PHILADELPHIA According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the convention center here is facing several major obstacles in its proposed expansion. Backers of a bigger convention center say it must expand to stay competitive nationally as well as to infuse struggling Center City hotels with overnight guests.
However, the expansion is far from being executed. Among the issues that confront city tourism leaders as they aggressively promote a bigger convention center:
In spite of lobbying efforts, neither the city nor state has promised to fund the $464 million expansion.
The larger Philadelphia venue is just one of 94 new or expanded centers planned to open by the middle of the decade. 13 of these would be about the same size or bigger.
Two of those competitors Boston and Washington, D.C. have begun expansions and could start snatching business from Philadelphia.
Attendance at conventions nationwide, including those here, is stagnant or declining, reflecting changes in the convention industry.
The newspaper reported that Philadelphia s mayor has acknowledged the need for a bigger convention center, but has yet to publicly back the financing. Also, it is unlikely that the governor will support the expansion for the duration of his term, which ends in 2002. Even if funding were to materialize, the paper reports that the earliest unveiling of a bigger center most likely would be in 2005. (5/8/01)
SOURCE:The Philadelphia Inquirer