DENVER
Denver residents voted in favor of an expansion of the Colorado Convention Center by passing a special initiative on Nov. 3, 2015. Funding will come by extending current taxes that are set to expire in 2023.
Generated funds will go toward an expansion of the Colorado Convention Center and for construction of a new National Western Center that will be a year-round events, entertainment, and educational facility. The new facility will house Denver’s largest event, the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo.
“We’re thrilled to have the support of the people of Denver behind our city’s convention and tourism industry,” said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of VISIT DENVER, the Convention & Visitors Bureau. This is the third time in recent years that Denver voters have strongly supported the travel industry.”
Few details on the new expansion are available at this time.
“We are just completing a master plan for the Colorado Convention Center, and now with the voters’ approval we should be able to put out an RFP for an architect by the end of the year,” Scharf said.
An independent study by the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) released in 2014 recommended a variety of enhancements to the Colorado Convention Center, which were embraced by the City of Denver.
The future expansions and upgrades to the Colorado Convention Center will include:
- The development of new flexible meeting space of up to 85,000 square feet and the addition of 120,000 square feet of new pre-function and service space, including a 50,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, all to be located on the roof of the existing convention center.
- These new facilities will be seamlessly integrated into the building, and attendees will have easy access to the center’s existing exhibit, meeting room and ballroom levels.
- Technology improvements will be made that will position the Colorado Convention Center as a “best-in-class” facility, keeping pace with current technologies and demand.
- New and improved networking options will be incorporated into the building providing exciting and innovative spaces that capture the spirit of Denver and Colorado.
The suggested improvements came after SAG’s year-long study, which received input from more than 120 meeting professionals, industry leaders and community stakeholders
Denver then hired MIG, Charles Johnson Consulting, JLL and Fentress Architects, the original architects of the Center and expansion, to conduct the master plan for the Colorado Convention Center and produce preliminary renderings of the expansion’s major features.
The Colorado Convention Center celebrated its 25th anniversary in June 2015. It is credited with generating more than $500 million in annual economic impact for a total of more than $4.8 billion since the center was expanded in 2004. The center has also been the catalyst for many improvements downtown.
Denver will soon have 3,000 hotel rooms within one block of the convention center, and nearly 10,000 hotel rooms within easy walking distance by the end of 2016.
VISIT DENVER launched an informational website at CCCExpansion.com to provide ongoing updates.
