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Today's Poll!Comparing two proposed sites for JC conference center
Property that includes the former site of the Missouri state health lab is one of two locations proposed for a convention center in Jefferson City.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Last week, the Jefferson City Council heard proposals for two possible sites for a proposed conference center.
Mayor Eric Struemph has directed his staff to begin the request for proposals process on both sites, which would provide marketing and design plans for each site to enable the council to make an informed decision.
Conceptual drawings outline potential designs for each site, both with equal amounts of space to allow for a fair comparison. Both incorporate a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, 20,000 square feet of exhibition space, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, 20,000 square feet for a hotel lobby and administration, 20,000 square feet of hotel space throughout seven floors and 14,000 square feet for the back of the house.
Both sites also include roughly 500 parking spaces in adjacent lots; an existing lot on MSP and, for the McCarty site, half underneath the center as covered parking, with the other half across Broadway Street at the site of the old state Health Lab.
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Comments
nitrohype 1 year, 6 months ago
Only 500 parking spaces! Really, Hey Jefferson City Council please goto columbia or Saint Louis and count how many spaces a real convention center has! Please build a parking garage instead of level parking. This will fail if you don't do it right and in 5 years we'll have to pay to have it torn down also. Just let private business take care of this, they know what their doing. Just collect the taxes like a good city does.
nitrohype 1 year, 6 months ago
I know for a fact that the owner of capital plaza tried to bring a large convention center here and was told NO by our beloved city hall! There have also been others. But that's alright let's just keep sending the businesses to Columbia.
JCLifer 1 year, 6 months ago
Please let someone get some common sense and put a stop to this craziness. I so cannot believe that City Hall is even discussing this thing in this economy.
There are SO MANY OTHER things this city needs much worse besides a money pit convention center.
PLEASE VOTE NO.
JCLifer 1 year, 6 months ago
The current hotels have very low occupancy rates. We have convention properties that are used very little now. Why waste taxpayer dollars to build even more hotel rooms and convention space that will compete with existing private businesses? There is nothing to do in Jefferson City, and people who host conventions would much rather have them in Columbia or Lake Ozark than in boring little Jefferson City.
This idea is a huge waste of precious tax dollars.
NoMoBigBro 1 year, 6 months ago
I second this emotion.
3bunnies 1 year, 6 months ago
There is no point in building this giant building in Jefferson City, I know that I am not the only one who knows there is absoutley nothing to do here. No attractions, No Booming Business that will fill a complex like this up. Nothing. City Council needs to work on bringing something to this community that people and visitors actually want to do.
At the moment what is there truly ? Tour of the Capital, Gov. Garden, Train Station, ............and .........Nothing.
nitrohype 1 year, 6 months ago
You forgot to point out the JC Mall, What a wonderful place that is. I think the decor is still from 1976. Let's just add to the shame.
JCLifer 1 year, 6 months ago
Oh, and the dirty movie theaters that never have any of the "artsy" movies that college-educated people who are a bit more sophisticated want to see.
This town is stuck in redneck 1975. People I work with (who all live in Columbia) laugh at the "Jeff City Haircut" that all the girls have in this town. They say it is like stepping back in time to a land of simpletons.
How can anyone defend this place?
JCLifer 1 year, 6 months ago
We do have the new statues to drive by, however half of the fancy spot lights are already burned out and the state can't seem to fix them. I'd suggest that visitors could go see the pretty fountain in front of the Jefferson Building, but it hasn't worked for two years because the state is too broke to buy a new pump to fix it.
hudson 1 year, 6 months ago
more goverment more taxes !
JCLifer 1 year, 6 months ago
Speaking of bringing attactions to this town-- whatever happened to the state of the art Performance Arts Center? They never seem to have any good shows or concerts there. I drive by the sign several times a day, and all they ever seem to advertise is Character Education Day at one of the schools. How about bringing some famous concerts and good shows there? That might be something to attract tourists, although the Performing Arts Center is pretty small and doesn't seat very many people.
Maybe they could bring bigger concerts and shows to Richardson Auditorium over at Lincoln like they used to do.
NoMoBigBro 1 year, 6 months ago
If they think that a Convention Center is going to attract businesses, rather then businesses (and attractions) attracting Convention Center use...then we are in far more trouble than just this proposed fiasco.
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