Lindy Dobbins/WTHR
In the two years that have passed since the RCA Dome was demolished in December 2008, the Indiana Convention Center has almost doubled in size. David R. Frick, Chairman of the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority, presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony that opened the expanded building Thursday morning.
"Years from now," Frick said, "we will look back on January 20, 2011 as the day that enabled the city and the state to take another step forward as a major player in the tourism and hospitality industry."
The expansion of the Convention Center added 254,000 square feet of exhibit space, 63,000 square feet of meeting rooms and 103,000 square feet of pre-function space. These additions moved Indianapolis from 32nd place among America's major convention cities to 16th place, where exhibit space is concerned.
"There is a true national buzz in the convention industry about Indianapolis and about our deliberate and thoughtful growth over this time," said Chair of the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Board, Michael Browning.
In addition to contributing to the national convention industry, the newly expanded center will have a grand impact on Indiana's economy. According to independent studies conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers before the expansion began, the Expanded Convention Center was projected to create nearly 10,000 jobs and add approximately $2.25 billion to the state and regional economy over ten years.
"Along with growing that convention business grows the need for sustainable jobs to help maintain that business and that is really great news for our work force here in central Indiana," said Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.
The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority directed and designed both Lucas Oil Stadium and the successive expansion of the Convention Center. Upon its official opening Thursday, Frick turned his oversized gold key over to Capital Improvement Board Chair Ann Lathrop.
"Combined with Lucas Oil Stadium," Lathrop said, "this remarkable expansion will provide us with significant economic benefits and keep us a destination for visitors, further enhancing our reputation as having world class facilities in a world class city."
Visitors to the Convention Center will enjoy a three-story glass enclosed entrance pavilion, 566,600 square feet of exhibit space, 113,302 square feet of meeting rooms, 48 loading docks, and numerous completely enclosed and temperature controlled skywalks.
"As a cold weather destination, you have to stay competitive and one of the ways Indianapolis has been successful on the national convention scene to date was our existing connectivity… we are even more connected with the fact that we have 4,717 hotel rooms connected into this facility and subsequently into Lucas Oil Stadium," said Chris Gahl, spokesman for the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association. "That's more hotel rooms connected to a convention center than any other city in the nation."
In addition to the 12 surrounding hotels, the Indiana Convention Center is also directly connected to Lucas Oil Stadium and the Circle Center Mall. This degree of indoor connectivity is intended to create an increasingly convenient experience for visitors as well as create a more neighborly feel amongst Indianapolis' major facilities.
"We can say to a meeting planner, ‘when you meet in Indianapolis, there is no need for ground transportation,'" said Gahl. "Delegates can get from the airport painlessly and once you're downtown you stay within our connected skywalks and you don't need to bus or have expensive rental cars, etc, etc."
From construction to convenience, the Expanded Convention Center has continued to exceed expectations. Most importantly, the renovations occurred both on time and under budget.
"This was a great accomplishment; one that doesn't happen in that many public projects," said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. "But it happened here thanks to terrific collaboration by so many people so yet again, Indianapolis and Indiana has shown the way."
