For years we have been hearing that the Prime Osborn Convention Center is too small, out-dated, and isolated. Let's see how it stacks up against fourteen convention centers located in other U.S. cities.
Jacksonville
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-996-primeosborn.jpg)
2006 metropolitan population: 1,277,997
Facility name: Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center
Facility location and hotel: LaVilla; no on-site hotel available.
Facility square footage: 265,000 square feet of space with 78,540 square feet of exhibition space.
www.jaxevents.com
Austin
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-978-austinconventioncenter.jpg)
2005 metropolitan population: 1,513,565
Facility name: Austin Convention Center
Facility location & Hotel: Downtown, two blocks from 6th Street Entertainment District; 31-story, 800-room Hilton Austin
Facility square footage: 881,400 gross square feet of space with 246,097 square feet of column-free exhibit space, divisible into five contiguous halls.
www.austinconventioncenter.com
Charlotte
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-982-charlotteconventioncenter-4.jpg)
2006 metropolitan population: 1,583,016
Facility name: Charlotte Convention Center
Facility location & hotel: Downtown Charlotte
Facility square footage: 280,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-981-charlotteconventioncenter-3.jpg)
Charlotte's convention center is a stones throw away from the heart of Uptown.
www.charlotteconventionctr.com
Chattanooga
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-1057-chattanooga.jpg)
2006 metropolitan population: 496,704
Facility name:
Facility location & hotel: Downtown Chattanooga; The Chattanooga Marriott
i think that we have a minimal amount of space(if enough), but as stated, no onsite hotel, and no immediate connection to the core-which lavilla can be considered a part of, but the real heart of jacksonville(right now) is a little south around the bay street area by the landing. so these problems would warrant a move, or a new convention center. however, is Jax a convention town? would we be able to compete against places like Atlanta, Orlando, Miami? what is our draw?
I would like to believe we could do it if Chattanooga, erie, and mobile can. I can see chattanooga creating a large draw, but i would like to believe that we can out-draw them, along with the eries and the mobiles out there(no offense). however once again-proximity. can we do it with other strongholds so close? Ask the study i suppose.....
just thought about the transportation center. whenever that is up, that area ahould be a hub. so im still torn. i say-expand unless there is evidence beyond a shadow of a doubt that we need a new one, as much as i would like a shiny new one ;D
Quote from: Matt on June 03, 2007, 06:47:14 PM
i think that we have a minimal amount of space(if enough), but as stated, no onsite hotel, and no immediate connection to the core-which lavilla can be considered a part of, but the real heart of jacksonville(right now) is a little south around the bay street area by the landing. so these problems would warrant a move, or a new convention center. however, is Jax a convention town? would we be able to compete against places like Atlanta, Orlando, Miami? what is our draw?
I would like to believe we could do it if Chattanooga, erie, and mobile can. I can see chattanooga creating a large draw, but i would like to believe that we can out-draw them, along with the eries and the mobiles out there(no offense). however once again-proximity. can we do it with other strongholds so close? Ask the study i suppose.....
I believe we have a draw. That draw is our community and it's unique features. We just have to find a better way of promoting and marketing them. As for competing with the Atlantas and Orlandos of the convention world, we're not there yet and probably will never be. However, we should be able to compete with second tier communities like Nashville, Charlotte, Birmingham and Mobile. Unfortunately, right now, we're not even doing that.
Quote from: Matt on June 03, 2007, 07:08:31 PM
just thought about the transportation center. whenever that is up, that area ahould be a hub. so im still torn. i say-expand unless there is evidence beyond a shadow of a doubt that we need a new one, as much as i would like a shiny new one ;D
I think the best solution is to look at the courthouse, transportation center and convention center issues together. My solution would be to build the courthouse in it's intended new location, construct a new convention center on the courthouse's old site and use the Prime Osborn for the transportation center. Doing such would free up about seven or eight blocks of additional land in downtown and LaVilla for private sector development, as well as solve all of the negative issues facing those three big ticket items.
to bad you dont plan this city ;). btw-any solid plands emerging from novare, or still just talk of them building here?
Task force to review study on new convention center[/size]
QuoteThe Jacksonville Convention Center Task Force, which has been studying the need to build a larger convention center in the city, is set to review long-awaited results of its feasibility study tonight.
QuoteIf you goThe Convention Center Task Force meets from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at Jacksonville Community Council Inc. headquarters, 2434 Atlantic Blvd., No. 100. John Kaatz, vice president of CSL International, will present results of a study looking at whether Jacksonville needs a larger convention center. The meeting is open to the public. For details, call (904) 396-3052 or visit www.jcci.org.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/062807/bus_180555361.shtml
I won't be attending, but I hope someone does. I'm anxious to see if the official task force's recommendations are in line with JCCI's (don't build a convention center until you have a bustling activity center to build it in).
It seems the convention center planning/discussion might go the way of BRT -- doesn't make sense, public might not want it, but we'll force it on you anyway (and reference Dames Point bridge and JTB as support)...
I still think our core activity center has enough things in place to bustle. In fact it bustles at times, but that level of activity can't be substained for a long period of time, because the quality destinations aren't properly integrated and connected. To that effect, a new convention center (at some point in the future) can be a part of the integration solution, as opposed to waiting for a Manhattan type scene to spring up first, before making a move (while falling further behind our competition).
A good location for the convention center would be somewhere between the Landing and Jax Municipal Stadium.
With the Shipyards and hopefully Bay Street becoming an entertainment district there would be plenty of activity going on.
QuoteConvention center, hotels need to be closer, study suggests
By Alison Trinidad,
The Times-Union
Tourism boosters who've been studying the need for a bigger convention center have two short-term options, according to the first half of a $50,000 study released Thursday.
Though the city has enough convention space and hotel rooms to attract a good chunk of meeting business, the two are too far apart to work, the study said.
JACKSONVILLE: A CONVENTION CITY?
Here are some of qualities a study found about Jacksonville's potential as a convention host:
Strengths- Jacksonville International Airport- Easily accessible by car- Population and corporate base- Affordable- Beaches, resorts and golf
Weaknesses- Lack of identity- Not enough to do near the convention center- Too close to better convention cities- Too few convention-quality hotels
The study, done by convention industry consultant CSL International, reports that it is "conceivable" that building more convention space near existing hotels or more hotels near the Prime Osborn Convention Center would generate an economic return for the First Coast.
But it'll take time and cost millions.
How long, how much and who will pay is still unclear. It's now up to a city task force to find out. The group will continue to meet through October. The second half of CSL's study is due in early August. For more info, go to www.jcci.org or Jacksonville.com, keyword: Convention Center.
Two options
Hyatt Regency
The report suggests that the city identify publicly owned land near the Hyatt Regency hotel on which it could build additional convention space. Public funds would be used to develop the space. The focus would be to attract nonlocal events that bring overnight visitors to hotels. Because the hotel, the largest in Northeast Florida, has significant meeting space of its own, CSL says this option would make Jacksonville comparable to other regional, and some national, convention markets. The Prime Osborn would be preserved to host local meetings and events.
Prime Osborn
In this scenario, the city would try to attract a large hotel to open next to the Prime Osborn. In the long term, the Prime Osborn could be expanded. This option requires "significant" hotel and entertainment development in the surrounding area, and would likely take "a long period of time."
... or option three
Build adequate convention space near the Hyatt in the next five years, but plan for a bigger and better location for the long term.
What they said
"In my opinion, Jacksonville is a phenomenal destination for conventions, ... but you have some marketing to do. And, before you do that, you have a product issue."John Kaatz, vice president of CSL International
"We shouldn't just go for the path of least resistance. Small plans get small results. Big plans get big results."Jack Diamond, principal of Rink Design Partnership Inc.
"We need a vision for what we want Jacksonville to look like in 20 years and have the fortitude to stick with it."M.G. Orender, chairman of Convention enter Task Force
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/062907/bus_180707850.shtml
QuoteJACKSONVILLE: A CONVENTION CITY?
Here are some of qualities a study found about Jacksonville's potential as a convention host:
Strengths
- Jacksonville International Airport
- Easily accessible by car
- Population and corporate base
- Affordable
- Beaches, resorts and golf
Weaknesses
- Lack of identity
- Not enough to do near the convention center
- Too close to better convention cities
- Too few convention-quality hotels
A convention center built on the site of the existing courthouse and partnered with the Hyatt would probably be the most successful.