A feasibility study for the SeaGate Convention Centre recommends renovating the existing structure and constructing an addition to create a ballroom that would attract more conventions and trade shows to the downtown Toledo facility.
The study, which looks at the economic impact of the convention center on the downtown, city, and county, was presented Tuesday by Development Strategies, Inc. to the Lucas County Commissioners, who authorized the analysis in May.
Currently the convention center in downtown Toledo draws about 125,000 visitors annually and generates nearly $11 million in local spending, according to the study.
Improvements suggested by St. Louis-based Development Strategies consultants could boost SeaGate’s ability to draw more and larger conventions, meetings, and trade shows, increasing annual visitors to 200,000.
The study said Toledo is at a disadvantage with other convention facilities in similar size cities in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan because their facilities have ballrooms, which have been proven to be successful in driving increased attendance.
Matt Wetli, who is with Development Strategies, said a ballroom facility in the range of 15,000 to 20,000-square-feet is needed to be competitive with other markets such as Akron and Fort Wayne, Ind.
The study, which cost the county $47,000, suggests more downtown hotels could help boost convention business and serve the downtown corporate community.
The 300-room Park Inn adjacent to SeaGate Centre now is available for downtown patrons. The former Grand Plaza, 444 N. Summit St., is closed for a $25 million upgrade and is scheduled to reopen in March as the 240-room Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel.
A real estate developer is in negotiations with Lucas County officials to obtain the former Hotel Seagate, also adjacent to the convention center, and turn the 19-story downtown building on Summit Street back into a 262-room hotel.
Mr. Wetli said additional downtown hotels are needed for the 300,000 people who stay overnight annually for trips to destinations such as the Toledo Zoo and Toledo Museum of Art. He said the downtown could support an additional 250 to 400 hotel rooms to accommodate increased convention center business and tourism.
“The hotel market has improved as the economy has improved,” he said. “There is an opportunity for Toledo to capture more hotel beds for tourists.”
The 92,000-square-foot convention center, which has 75,000 square feet of exhibit space, opened in 1987. Peak attendance hit 295,000 visitors in 2006, but it has steadily declined since hotels closed or lost branding affiliations. Average attendance for the last five years is at about 125,000 people.
The study says the facility is strategically located in downtown among walkable amenities, including Huntington Center, Fifth Third Field, Hensville, Imagination Station, and the riverfront. It also is a reasonable distance to the Toledo Zoo and museum.
In addition to the ballroom facility addition, the study recommends exterior improvements to SeaGate Centre to give it a contemporary look. Suggestions include enhancing the entrance on Summit Street and replacing the brick wall on Monroe Street with a modern facade.
Brian Licari, also with Development Strategies, said the 125,000 visitors to the convention center generate more than $27 million in visitor spending for hotel rooms, travel, and shopping. Dining and operation of the facility brings another $5.8 million impact on the local economy.
The study projects boosting attendance to 200,000 visitors a year could result in a $44 million annual impact on the local economy, add another 500 jobs to the area, and increase county tax revenue by $525,000 annually.
Commissioner Pete Gerken said the study shows decisions by the county in constructing Fifth Third Field and Huntington Center and the decision to buy the vacant Hotel Seagate were worthy and timely investments.
“I think it is a very detailed report and one that is needed,” Mr. Gerken said. “We’ve got to have a ballroom. That is an absolutely critical investment.”
Tina Skeldon Wozniak, president of the commissioners, said the study will be reviewed. Additional analysis is needed to calculate the costs of the recommendations and develop a timeline for the improvements.
“I think we need to stay where we are located. We need to make sure a hotel happens and provide the amenities that people attending conventions want,” she said.
Mr. Wetli said discussions with downtown corporations showed a strong desire to have their out-of-town visitors stay nearby in upscale hotels. He said many of the businesses said they send people out of Toledo to Perrysburg because downtown lacks adequate hotel rooms.
“The business component has made a conscious decision to stay downtown. They are very civic-minded,” he said. “They want to invest money and stay downtown.”
Contact Mark Reiter at: markreiter@theblade.com or 419-724-6199.
First Published October 26, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
