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PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION DRIVES HOTEL DEVELOPMENT AND PROPOSED RENOVATION PROJECTS; Unlocks Regional Potential to Contribute to the State's Economy BY EDITH BILLUPS Tourists and meeting planners looking at Philadelphia for their next destination will have several new options to choose from as the city gears up for a new Convention Center expan- sion and other renovations. The expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center is opening the door for several hotel development and renovation projects as the city nears the Convention Center's 2011 open- ing date. It is estimated that an additional 2,000-2,500 hotel rooms are needed for the expansion. Under new President and CEO Ahmeenah Young, the center is leading a $700 million expansion that will increase the state's footprint to over one million sq. ft. The expansion will increase the current space by 60%, forming the largest contiguous exhib- it space in the Northeast at 700,000 sq. ft. and, at 60,000 sq. ft., the largest convention center ballroom on the East Coast. The expansion also will create 2,000 hospitality industry jobs; generate $10 million in income tax revenue for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and contribute $150 million annually to the regional economy. The project also has given the PCC the chance to aggressively pursue diversity and inclusion in contract opportunities and union employment opportunities. According to Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, "The (convention center) expansion will help to make Philadelphia one of the top cities in the country, a premier city. More con- ventions and more businesses will be compelled to come." The expansion project comes at a time when Nutter also has implemented Greenworks Philadelphia, the city's sustainability framework which has set goals in five areas — energy, environ- ment, equity, economy and engagement. The framework encom- passes more than 150 achievable, measurable initiatives which, when implemented, will reduce the city's vulnerability to rising energy prices, limit its environmental footprint and reposition its workforce and job development strategies to build upon Philadelphia's competitive advantages in the emerging green economy. For Ed Grose, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, the expansion is welcome news for nearly a dozen hotels that have embarked on major upgrades to guest rooms, meeting facilities, restaurants and the latest in technolo- gy. "We currently have two exciting hotel projects, Hotel Palomar and LeMeridien, which will be a welcome addition to the hotel landscape," said Grose. "We also expect a several hun- dred-room anchor property to be built in the vicinity of the Convention Center." Located in The Architect's Building, a 24-story Art Deco structure at 17th and Sanson streets, Klimpton's Hotel Palomar Philadelphia features 230 rooms and is one of the city's first cos- mopolitan boutique hotels. The $92.5 million project will feature the restaurant Square 1682. Currently, the hotel is the only LEED registered hotel in Philadelphia. The LeMeridien Philadelphia, at 1421 Arch St., offers five floors of four-star accommodations, along with a 90-seat restau- rant, Amuse. Newly renovated hotels include The Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia at South Broad Street. Recently completed Continued on page 38 Black Meetings & Tourism December 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 37