Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1503289
B M & T ••• July/August 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 19 WWII - US Freedom Pavilion nation's primary meeting venue, and a massive upgrade is underway. Built in 1984, and stretch- ing three-quarters of a mile along the Mississippi River, the facility is also the largest building in the world to achieve LEED Gold certification, last November, according to General Manager Mike Sawaya. Highlights of the renovation include replac- ing the 17-year-old carpet, updating the design of its 140 meeting rooms, and adding a new spray foam roof. Also included will be improve- ments to its 60,300 square-foot Great Hall and exhibit spaces, and a 48- acre mixed-use development that will include afford- able housing. The venue also has plans to transform its 36,448 square- foot ballroom that will add floor-to- ceiling windows to offer spectacular views of the Mississippi River. Our next stop was The Higgins Hotel New Orleans, Curio Collection by Hilton, 1000 Magazine St. The hotel operates as a non-profit and owns the phenomenal National World War II Museum nearby. The Higgins was named to honor Higgins Industries, a New Orleans company that made the Higgins Boat landing craft used in the D-Day invasion. The 230-room property has an Art Deco design and offers 18,000 square feet of meeting space with a 6,566 square foot ballroom. Its rooftop bar called Rosie's offers a stunning view of the soaring Bollinger Canopy of Peace which rises 148 above the center of the museum's campus, unifying its pavilions and serving as a beacon at night when lit. The museum tells the epic story of the American experience in the war that changed the world, particularly why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today. In a voice that is intimate and personal, immersive exhibits not only highlight the role of world leaders, but also the everyday men and women who found the strength and courage to accom- plish the extraordinary. The museum is set to open the Liberation Pavilion this fall, and the space will examine the end of the war and its aftermath. It also will feature how different movements like civil rights and women's rights emerged following the war. The museum was the brainchild of author Stephen Ambrose and historian and former Vice Chancellor of the University of New Orleans Dr. Gordon H. "Nick" Mueller. It opened 23 years ago in one building and