CINCINNATI — Updated renderings and details about the upcoming Duke Energy Convention Center renovation were released Wednesday by 3CDC.
"We've always been hesitant to call it a renovation. It's a complete reinvention of the way this whole corner, the southwest corner of downtown looks like," said Julie Calvert, the president and CEO of Visit Cincy.
The new renderings show the drastic changes 3CDC plan to make to the convention center, including adding walls of windows and a more modern design.
3CDC also said the Former Millenium site will become part of the convention center and Elm Street will be closed.
Over the summer, some people were also concerned the iconic Cincinnati Sign on the Central Avenue side of the building could go away when renovation time comes, but 3CDC said it's staying put.
"There's a chance we would enhance it in some way... but the building blocks of what's there will remain," said Adam Gelter, an executive vice president with 3CDC.
3CDC also released an updated timeline.
The company said it's set to receive final approval of financing on Feb. 15, then design development will be complete by the end of February. Construction is set to start July 1 and wrap up at the end of 2025.
The project has been years in the making, and Calvert said the city has lost out on millions of dollars because of the outdated facility.
"We have had meeting planners, you know about $48 million worth of convention business that has had to turn away because we didn't have the right hotel, we didn't have convention center and I think we're solving that," she said.
While construction hasn't started yet, Visit Cincy said it's starting to work to make sure more big events are coming to Cincinnati while the convention center is closed and once it reopens.
"We will end up boosting some of our marketing over the next two years so that when this convention center — the modernized convention center, when the hotel comes online, we already have business booked," said Jeff Berding, the chair of the Visit Cincy board.
Berding also announced a study the Cincinnati Chamber will oversee. The study will look into building a new arena in Cincinnati, and that'll be finished in about six months.
He also said regional leaders are taking steps to create a sports commission, which would push to bring more big sporting events, like the NFL Draft to Cincinnati.
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