out a little, do a little research. Start w/ that. Then come back and tell me that SA doesn't rely on Tourism / Conventions / Hospitality to fuel their economy.

You yourself should do a little research. Let's start with this, you're incredibly wrong. I'll blame it on ignorance but telling people to go research something means giving you the benefit of the doubt with ignorance may be pushing it. Additional to this all is the way you write. Capitalizing words that don't need it. I can either take it you're not all there or you're very young or a combination.

Bottom line, these are the facts:

The tourism/hospitality industry has an economic impact of $12 billion, as of 2012.

Let's compare this with other industries in San Antonio.

• The healthcare industry has an economic impact of $30 billion, as of 2011.
• The military has an economic impact of $28 billion, as of 2011.
• The financial industry has an economic impact of $27 billion, as of 2011.
• The manufacturing industry has an economic impact of $23 billion, as of 2011.
• The IT industry has an economic impact of $13 billion as of 2012.

That's five industries with larger impacts on the San Antonio economy than tourism/hospitality.