GREENSBORO
Continuing a series of major capital projects, including the $11.5 million Carolina SciQuarium (2013), SkyWild Treetop Adventure Park (2015) and in March 2017, the $2 million, 5,000-square-foot expansion of the renamed Wiseman Aquarium, the group-capable Greensboro Science Center is now planning to double the size of its zoo by 2020 as part of an ongoing $10 million expansion.
Opened in 2007 as the nation’s first LEED Platinum-certified hotel, the AAA Four Diamond Proximity Hotel, offering versatile meeting and event spaces for up to 200 people, recently completed a redesign of its 147 guest rooms.
Greensboro-High Point Marriott Airport Hotel, offering 17 meeting rooms and 11,048 square feet of total space, recently completed a $12 million renovation of all 298 guest rooms.
WINSTON-SALEM
Commenced in March 2016 and completed in July 2017, the “reinvention” of the 105,000-square-foot Benton Convention Center involved significant structural, design and technological upgrades throughout. Highlights of the roughly $20 million project include the transformation of the existing exhibit hall into ballroom meeting space; expansion of the front facade to create additional flexible prefunction space; and addition of windows and skylights to give the venue “a contemporary, open and inviting aesthetic.” The venue also features original works by local artists. Connected by skywalk to the venue are the 315-room Winston-Salem Marriott, offering 14 meeting rooms and more than 15,000 square feet of total meeting space, and 146-room Embassy Suites Winston-Salem, with 55,000 square feet of space that includes the 24,000-square-foot, 2,000-capacity Grand Pavilion Ballroom.
New Winston-Salem hotels in 2017 include the 108-room Residence Inn Winston-Salem Hanes Mall and 98-room Hampton Inn Kernersville (http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com). Scheduled 2018 openings include the 91-room Home2 Suites Hanes Mall, 119-room Hampton Inn Downtown (http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com) as well as a 75-room Hotel Indigo.