Omni Hotel

[mmonroe]

Just to clarify my statement, my sales tax comment is directed at online sales and not brick and mortar establishments.

A letter was sent out a few years ago to MWC residents asking them to report their use tax and sales tax for online sales, solely on a voluntary basis so that the city could be properly credited for those tax dollars being lost to OKC.

[mkjeeves]

In all fairness, we raise revenue in OKC through sales taxes, so we don't benefit when people stay in Midwest City hotels, eat in Midwest City restaurants, and patronlze Midwest City retailers. This is clearly too complicated for mkjeeves to understand.

That depends on who "we" is, the downtown OKC elite, everyone in OKC limits, the government as an entity unto itself, or the Metro in total. But that's clearly too complicated for you to understand.

I've said before I support upgrading or replacing the Cox center with something that serves the community. I don't support building a new convention center with the plan to immediately expand it and subsidize a hotel in an effort to chase mythical convention business. Even less so when there are other facilities in the area that can handle some of the business and probably need some of the business to help support them too.

[Bellaboo]

That depends on who "we" is, the downtown OKC elite, everyone in OKC limits, the government as an entity unto itself, or the Metro in total. But that's clearly too complicated for you to understand.I've said before I support upgrading or replacing the Cox center with something that serves the community. I don't support building a new convention center with the plan to immediately expand it and subsidize a hotel in an effort to chase mythical convention business. Even less so when there are other facilities in the area that can handle some of the business and probably need some of the business to help support them too.

Why do you have to be condescending and degrading ? Is it just your nature ?

You guys need to get along...lol

[Bellaboo]

We benefit from Tinker. Let them build a convention center and subsidize a hotel. Or at least maximize the one they've got if it's so much better than ours. Heck, we probably should raze downtown and build everything over there by the base, so we wouldn't be so sprawled and all.

Do you know that Tinker is actually in OKC ?

[mkjeeves]

Are you always bitter or just when you sit down at a keyboard? You'd find a way to make the double-rainbow guy hate life.

This is clearly too complicated for mkjeeves to understand.

Why do you have to be condescending and degrading ?

Ask sooner and brett, since you've decided it's your job to (selectively) police the forum. As always, you're more concerned with the source than the issue. Don't go changing.

[mkjeeves]

Do you know that Tinker is actually in OKC ?

okay. My sentiment remains, if the citizens in Midwest City have a good convention center, good for them. We, as co-citizens of the Metro, should respect and support that, not undercut it by flooding the area with an overabundance of CC space and a subsidized hotel.

[Rover]

okay. My sentiment remains, if the citizens in Midwest City have a good convention center, good for them. We, as co-citizens of the Metro, should respect and support that, not undercut it by flooding the area with an overabundance of CC space and a subsidized hotel.

Total apples and oranges.

[warreng88]

Just to throw a question out there: Are there any large American cities where the convention center is in a suburb?

[Spartan]

We benefit from Tinker. Let them build a convention center and subsidize a hotel. Or at least maximize the one they've got if it's so much better than ours. Heck, we probably should raze downtown and build everything over there by the base, so we wouldn't be so sprawled and all.

Wait what?

[Mississippi Blues]

This got fun, obnoxious, and ridiculous all at once. I'm impressed!!!

[PhiAlpha]

Problem solved. Let Midwest City have the business. It's part of the metro.

Please move somewhere else...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bellaboo]

okay. My sentiment remains, if the citizens in Midwest City have a good convention center, good for them. We, as co-citizens of the Metro, should respect and support that, not undercut it by flooding the area with an overabundance of CC space and a subsidized hotel.

This is so stupid it doesn't warrant an answer. Like the tail is going to wag the dog.

[mmonroe]

A convention for 20k+ people is different than a seminar of 1k. BIG difference.

[mkjeeves]

A convention for 20k+ people is different than a seminar of 1k. BIG difference.

So it was an absurd comparison to start with.

[Martin]

guys... please stop the personal attacks and stick to discussing the topic. -M

[Urbanized]

So it was an absurd comparison to start with.

Since it was MY comparison I will note that the juxtaposition was strictly focused on quality of venue, not size. It straight kicks the Cox Center's butt in that regard. So does the conference center attached to the JQH-built Embassy suites in Norman. As has been pointed out by many before me, you can't be a suburb of nothing. But you have indicated in previous posts that you are mostly OK with that, so whatever. Personally I would like OKC convention-goers to experience the BEST meeting space the metro has to offer, not the third or fourth-best.

[Urbanized]

For what it's worth - since people not in the industry usually aren't aware of the conferences and conventions we regularly host here and in fact sometimes assume we host few if any - this week Oklahoma City hosted the National Association of Sports Commissions, with great success. The attendance was close to 900, and they circulated throughout the community spending lots of $$ while here. They had great exposure to OKC, and in fact today I was forwarded a glowing e-mail sent by a member to the CVB congratulating them on the success of the event and the efforts of the OKC CVB staff. This was the group's first visit to OKC, and while I am proud that the city performed so well it pains me a little bit to think that one of their main impressions was still the dated convention facility. This is the type of group that would NEVER book in Midwest City, and it's the type of business that we need to protect, preserve and attract more of, which requires a new and modern facility, plain and simple.

[shawnw]

I saw attendees of that conference all over downtown, and then even at Belle Isle walmart (they were wearing their conference t-shirts).

[warreng88]

So it was an absurd comparison to start with.

Exactly, it is absurd to think we should have the main convention center for the OKC metro area not in the OKC proper area. The mere idea of it is ridiculous at best. That is why the DT OKC area needs a new, better, larger convention center. I don't care about the convention center usage studies, I know we would get more business and most of it would go to benefit small businesses and hotels in that area. The Barons would probably move to the Fairgrounds arena (which needs an upgrade anyway) and it would be a better space for groups coming in to town.

[mmonroe]

Again, to clarify my post, it's not a personal attack, what I was getting at is that a DT CC doesn't interrupt the business of the REED center and vice versa.

[Urbanized]

I don't believe that anyone suggested it did..? I only saw mkjeeves' suggestion that he would be fine with all of OKC's convention business moving to another (any other?) city in the metro.

Or perhaps more accurately, he suggests that OKC shouldn't expand/improve its convention facilities because it might steal business away from Midwest City.

[edcrunk]

I don't support building a new convention center with the plan to immediately expand it and subsidize a hotel in an effort to chase mythical convention business.

When I was working at the Colcord and the Renaissance... I thrived on that continual stream of "mythical convention business". Even tho I supervise the valets at Saint Anthony now... I still get asked to help out at the Renaissance (where our company is based out of) when large conventions are in town, which is pretty often.

[Laramie]

A study showed that Oklahoma City could support a convention center hotel with a capacity of 735-rooms. We should be pushing for 700-900 room range to allow for 10-20 years of future growth.

He are two cities which possess hotels which might fit into that category:

Kansas City:

Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center

Rooms: 733
Suites: 39
Height: 504 feet, 45 stories
Value: $150 million

Jacksonville, FL Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel

Rooms: 963
Height: 19 stories
Value: $200 million

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[warreng88]

Laramie, do you have any idea how much of each hotel was paid for by tax payers and what the builders paid?

The biggest issue you are going to come up with is the KC hotel was built for $150,000,000, that is true, but it was built in 1980. What would that translate to in 2018-2020 numbers?

[Plutonic Panda]

Yeah, a 900 room hotel would be nice to see here to plan for future growth.