Convention Centre Project Going to Tender

The new St. John’s Convention Centre is closer to becoming a reality as the construction project goes to tender on Jan. 26.
 
“I am very pleased to see us moving forward with this next critical step in the project,” says Councillor at Large Sandy Hickman, Council liaison on the Convention Centre Project Committee. “The St. John’s Convention Centre project is driving economic rejuvenation in the downtown St. John’s area and once completed will be a civic property which generates increased economic activity in the City.”
 
St. John’s has become a very popular convention location with convention and meeting organizers due to our unique location, culture and heritage. The current configuration of the centre does not allow the City to compete with other similarly sized locations in Atlantic Canada – such as Moncton, Fredericton or Charlottetown.
 
“Through Destination St. John’s efforts to market the City to the convention industry we have become a destination of choice,” says Councillor Hickman. “However the current layout of the centre limits the size of events we can hold and we are in the unfortunate position of having to turn away convention and large meeting opportunities. The new St. John’s Convention Centre will ensure we remain competitive and allow us to bring even more visitors to our region.”
 
The project was first announced last fall during a joint funding announcement made by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Government of Canada and City of St. John’s.  The City’s portion of the funding is coming from the Accommodation Tax.
 
The tender for construction on the project will close mid-March with the construction phase to begin immediately. The current St. John’s Convention Centre will remain open as work begins on the expansion until the fall of 2014 at which time it is expected to close for renovation work to begin on that portion. The newly expanded centre will open for business in January 2016.
 
“All of the infrastructure projects we work on as a City are important, whether it be upgrading water mains, completing street rehabilitation or constructing new public buildings,” says Councillor Hickman. “What sets the St. John’s Convention Centre apart is its ability to impact our local economy in a positive way for decades to come. You can already see the positive economic impact of the expansion, the City has seven applications on file for new hotel properties in the City and there is no question this entire sector will benefit from the expansion project.”
  
New St. John’s Convention Centre

The current configuration of the St. John’s Convention Centre is too small or inappropriately configured for many conventions which the City might otherwise attract. The expansion of the St. John’s Convention Centre, designed by Stantec Architecture and Newfoundland Design Associates, improves it to a fully self-contained Tier 3 facility that is expected to double the number of large meetings and conventions the centre holds each year.
 
“We met very early on with convention and meeting organizers to determine how the convention centre could meet the needs of the industry and we received excellent feedback which has been incorporated into the new St. John’s Convention Centre design,” says Councillor Hickman.
 
Some of the highlights of the new centre include:

• The current centre can host conventions of 400 to 600 people in conjunction with the Delta Hotel. The new centre will be able to host conventions of 600 to 800 and approximately 1,300 people for a sit-down dinner in the new 19,500 sq. ft. main ballroom and an additional 400 people in the junior ballroom.
• The current centre has two meeting rooms in addition to the ballroom, which is not set up to be subdivided. The new centre will have 10 meeting rooms on the third level and both ballrooms can be subdivided into four meeting spaces.
• Storage space at the current centre is inadequate for its size. The new convention centre will have vastly improved storage space which will allow the centre to store everything it needs to fully set up both ballrooms for use at the same time.
• The new convention centre will have a state-of-the-art kitchen which is capable of serving 1,300 hot meals in 15 minutes and up to 2,600 meals per day. The current kitchen facilities are approximately one-quarter the size of what the new convention centre will have.
• Loading will also be enhanced at the new centre and transport trucks and delivery vehicles will have full access to the facility through the ground floor. The loading facilities allow direct access to the main ballroom and the kitchen.
• The new convention centre will have a direct pedway to the Delta Hotel, in addition to the pedway to Mile One Centre which already exists.
• The Business Hall of Fame will be highlighted with additional space and an interactive display.
• There will also be additional office space, a workshop and an event office for convention/meeting organizers.
• The outside of the facility will also be updated with new features including:
  • Storefront type glazing which will be illuminated at night and provide daytime reflective surfaces.
  • The outside façade will be reminiscent of the colourful aspects of downtown St. John’s.
  • The front of the centre will include a large projection screen marquee to promote the convention centre, Mile One Centre and tourism.
  • The new entrance will provide an elegant canopy for events.
  • On Waldegrave Street, architectural screens will be incorporated, which will be backlit for visual interest.
  • The current bus shelter on Water Street will be incorporated into the building.
  • On Water Street there will be a large piece of public art on one section of the exterior wall and there will be a competition to select the image used.
  • There will also be additional opportunities to include public art throughout the interior of the facility.

 “I am very pleased that this facility is going to be such a pleasant space for pedestrians and visitors and I believe it will enhance the area,” says Councillor Hickman. “Traffic circulation in the area has already been improved and the new centre once completed will be a focal point in the downtown for visitors and residents alike.”
 
The St. John’s Convention Centre is governed by St. John’s Sports and Entertainment, which also operates the Mile One Centre.
 
 For further information:
Jennifer Mills
Communications Officer
City of St. John’s
Phone: (709) 570-2037
Cell: (709) 690-7586
E-mail: jmills@stjohns.ca
 
Sandy Hickman
Councillor At Large
St. John’s Convention Centre Committee
City of St. John’s
Phone: (709) 576-8045
Cell: (709) 689-6077
E-mail: shickman@stjohns.ca