Conference center concept detailed in new proposal

Local hotelier: Rough outline doesn’t have enough specifics

A company official with the Puri Group of Enterprises, which owns the Doubletree hotel seen in the file photo above, says the rough outline of Jefferson City's RFP for a conference center leaves him with questions Photo by News Tribune.

By Madeleine Leroux

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Within the next 30 to 60 days, Jefferson City staff is expected to put out requests for proposals on the latest conference center concept. But despite optimism from the city administrator, questions surround whether any local hotelier will respond.

Vivek Puri, vice president and general counsel for the Puri Group of Enterprises, which owns the Comfort Suites, Doubletree and Hampton Inn, said the Puri Group had submitted a written proposal for a conference center in December.

“We basically made a proposal from A to Z, our timeline, where we wanted to put it, the situation, how we were going build it, what we were going to build,” Puri said. “They have a proposal that was made by us already.”

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wow 11 months, 3 weeks ago

ENOUGH OF THIS CONF-CENTER %$$#$&(&&^#$#$&((&%$#!$#%%(&^%%@$%^()&^%$#$##&%#^&(&^%!!!!!! ALREADY!

scott65101 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Why is everyone so freaked out about the possibility of getting a conference center here? What is sooooo wrong about large amounts of people coming here and spending their money here, rather than our neighboring cities? The same people that are against the conference center are the same conservatives that were against bringing riverboat gambling here. They used ignorance against the uneducated and convinced them that the city would be swamped with crime. All the while Boonville, sits back and enjoys the rewards of thousands of dollars being spent in their community.....and hmmmm no significant crime increase. I will be so glad when the old conservative aspect of this city finally dies off and the younger more open minded people take control and build this city into what it should be! Almost every capitol city in this country is thriving....and we seem stuck in the 70's. Bring business here....bring people here....bring jobs here. The people of JC are tired of surviving....we want to enjoy the wealth that our neighbors have been enjoying for years! It's our time!

MO4LIFE 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Because it is a waste of money and will not bring anything extra to jefferson city at all. There is nothing else for the convention people to do in this town. Therefore no reason for it!!!!

cmnsense 11 months, 3 weeks ago

There's plenty to do: visitjeffersoncity.com/event-calendar/

What do "convention people" typically do when they're not at the convention, anyway?

MO4LIFE 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Went to website and as i said before there is nothing to do in JC!

cmnsense 11 months, 3 weeks ago

You have to click on the month you want to view (on the left hand side) before the actual events will show. There's a bunch!

RobHunterJohnson 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Thanks Scott, We need a Boat? With Convention Center. Rob

wow 11 months, 3 weeks ago

I'm for the Boat....but not the Conf-Center. The Boat has a better chance of creating revenue than the Conf- Center. I say fix thelocal infrastructure....roads, street lights, sidewalks, parks, etcd, etc, etc. Do all that first and maybe....just maybe there will be a need to have people visit this city to make use of the Conf-Center. Until then....no Conf-Center is my vote.

melbrooks 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Perhaps it would help to know Missouri voters capped the number of riverboat casino licenses in November of 2008. Thus, there are no available licenses to pursue and pining for one is an exercise in futility.

In my opinion, the local infrastructure is in pretty good shape--especially if it is compared to many other Missouri communities. There are some areas which need improvement, and they are being addressed as funding allows. Sidewalks are an exception, but they are the responsibility of the property owners, according to city code.

komu.com/news/jefferson-city-council-members-debate-city-sidewalk-repair/

Voters increased the lodging tax in 2011, and the increase was earmarked to support a conference center. The time to vote is past.

asb 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Sorry Mel but the variances, waivers and exceptions have allowed major roads to go without sidewalks, whole neighborhoods to go without sidewalks, and many property owners to avoid building or retrofitting theirs. I know one thing that would help, make alternate codes available so folks don't have to pay for runway-grade sidewalks when asphalt or other lesser construction would do the job. A sidewalk only needs to be a safe, level, bug and mud free place to walk and bycycle. The city has really fallen behind in enforcement, to the point that property owners have a good argument (and often a lawyer) when they say "you didn't make Dorkus fix his so you can't make me fix mine." Priorities are also a problem . . . I saw an entire street (Elmerine) get complete sidewalk/gutter/curb replacements last year, which they no doubt needed, while I still can't walk through the intersection of Missouri Blvd and 50 highway.

JCLifer 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Does City Hall know anything about ADA codes? Some of those sldewalks they are building have cross-slopes greater than 15%. Seems if we are going to build something, they ought to build it accessible for all our citizens.

melbrooks 11 months, 3 weeks ago

I can see both sides. Why build sidewalks in industrial or commercial areas if no one will use them due to a lack of anything nearby to walk to? Sidewalks ain't cheap, and I would suspect that's part of the reason the city's situation on sidewalks. If a property owner demonstrably does not have the resources to fix a sidewalk, is putting a lien on the property going to solve the problem? Unlikely, it seems to me.

It's my understanding the entire Elmerine neighborhood participated in a neighborhood improvement program which features some cost sharing.

I have to admit I can't fathom why anyone would want to walk through one of the most busy intersections in Jefferson City.

JCLifer 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Most towns have an elevated pedestrian bridge or underground tunnel for high-traffic intersections like this,

John 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Actually, most towns, across the U.S., are in the exact same shape as Jeff. Most of them are not installing new sidewalks in many places.

asb 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Ah Mel, c'mon! Sidewalks through industrial districts, and through intense intersections both allow a person to get through the industrial districts and the scarey intersections! I don't want to have a picnic at Wears creek, I want to get downtown from Missouri blvd. Yes, I finally found a longer, much longer on foot, route from St Mary's to downtown, but I should be able to walk it direct.

spelchek 11 months, 3 weeks ago

"Voters increased the lodging tax in 2011, and the increase was earmarked to support a conference center." -- Didn't I read a story saying said tax increase has failed to generate enough revenue for a conference center? Isn't this the worry a lot of posters on here are expressing? An unsustainable tax funded enterprise? Just asking.

JCLifer 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Revenues fell short because of the dismal hotel occupancy rates?

spelchek 11 months, 3 weeks ago

"revenues fell short of the projected yearly amount" -- amount for what? Sustaining? Building? If you're going to be cynical in your response to my questions, you could at least have the answers. Thanks for nothing.

spelchek 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Oh, very cynical. But that's because I have all the answers.

asb 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Yes, but Spelchk pulled ahead 3 minutes later . . .

spelchek 11 months, 3 weeks ago

melbrooks said support, I asked build, you said no and that I twisted words, I asked what then, you responded: "They projected $600,000 and collected $541,000. It was the first year they collected the extra tax. I don't think they thought they could build a conference center from the revenue for one year". Tell me again how I "twisted" anything.

asb 11 months, 3 weeks ago

What is the city's response to the Puri's point that they've already made a sound proposal? They seem just the right size and focus for a development group.

JCLifer 11 months, 3 weeks ago

crickets....

tonto_goldberg 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Way too much NIH (not invented here) for the city staff. After all, the Puri group didn't use the city's consultants. On the other hand, it is hard to determine if the Puri group proposal is "sound".

Sequoia 11 months, 3 weeks ago

I don't want to see J.C. stuck in the 70s either, but here is my problem: It seems like all the discussion about "progress" in this town centers around one project or the other.

All this talk about one project is fine. But my question is, "How does this one project fit into a future vision of the city?"

Urban development isn't about getting one project or not. It is about working toward a vision of the future where we have a city that is dense, mixed use and pedestrian scale.

The future of Jefferson City is NOT about whether we have a conference center or a hotel or a casino or any single project. It IS about how those projects are supposed to work together.

What is the vision for the future of Jefferson City? Higher density? More urban? Mixed use?

I can't support a single project until I understand how that project fits into a whole vision of the future. What is the vision?

JCLifer 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Excellent post!

Seems most of the effort and discussion has been to try to generate more business for local hoteliers, caterers, and restaurants, as well as to try to figure out how to get more money out of visitors' pockets. That is OK, but it seems that we need more discussion about what we want our town to be. We need to also plan for projects that benefit all citizens and improve the quality of life for all.

What are we doing about the drug and crime problem? Are we satisfied with the current trend? What are we doing about getting higher wage jobs? What are we doing about improving K-12 education? What are we doing about improving relationships and collaboration with Linn State and Lincoln University? What are we doing about improving local transportation, including getting from one end of town to the other? What are we doing to improve public transportation services? What are we doing about dilapidated properties? What are we doing to improve quality of life and opportunities for the disabled? What can we do to improve the quality and selection of entertainment alternatives in our town? Uptown parking has been full of issues for years. What are we doing to help resolve parking issues and provide equitable parking for all?
What are we doing to improve customer service attitudes of local merchants and their employees? Sidewalks are still a huge problem. Are we happy with the way city is building some and not enforcing the codes for others, and other neighborhoods have none?
Do we have a policy for streetlights? Why do some neighborhoods have one on every other pole, and other neighborhoods are quite dark? Why do we have so many burned out streetlights on the expressway and other major routes for months?

Is there any planning or discussion about where we want our city to go, or where we want our city to be in 2-5-10-25 years?

asb 11 months, 3 weeks ago

I think the Transformation effort was just what you're looking for in a vision thing, but it wasn't well put together and included some elements that were lightning rods for opposition, like the St Mary's move to Lincoln.

Sequoia 11 months, 3 weeks ago

I'm not so sure the vision is that clear, or, at least, I don't think everybody trying to sell these projects are on the same page. For example, how does a conference center "re-vitalize the central east side to make it more attractive"? I mean, there are a lot of theories about how to "revitalize" a neighborhood. Transit? Special zoning for higher density and mixed use? Gentrification? A conference center doesn't seem to fit that. If the rationale for a conference center is that it will increase jobs and taxes that will fund other re-vitalizing projects... well, I'm not sure about that.

I mean, in my view, a re-vitalized central east end pays for itself through higher property tax revenue. I see the investment in the neighborhood as its own payoff. I'd like to see examples from another community where the math of New Conference Center/Commercial Projects = higher tax revenue = more investment into neighborhoods works out. Seems like it should be exactly the reverse.

Give me an example of another city. What other city are we copying? What is our blueprint? What's the model that shows me "Ah, this is how it will work?"

Sequoia 11 months, 3 weeks ago

I never heard the words "density," "pedestrian scale," "growth area," "transit," or "mixed use" in the Transformation debate. I never heard anyone say, "Jefferson City needs to be more urban." Maybe I missed it. All I really heard was a list of projects. Granted, I didn't get as involved as I should have... but that puts me square in the group that most needs to be convinced.

I realize that phrase "urban" itself is a lightning rod around here, but I think that's the concept that needs buy in. Not just "change" or "transformation," but "transformation into a city."

Sequoia 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Small things can work, too. It doesn't have to be a huge government project. The "festival district" concept is great... instead of telling people how much fun you can have in an urban environment, you can show them. Once people start thinking, "I wish we lived close enough that we could walk down here for this," then we're on to something.

How about trying to set up a farmer's market downtown on Saturday mornings, instead of KMart?

RobHunterJohnson 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Count the cars on our Bridges on a Friday , Saturday that go right through Jefferson City on their way to the Lake. That should show the City they are missing the Boat, as like before let the Developer give them their convention space. Rob

JCLifer 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Why don't we give those vehicles a reason to stop here and stock up on their way to the Lake? Could it be that our high gas prices just encourage them to keep on driving through town instead of stopping?

spelchek 11 months, 3 weeks ago

I left town with a quarter tank to head to the lake recently. I chanced the drive just to save at the lake, plus the Hy-Vee incentive.

TickledPink 11 months, 3 weeks ago

h t t p://w w w.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-10-10-cities-cover_x.htm

Interesting ... I'm pretty sure this says a conference center (among other things) didn't work. Funny that.

TickledPink 11 months, 3 weeks ago

That's kinda my point. They (City Council, mayor, etc.) give lip service to attracting YP's but still push the conference center idea as the be all end all when that ISN'T what people are looking for. Want growth in Jefferson City? Want young people to stay and make it attractive to others? Get rid of the GOB mindset and open the town for diversity both ethnic and cultural. I've heard from way too many ethnic people that they are not made to feel welcome here so they tend to stick with "their own kind" which only helps reinforce the problem. It's time for younger people on our committees and boards, younger voices in City government. We need better marketing for the positive things we do have here so we can keep and/or bring in people who ARE motivated to make changes in the right direction.

whatif 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Having lived here many years ago and moved back about 6 years ago, the difference I see is the people this time around will bite their nose to spite their face. It wasn't like that when I first lived here. And as one poster said the people here aren't friendly. They carry the native Jefferson City pride thingy to a fault. And I am not sure what they are proud of, only if they are native Jefferson Citians. I have been to several public affairs and I here this over and over and over and over -- this is how they introduce themselves. Best I stop here.

centerguy56 11 months, 3 weeks ago

City, Pink and Seq: Keep this conversation going!. this is what i hope to hear on this forum, good rational and thoughtful discussion on the "move our city forward theme" THANK YOU!

TickledPink 11 months, 3 weeks ago

This is another subject that's been talked about for as long as I can remember but it's more important to our future than many people realize. We NEED a second public high school. I graduated 20 years ago and I know it was being discussed then but for different reasons. Educational opportunity is something people look at when considering moving to a new place and what we offer on paper (and IMO in reality) doesn't cut it. I truly believe that without this it doesn't matter how many parks we have, how many businesses we have, how many festivals we can put on in a year. If people see how limited they are in education choices for their children, they'll look elsewhere. This not only gives JC a more urban feel, it also creates jobs. THIS is what needs to be pushed, not a conference center.

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