Plans for renovating Veterans Memorial Auditorium (WHO)
The $41 million renovation project at Veterans Memorial Auditorium cleared its first hurdle Tuesday, with a unanimous vote by the Polk County board of supervisors.
The makeover is an attempt to keep Des Moines competitive in the convention business. The supervisors' action clears the way for the county to start receiving proposals from architects and contractors.
The plan calls for Vets to be divided into two levels. The first will have a large ballroom and the second will have meeting and breakout rooms. This is the type of space officials at the Events Center and Convention and Visitors Bureau say has been missing at the complex and as a result, they say the city has lost a lot of convention business.
"They could do their exhibits at the Iowa Events Center and Hy-Vee Hall, but they didn't have room to do banquet or general session, breakout meetings space so we had to sell them on using the convention complex, which is two and a half blocks away," says Greg Edwards with the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The county uses revenue from Prairie Meadows to pay down the debt still owed on the Events Center. This project would add four years onto the payment schedule.
Supervisor EJ Giovanetti says he hopes for a ribbon cutting on the renovated Vets within two to three years.
The makeover is an attempt to keep Des Moines competitive in the convention business. The supervisors' action clears the way for the county to start receiving proposals from architects and contractors.
The plan calls for Vets to be divided into two levels. The first will have a large ballroom and the second will have meeting and breakout rooms. This is the type of space officials at the Events Center and Convention and Visitors Bureau say has been missing at the complex and as a result, they say the city has lost a lot of convention business.
"They could do their exhibits at the Iowa Events Center and Hy-Vee Hall, but they didn't have room to do banquet or general session, breakout meetings space so we had to sell them on using the convention complex, which is two and a half blocks away," says Greg Edwards with the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The county uses revenue from Prairie Meadows to pay down the debt still owed on the Events Center. This project would add four years onto the payment schedule.
Supervisor EJ Giovanetti says he hopes for a ribbon cutting on the renovated Vets within two to three years.
