Huntington Convention Center expansion underway
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The new second-floor terrace is envisioned for outdoor events. Rendering: Courtesy of Huntington Convention Center
Construction on a $49 million project to dissolve the Global Center for Health Innovation into the Huntington Convention Center is underway and expected to wrap up next year.
Yes, but: Even with the new expanded square footage, the Huntington Convention Center won't crack the 30 largest convention centers in the United States.
Driving the news: The Wall Street Journal published a ranking of the 30 Best Convention Centers in the U.S. last week, and Cleveland's downtown convention center, which opened in 2013, failed to make the cut.
The intrigue: Travis Poppell, the Huntington Convention Center's director of sales and marketing, told Axios that WSJ ranked the 30 largest facilities, and due to the Huntington Convention Center's relatively modest size — 410,000 total square feet including a 225,000-square-foot exhibit floor — it wasn't included.
The other side (of town): Cleveland's International Exposition Center, however, at 2.2 million square feet, was on the list.
Reality check: It ranked 30th out of 30.
- Though it scored first overall in the distance from airport category, it ranked dead last or second-to-last for meeting rooms, closest dry cleaner, food availability and walkability.
Between the lines: The I-X Center, with its expansive surface parking lots and 1 million-square-foot exhibit hall, is ideal for the annual auto show, boat show and home and garden show.
- The Huntington Convention Center, in the heart of downtown Cleveland, appeals to a more corporate crowd.
What they're saying: "The exciting thing is the expansion allows us to pursue event opportunities whose space needs we previously could not accommodate," Poppell told Axios.
Details: The new Global Center space will include meeting rooms in the 3,000- to 5,000-square-foot range and a second-floor terrace for outdoor events.
What's next: The renovation is expected to be complete in July 2024.
The bottom line: The expansion "indicates that Cleveland is serious about growing its tourism industry and enhancing the community's popularity and reputation as an exceptional host of meetings and conventions," said Destination Cleveland's David Gilbert in a statement provided to Axios.