CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa
The land is almost ready, and now the new foundation for the Cedar Rapids Convention Center Complex is also in place.
Meanwhile, city leaders have signed an agreement to make Hilton Hotels the new operator of the future facility. The hotel portion of the complex will become a part of Hilton’s “Doubletree” brand.
But city leaders say Doubletree will be more than just a name on the hotel; Hilton also will manage the convention center and U.S. Cellular Center arena. For the first time, they'll all work as one.
The new label is also a chance for the city to push out past “failures” on the property. With a long history of changing ownership and management, they hope Hilton can finally offer some stability. After all, the 15 year deal comes in an all new, bigger than ever. Once construction is complete, the Cedar Rapids complex will be the second largest in the state. Swore says that should attract a lot of big events that require more physical space.
