Convention Centre Project Tender Approved

The new St. John’s Convention Centre passed a major milestone April 1 with awarding of the tender for the construction project.

“This is an important step forward and we are very pleased with the successful bid,” says Councillor at Large Sandy Hickman, Council liaison on the Convention Centre Project Committee. “This is a critical piece of infrastructure that is driving economic rejuvenation in the downtown St. John’s area. Once completed, we will have a first-class civic property, which will allow us to remain competitive in the convention market.”

The City received four bids on the project with the successful bid coming in at approximately $52.7 million from the lowest bidder - Pomerleau Inc. Funding for the project includes commitments of $15 million from both the federal and provincial levels of government, with the remainder of the project funded through the City’s Tourism Marketing Levy (also referred to as the Accommodation Tax). The total cost of the project including land acquisition, engineering design fees and more is estimated at $60 million.

“This is a project which will benefit residents, businesses and visitors to St. John’s and we are extremely pleased the municipal share of the costs will be covered by industry through the levy. So the expansion will not be paid for by the tax payers of St. John’s, but rather by the tourism industry which will utilize the facility,” says Councillor Hickman. “This is a great example of how we are working with industry to improve local infrastructure that we can all benefit from.”

The St. John’s Convention Centre is a major economic generator in the City bringing in approximately $35 to $40 million per year in revenues. Destination St. John’s, which as part of its mandate markets the City for major meetings and conventions, is very pleased to see the new Convention Centre one step closer to reality.

“In order for St. John’s to remain competitive and grow the meetings and convention market, the St. John’s Convention Centre requires expansion and design improvements,” says Cathy Duke, CEO of Destination St. John’s. “We are looking forward to marketing the new building to attract additional events and conventions to the city. With a new centre we could see business increasing to $50 to $60 million by 2018. This is a good news story, not just for St. John’s and surrounding areas, but for the entire province, as 43 per cent of delegates come early and stay beyond their conference dates to explore Newfoundland and Labrador.”

St. John’s is a very popular 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.

“By approving this bid tonight we are ensuring that the project remains on schedule and work will begin in the upcoming weeks,” says Councillor Hickman. “This project has been many years in the making and I am excited to see us begin construction.”

Initially, the St. John’s Convention Centre will remain open as work begins on the expansion. The facility is expected to close in the fall of 2014 for renovation work to begin on that portion, with the newly expanded centre fully 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 eight applications on file for new hotel properties in the City and there is no question this entire sector will benefit from the expansion project.”

Convention Centre Highlights
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 and approximately 1,000 in the ballroom. The new centre will be able to host conventions of 600 -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 Junior Achievement 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, backlit architectural screens will be incorporated 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.

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
E-mail: shickman@stjohns.ca

Cathy Duke
CEO
Destination St. John’s
Phone: (709) 739-8898
E-mail: cduke@destinationstjohns.com